Updates on the Annual meeting – parashat BaMidbar

Friday Night Live at 7 PM TONIGHT Friday May 26, please join us for genuine prayer, beautiful songs and an uplifting service.

Shabbat morning services TOMORROW, May 27. We will have our shabbat services from 9 AM, with the lovely Torah service at around 9:45 AM and a children’s service with Morah Shereen at 10:30. Delicious kidish lunch served immediately after, this week including healthy salads, bagels and lox and cheesecake in honor of Shavuot. HUGE thank you to the Jacobs family for sponsoring the kidish.

We want to wholeheartedly congratulate Yosef on being the new president of Beth El (see below for what was truly a heartening and inspiring annual meeting).

Have a very meaningful Memorial day. We salute the men and women who served to protect our country and note with awe that we are the “land of the free because of the brave”.

Candle lighting in Austin is at 8:07 PM

Cantor Ben Moshe’s Message

This week we begin the reading of Sefer B’midbar with the parshah of the same name. The parshah is concerned with numbers-which gives the Book its English name. Specifically, the Torah gives us the numbers of the men in the camp eligible for military service, and of Levites eligible for work in the Mishkan. Counting and numbering are of course very prominent in Jewish Tradition-we count the hours in the day to determine when to perform certain actions, we count the days of the week, years in the Sabbatical cycle, and we are coming to the end of the counting of he ‘Omer. However, we should recognize that our ability to quantify things is limited. The Torah and the Prophets often rhetorically ask if we are capable of counting the sand on the shore or the stars in the sky-obviously to indicate that we cannot. We are limited, finite beings, and only God has the ability to know and number all things. Our task is to do what is within our abilities with an attitude of humility (and a sense of humor). Shabbat Shalom and Hag Shavu’ot Sameah.

Hazzan Yitzhak Ben-Moshe

What an absolutely inspiring annual meeting last week! Thank you to all who came and made it so special. The love and dedication of members old and new was just beautiful. The meeting as always was filled with laughter, a few jokes and of course a couple of reports on the state of the shul, which thank goodness is good! Much was accomplished this year, but much more remains to be done in coming years.

Kevin stepped down as president after many years of tireless devotion. He noted that Beth El has truly made him a better person and has been nothing but a blessing for him and his family. He has seen the kindest and most generous people imaginable; has seen people through joys and through sadness and above all has been part of a truly beautiful congregation. Kevin will continue to be just as active in his new role as treasurer, but Yosef will now take the mantle of president. Yosef and Claudia are raising their three lovely children at Beth El and have been on the board for several years. They are tireless in their devotion and enthusiasm and always have a smile on their faces. We wish Yosef much nachas in his new role. The congregation is truly appreciative of the board. PLEASE watch this space next week for Yosef’s message and a list of the board.

We had a very special end of year celebration for the Beth El Religious School BERS! The children learnt an Israeli Shavuot song “Saleynu” and danced it joyfully. They also each received class photos and a beach ball and had all their friends sign it. Ms. Carol Rubin ended our class with a sing a long outdoors which was just amazing. Thank you again to our dedicated teachers, sweet children and wonderful parents. Sunday school resumes Sunday August 27. Have a great summer BERS. Tell all your friends about this one of a kind school – we are growing and are even adding a Hebrew immersion class for native Hebrew speakers.