Parashat Chayei Sarah
Friday Night Shabbat Services
Tonight 11/25, at the regular time of 7:00 PM. Mitzvah of the month is collecting items for the animal shelter. Please see below.
Shabbat morning services are THIS Saturday November 26 at 9 AM. Children’s story time at 10:30 and a lovely kidush lunch generously sponsored by Javis Howeth in gratitude for the bountiful goodness of Hashem.
Sunday school resumes December 4.
HOLD THE DATE : THE HANNUKAH PARTY OF THE YEAR! Only a month away, plan to join us on Sunday December 25 at 5 PM at Beth El for one cool Hannukah party. Live music, food and candle lighting! Free and open to the community.
Candle lighting in Austin is at 5:13 PM
Cantor Ben Moshe’s Message
This week in Parshat Hayyei Sarah, we read of the death of our Mother Sarah, and of our Father Avraham’s purchase of a burial plot for her. Significantly, this burial ground, the Cave of Machpelah, is the first land purchase made by our people in the Land of Israel. From this our Sages determined that the first purchase of land made by a Jewish community is a cemetery, even before a synagogue or a school. The cemetery is called a Beit ‘Almin, a House of Eternity. Prayers can be said and Torah may be studied anywhere, but we are to lay our dead to rest only in a proper place. Caring for the dead, who cannot even return the favor, is an important precept of Jewish Tradition. May we always strive to act out of true kindness, to our departed and to all others. Shabbat Shalom.
Hazzan Yitzhak Ben-Moshe
HOLD THE DATES: First Friday speakers at Beth El.
We look forward to welcoming Gil Levy, head of Jewish Family Services who will come and give a talk/Dvar Torah on Friday December 2.
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 (OK, just to change it up a bit), Jay Rubin, former CEO of Shalom Austin will come to speak!
**Hold the date for Sunday December 4th at 1 PM for a Hannukah themed art project with artist Sharon Yam-Sananes. Please also plan to bring items for a clothes exchange that afternoon – adult and children’s clothes, small household items, chachkes, shoes, and other items that we can swap with each other and donate the leftovers to charity.
Did you know that any purchases from the Agudas Achim Gift Store at the J can be designated to give 10% to Beth El. Please consider shopping there and let them know that you would like your 10% to go to Beth El. We are so very grateful to them!
And finally, please consider a generous donation to our shul:
http://bethelaustin.wpengine.com/donate/
And please try and have good wishes for the people of Israel. Fires have been raging for four days. 6 Nations have sent fire teams to assist. The Israeli firefighters, first responders, and even the Israeli Air Force are stretched thin. Keep them in your thoughts and prayers.