Parashat Beshalach
Friday Night Shabbat Services, Tonight 22, at 7 PM. We look forward to seeing you. Candle lighting 5:41 PM.
Saturday morning services are TOMORROW January 23, at 9 AM, with the Torah service at 9:45 Kidish following services as well as special children’s story time!
*HOLD THE DATES: First Fridays* …
We have a couple of lovely Friday night dinners coming up on the FIRST FRIDAYS of the month. Friday February 5 at the special time of 6:30 PM we will have a shabbat dinner in honor of Phil and Keren Harvey who are making aliya to Israel in February. Keren and Phil have generously sponsored the Friday dinner and we thank them sincerely.
Friday March 4, also at 6:30 PM we will be having another service and dinner as we celebrate with congregations across the US and Canada in SHABBAT ACROSS AMERICA! This evening will be in honor of our Jewish educators at Beth El.
Cantor Ben Moshe’s Message
Each Friday night, when we recite the kiddush over wine, we say that Shabbat is “zekher litziyyat Mitzrayim”, a remembrance of the Exodus from Egypt. This is from our parshah, B’shallah, which deals with the crossing of the Sea of Reeds and the beginning of the journey through the desert. When B’nai Yisrael begin to receive manna as their food, they are commanded not to collect it on Shabbat, but rather they are to stop working and rest. This of course was not possible in slavery in Egypt-slaves are at the beck and call of their masters at all times. Only free people can truly observe Shabbat-and it was for the purpose of observing the Shabbat and the other mitzvot that the People of Israel were liberated from Egypt. We are not only free from slavery-we are free to pursue our spiritual path. Shabbat Shalom.
Hazzan Yitzhak Ben-Moshe
BERS, Sunday school class meets this Sunday, January 24. We will be joined at 11:30 AM by Mirit Solomon-Shimony who is a certified yoga instructor and will be doing jungle yoga with the kids – BUT with a Jewish twist in honor of Tu Be Shevat. Please bring a yoga mat or towel.
