- Congregation Beth El–Keser Israel
85 Harrison Street, New Haven, CT 06515-1724 | P: 203.389.2108 | office@beki.org
85 Harrison Street, New Haven, CT 06515-1724 | P: 203.389.2108 | office@beki.org
…, although we do sell some tickets, our real problem is that we can’t give tickets away. That is, most American Jews do not come to synagogue on the High Holy Days and would not come even if we gave them free tickets. This fact represents a serious challenge to our community, one that should not be neglected. But the truth is, even if we gave away door prizes, many of “those” people are just not interested in coming. But there is another group out…
…ch in too short a time, And G-d lashes out. Moses and Aaron know That this time, Unlike last time, The anger is too extreme To be spoken to. When Moses tells Aaron To take the fire pan and incense And run into the midst of the community, He also tells Aaron why: “for the fury has gone out from before the L-rd.” The word for “fury” here is qetsef, which Robert Alter tells us connotes a “foaming wrath,” an almost animalistic anger. Moses and Aaron h…
…est Bank settlement. The accounts varied greatly in detail, such that if I didn’t know better, I might have thought they were describing different demonstrations. For example, the number of demonstrators was 1,500, or 2,000, or 3,000, or 5,000, depending on which report was being broadcast. The surprising element of the story is that all four reports were consecutive broadcasts of the same radio station, Qol Yisrael, in Hebrew, English, Arabic and…
…ent Argentinian journalist Jacobo Timerman, served two terms (one for each time he was called to reserves).18 Timerman was one of several refusers who served multiple terms. In June 1983, Uzi Deqel served his second term, this time for 21 days. His case is noteworthy in that prior to the invasion of Lebanon, he had had a “quiet arrangement” whereby when his unit was sent to the territories as part of its annual reserve duty, Deqel was allowed to r…
…his assets “with the Jewish institutions here in New Haven and at the same time to receive income” during his lifetime. He said, “BEKI is a responsible institution which will help guarantee Jewish values and Jewish continuity forever.” Rabbi Levine, a widower, also wished to memorialize his wife, Malka. “I wanted to guarantee and perpetuate the principles of Judaism that she lived during her lifetime.” He will receive income from the Charitable Gi…
…was assassinated, their nation newspaper reported that he had “died,” but did not say how — they did not want anyone to get any ideas. In our Jewish world, there was a debate in the Rabbinical Assembly, the global organization of 1,500 Conservative Rabbis, over whether it was permitted to discuss the question of ordaining openly gay or Lesbian rabbinical students. It was argued that merely discussing the topic was tantamount to suggesting that th…
…larger quarters. In January 1967, Congregation Beth El formally joined the United Synagogue, for the first time officially identifying as a Conservative synagogue. Part Two: Keser Israel In 1909 a small group of Jewish families who had settled in the Dixwell Avenue neighborhood dreamed of a Temple to be the focal point of their community. The handful of families purchased a building on Foote Street and Temple Keser Israel was born. Rabbis who serv…
…I read the Torah as literature — sometimes enlightening and uplifting, sometimes infuriating, and sometimes confusing and even impenetrable. After having gone through more commentary and more explanations than I thought I would have to read in order to understand these episodes, I must conclude that I’ve found no satisfactory answers or explanations. We see again that the patriarchs are flawed but often impressive characters. The moral tangle of t…
…h of Abraham, G-d blessed his son Isaac.” Abraham didn’t bless him, so G-d did. Why didn’t Abraham bless him? the midrash wants to know. It tells the story of a king who owned an orchard and leased it to a tenant. Two trees grew there, entwined together: One of vital potions, one of deadly poisons. The tenant farmer knew that if he watered one, the other would also be watered; if he deprived one of water; the other would also be deprived. He chose…
…ves-NAASE Jewish Educators Assembly Jewish Youth Directors Association The United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism-USCJ Women’s League for Conservative Judaism . The Rabbinical Assembly and United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism Respond to Attack at Colleyville, TX Synagogue January 15, 2022 13 Shevat, 5782 New York, NY – In response to the current crisis at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas, the Rabbinical Assembly (RA) and United…
