Happy New month, New Year and Hannukah

Friday Night Shabbat Services. We’d love to see you tonight, December 30, at the regular time of 7:00 PM.

Shabbat morning services are two weeks away on Saturday, January 14 at 9 AM.

One week away, Friday January 6, we look forward to welcoming Rabbi Daniel Septimus who will give the Dvar Torah at Beth El and tell us about his role as CEO of the JCC.

Sunday school resumes January 8.

Candle lighting in Austin is at 5:23 PM

Friday January 6, Rabbi Daniel Septimus CEO of the Austin JCC will likewise be our guest speaker at Beth El.

Cantor Ben Moshe’s Message
We read Parshat Mikketz, and last week’s cliffhanger is resolved. Joseph is freed from prison and rises to become prime minister of Egypt. The darkness of prison and slavery is dispelled. So too, the darkness of this season is dispelled by our lighting of the candles of Hanukkah. On Saturday night, we will light all of the candles of Hanukkah in a blaze of illumination. Darkness may come at times, as it does in the continuation of the story of the Children of Israel in Egypt, but as we will read in a few weeks, while there is darkness in Egypt, “for the Children of Israel there was light in their dwellings”. May there always be light in our dwellings, in the new month of Tevet, in the secular New Year, and always-and where there is darkness, let us bring light. Shabbat Shalom, Hag Urim Sameah, Hodesh Tov, and Happy New Year.
Hazzan Yitzhak Ben-Moshe

HOLD THE DATES: Guest speakers at Beth El.

Next week – Friday January 6, Rabbi Daniel Septimus CEO of the Austin JCC will likewise be our guest speaker at Beth El.

On the first Friday of February, we welcome Rabbi/Cantor Marie Betcher who will talk about the great work she does as a Police Chaplain.

And the third Friday, Jay Rubin, former CEO of Shalom Austin and avid historian will come to speak!

Huge thank you to the amazing band Los Klezmeros who absolutely helped make this one rocking Hannukah – singalongs, kids drumming away, dancing and fun was had by all. Ben even brought his trumpet. The party was phenomenal and we look forward to many simchas as a community.

Sisterhood Book Club Event!
**On January 24th at 7:00 p.m. we will be having another book club event, The event will be at the home of Yael Shacham, who has graciously volunteered hosting our evening get together. The name of the book and its author, that we will be discussing, is “A Pigeon and A Boy” by Meir Shalev.

We want to wholeheartedly thank all the amazing folks who helped us prepare for the Chanukah party last week, whether you made 200 sufganiots, cooked all day for the scrumptious meal, helped lay the new floor in the social hall, cooked latkes till you dropped and of course donated generously to help us make it so much fun – you are appreciated!!!

Grandpa Abe:
“The Miracle of Children”
I was reading on the internet about a little boy. He looked to be about five and was just adopted. He had his hands up in the air shouting “Hurrah”. He was so delighted to now have a mom and dad. He had previously been in three other foster homes and my opinion would be they were just stopping points and not a place to be loved. I kinda know, or think I know, how this little fellow felt. I was blessed with some miracles also. My wife had lost a child due to a diabetic condition. We had talked about it and decided why not try to adopt. It wasn’t that we didn’t like children. We more than liked them. We felt they were needed in our lives to make them complete. At that time, my wife and I were on a bowling team. I might add that was the only year we bowled. One of the teams had an interesting person on it. I still remember her name. She was Sylvia. I got to talking to Sylvia and it turns out that she worked for the State in the Department of Child Welfare (or some department like that, I don’t remember the name). She suggested we fill out an application and, being we were not very picky of the sex or the age of the children, she thought, along with us, that it might work. Well, the two of us went home and worked over the ten page application. I remember one of the parts in the application was to list how much money you had in the bank. I guess they wanted to know if you can afford a child, if there was such a thing. I told my mother about that and she immediately sent me $300 to put in the bank to show we have a savings. As time went on, I would see Sylvia every week and cordially greet her and smile and talk about everything except the adoption. We felt that she deals with this all day long. She didn’t have to deal with it when she was off work. One day we get a letter. Don’t forget at that time there were no emails. We got a letter that they would like to interview us. I take off work and she took off work and we go for the interview. Both of us, with the blessings and prayers of our co-workers. I can tell you I have never been so nervous in all my life. They asked us every question that you can imagine. We included with our application a picture of us together and at that time I wanted to be a little clever. We sent a picture of both of us wearing coca-cola pants riding on a camel at the San Antonio zoo. At the end of the interview, the woman asked about that picture. She says most of the pictures she receives are so solemn like they were taken by a photographer and does not show the true personality of the people. I explained to her that that is us and that’s how we feel. My intentions were to get your attention and to let you know we are fun-loving people with lots of love to share. She informed me that she thinks I succeeded.

It wasn’t long after, I’d say a month or two, you know how the State works, that we get a letter to come in again. Being I always think positive, I’m very over-joyed. At this meeting they explained to us that there is a brother and sister that they are looking to place. To the best of my recollection, I think the girl was 2 1/2 and the boy was a year old. Well, I was very over-joyed. Didn’t even occur to me how I was going to go from two paychecks and two people down to one paycheck and four people. But my wife told me that she had full confidence in me. If I could keep that old car of mine running, I could certainly figure this out. Well, this would make a good end to this story except I get a call this time that there are twin boys that they are looking to place. I was so over-joyed. I told her that I would have to speak to my wife and let her know tomorrow morning. Well, I remember the look on her face. WHAT? We talked, we cried, we thought about it and you know the outcome. We now had four children. For most people this would be unthinkable. But, by the grace of God, we made it. The kids grew up being loved, being disciplined and being loved some more. Now they’re all married, have children of their own and our daughter even has grandchildren. I think of my children quite a bit along with the grandchildren and the latest great-grandchildren. Times are so hectic now. Families are getting larger and I don’t get a chance to see them as often. The closest one is nearly two hours from me. It would be nice if I could see them more often, but you know God made that mother bird outside my window have the instinct to teach the baby birds to fly and be on their own. That’s what I have done. I don’t like it. I love my children and my grands, but that’s how life goes. I’m very happy that I’ve had this opportunity to raise these children.
Dor ‘l Dor Grandpa Abe