Parashat Yithro

We’re saving a seat for you at Friday Night Shabbat Services TONIGHT February 17, at the regular time of 7:00 PM.
Best way to end a stressful week and uplift your soul!

Shabbat morning services are next Saturday February 25.

NO Sunday school THIS SUNDAY morning February 19. Enjoy President’s day weekend BERS.

NEXT WEEK – Friday February 24, we will proudly host Scout Shabbat for the Austin Jewish Community. Join us as we honor Beth El and Jewish community scouts at Scout Shabbat. Services will be at 6:30 PM followed by a fun pasta dinner. Jay and Carol Rubin will be our special guests.

Candle lighting in Austin is at 6:03 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
This week we read Parshat Yithro, which mainly concerns itself with the Revelation at Mt. Sinai. The Torah tells us that at first Hashem speaks to all of the People of Israel, but they are overwhelmed, and ask Moshe to be the go-between, to relay the Divine Word to them. One can only imagine the feeling of direct contact with the Divine-we dimly feel it when we are awed by the grandeur of a storm, or by the small miracle of new life coming into the world. May our hearts always be open to receive God’s Presence, even in small ways-and may we experience Revelation every day. Shabbat Shalom.
Hazzan Yitzhak Ben-Moshe

HOLD THE DATES: Special events at Beth El.

On Friday February 24 February, Jay Rubin, former CEO of Shalom Austin and avid historian and his wonderful wife Ms. Carol will come to Beth El! Jay will give our Dvar Torah and celebrate Scout Shabbat with us.

In March we will welcome Rabbi-Cantor Marie Betcher, who among other things is a Police Chaplain, ordained Rabbi and Cantor, as well as a former Opera Singer.

Also coming up in the Spring, Ami Pedhazur, UT Professor in Israel and Diaspora Studies will give a guest talk at Beth El on the 50th Anniversary of the Six Day War. Date to be confirmed.

Join us for Scout Shabbat, Friday February 24 at 6:30 PM. Show your support for Jewish scouts in Austin, including several girls in our own shul! Jay and Carol Rubin will also be our special guests as we celebrate shabbat with our wonderful Scouts.

No Sunday school this weekend as it’s President’s day weekend, but thank you to the teachers and students at Beth El Religious School (BERS) who continue to make the shul rock on Sunday mornings. We love you guys! Pictured above are the students rocking to Tu Be Shevat Higiya with Morahs Anat, Shereen and Iris!

SISTERHOOD PERSONAL ORGANIZATION CLASS COMING ON MARCH 4 at 12:30 PM – Please join us as Jennifer Lava,
Professional Organizer & Productivity Consultant and volunteer with the Austin Jewish Business Network comes and helps us GET ORGANIZED.

Happy February birthdays to Rachael and Arie, Emma and Talia, Barry, Brucha, Gregg, Sara, Marina, Carol , Mirit, Tamar and Elaine J. Please shoot us an email if we don’t have your birthday and it’s this month!

Check out the Friday night tunes on our website:
http://bethelaustin.wpengine.com/education-2/kabbalat-shabbat-songs/

And please donate generously to your shul! A Jewel in the Austin Jewish Community.
www.bethelaustin.org/donate

Community News:
FAMILY FUN DAY AT THE ECP:
Spend an exciting morning with our community to enjoy many interactive games, rides and activities. Money will be raised through wristband sales and sponsorships. . #ECPFun17

Rabbi Peter Tarlow’s weekly Parashah – from the Center for Jewish Latino relations:
The name of the parashah for this week is: “Yitro”. You can find it the Book of Exodus 18:1-20:23. Named after Moses’ father-in law, the parashah provides us with some of the greatest wisdom found within the Book of Exodus. It is in this parashah that we read the Aseret Dibbrot, or as they are commonly known in English mistranslation, the Ten Commandments. The text does not start with the Ten Commandments but with Moses’ meetings with his father-in-law Yitro. It is Yitro who recognizes that Moses cannot create a nation totally by himself. Liberating Israel from slavery was one thing, but creating a viable nation would be quite another task. Watching Moses being consumed by his work, Yitro states: “…ki caved mimchah ha’davar lo lo tuchal asehu l’vadchah/the “task” is too heavy even for you, you cannot do it alone” (18:18).
Yitro taught Moses that leaders must learn the art of inspiring others to help in nation building. Yitro understood that good leaders do not have to be brilliant, but need to know how to choose brilliant people and then get out of their way and let them do their job.
Judaism recognizes that none of us is G’d, and all of us have our weak points. Moses wanted to form Israel into a nation by himself, but it was Yitro who taught him that great accomplishments come about when we place our egos on hold and work together. To delegate, to involve others, to trust others to accomplish collective goals is never an admission of weakness but rather of strength. These principles are as valid today as they were then. It is as if Yitro were speaking directly to any new government, and providing it with an outline for success.
Yitro taught Moses that no one person has a monopoly on wisdom, that greatness is based not on going it alone but rather on sharing the experiences of others and applying this experience to the common good. Only after Moses learned the lesson of collective wisdom was he able to find the courage to bring Israel the not only the Ten Commandments, but also the outlines of a national constitution. It is from this insight that Jews were able to establish the world’s premier legal system, based not on strength but rather on the protection of the common good. What do you think?