Parashat Ekev – Shabbat shalom
Friday Night Services, Tonight 8/28, at 7 PM. Join us in an uplifting, song filled kaballat shabbat service and leave your worries behind.
Saturday September 5th, at 9:30 PM we will be gathering for a beautiful and inspiring Slichot service, as well as Havdallah.
The next Saturday morning services are Saturday September 12 at 9 am. And of course, Rosh Hashanah starts Sunday September 13 at 7 PM at Beth El.
…
Yesher koach to all those who helped lead services while the Cantor was on vacation last weekend. Bam Rubenstein for Friday night and Saturday services and Dvar Torah; Jacob Gilboa for reading the Torah; David Lippa for the Torah service; Rafael Eizraelov for the haftorah and Arthur Gurney for leading Mussaf in memory of his beloved mother Lorraine Gurney, of blessed memory, whose yahrtzeit was this past week.
Thank you also to Arthur for the kind Tzedakah in sponsoring the kidush in his late mother’s memory.
We would also like to wish Arthur a refua shlema and speedy recovery on behalf of the whole congregation.
Finally, we would like to wish Bam a hearty Mazal Tov on his acceptance to Rabbinical School. We look forward to sharing this wonderful journey with him.
Cantor Ben Moshe’s Message
This week’s parshah, Ki Tetzeh, contains a large number of laws, both ritual and civil. By far, the majority of these laws are what we would call civil procedure-laws regarding debt, marriage and divorce, business ethics. As we approach the High Holidays and the Season of Penitence, we would do well to keep this proportion in mind. Our Tradition has always taught that mitzvot bein adam l’havero, between humans, are more important than those bein adam la-Makom, between humans and God. We are told that we cannot gain atonement on Yom Kippur until we have obtained forgiveness from our fellow humans. Similarly, the Sages taught that when one reaches one’s Final Judgement, the first questions asked will not be about ritual matters such as Shabbat or kashrut, but about business ethics. The synagogue, in other words, is important, but how we conduct ourselves outside the synagogue is even more important. Shabbat Shalom.
Hebrew School is finally starting THIS SUNDAY, August 30!
We are so excited about the coming year with the BERS (Beth El Religious School). Sundays at 10am the children will be having Sunday Fundays with their morot Shiry, Bev and Anat and sneaking in a whole lot of Jewish learning! For more information, go to info@bethelaustin.org
Community News:
JCC Senior Rosh Hashanah Luncheon will be Wednesday September 9th at 11:30 AM and is open to all seniors in the Austin Jewish community. Please go to www.shalomaustin.org for more details and e.mail annie.skelton@shalomaustin.org to RSVP or with any questions.