Wonderful things happen at Beth El – Barashat Balak

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Wonderful things happen at Beth El. Read on and see what I mean. Friday Night Shabbat Services

Tonight 7/22, at the regular time of 7:00 PM.

Tomorrow morning at 9 AM, come join us for Shabbat morning services. Torah service at 9:45. This week the service is in memory of Bam Rubenstein’s beloved late father Ralphie z’l. There will be a lovely kidush lunch after as well as a children’s story time.

Candle lighting in Austin is at 8:12 PM

Pictured below is :
Hazzan Ben-Moshe and Shereen Canady at their wedding last week. Again, we all wish you many blessings and nachas and a terrific life together.
Sisterhood is reading The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem to be discussed with a glass of wines in September.

Sunday School is fast approaching. Let your friends with children aged KG through bar and bat mitzvah age know about this special, quality school, with its amazing teachers and sweet children. info@bethelaustin.org

Happy birthday to Genesis! And also to Edith Troen. Mazal tov and ad 120.

Huge kidish kudos to the kidush crew who put together a culinary delight! Michelle, Yesenia, Genesis, Sara and Natalie and Iris. Next kidish crew Thursday August 12 at 11 am at Beth El.

We also gratefully thank Hannah de la Conception and her family for another bag full of amazing books and toys for the children of our shul. Some absolute treasures and brand new books all the way from Israel. We are truly fortunate.

And more appreciation to our lay led davening crew last Friday night who really rose to the occasion. Vania and Sara led us in beautiful songs. Kevin, Yosef and Gregg – led us in joyful prayer and powerful drash.

CANTOR BEN-MOSHE’S WEEKLY MESSAGE: This week we read in Parshat Balak how the title character, the king of Mo’av, hired a prophet named Balak to curse the People of Israel, but God turned the curses into blessings. In particular, we note the words “How good are your tents, O Jacob, your dwelling places O Israel.” These are the words that we say when entering a synagogue-though we should perhaps say them when entering our houses as well. The Midrash states that “tents” refers to individual homes, while “dwelling places” refers to sanctuaries. Our homes are also holy, and what we do in them is just as important spiritually as our synagogue life, if not more so. May our homes, like our synagogue, be places where we draw closer to God and to each other. Shabbat Shalom.

AND FINALLY – WONDERFUL THINGS HAPPEN AT BETH EL BY GRANDPA ABE (WHOSE EXACT IDENTITY IS STILL A MYSTERY)

Well, if you haven’t already noticed the air and the ambiance around our synagogue has really taken on an exciting and beautiful feeling to it. First of all, our beloved Hazzan has taken a new bride. We are so happy to welcome her into our family. I am so sure that she will have a lot to add to our little Jewish community. We have several super families who have converted to Judaism. They add so much to our congregation. And let’s not forget the new members we have been getting, along with more and more visitors. I guess the best kept secret in Austin has been let out. When the congregation communicates with each other, there is such a feeling of love and concern for each other. Everything is always upbeat and positive. I feel in a round-about way that this is due to our lovely and caring congregants. This is a place that people are wanting to attend now. They enjoy the worship service and the gatherings afterwards. We’re having a lot of growing pains which is just wonderful, such as needing new air conditioning and lovely new landscaping in the front. This is one special place on earth. If you feel that something could benefit and make our little synagogue a little better, let Iris or Kevin or any of the wonderful board members know. They are always open to suggestions. Well, it’s getting sundown now. Another Sabbath begins. Shabbat Shalom.