- 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
…t of it. It’s actually also another motion to overthrow the custom at that time of the first-born getting the better blessing and inheritance. This is taking off from Isaac’s switched blessings, when he is tricked into giving the younger son, Jacob, the first-born’s, Esav’s, greater blessing. As Jews, we stick to the idea that if there’s a custom, social institution, or law we think is wrong, it’s our divine duty to whine about it, or in this case…
…e tried to, even then, by telling on them to their father. But at the same time, I think that Yosef felt sad and upset that his brothers didn’t love him. And I think that Yosef felt uncomfortable that he got attention and a coat that his brothers didn’t get. Yosef wanted to share love with all his brothers and wished that they would get spoiled by Yaqov too. Yosef wished that Yaqov would give all the brothers something special, not just to him alo…
…yone Conservative or Orthodox would be anachronistic. It wasn’t until some time later that the Orthodox and Conservative Movements were formally constituted with platforms and institutions. The Conservative Movement is both the newest and the oldest movement. Of the three major movements in America — Reform, Orthodox, and Conservative — the Conservative Movement was the last to be formally constituted, in the 1880s. It was formed by religious and…
One evening some time ago, I taped a card over the doorbell near our front door. The card said, “Please Knock Loudly, Do Not Ring Bell” because the doorbell wakes the children. At 4 AM the next morning, there was a loud knock on the door. I got up to answer it. It was the woman who delivers our newspaper. “What do you want,” I managed to ask in a shluffy stupor. The paper carrier replied in all innocence, “The sign says ‘Please Knock Loudly,’ so…
…ney, or in other words, give give give. It is no surpise that from time to time active members experience “burn-out” or what we might call “mitzva indigestion.” For many dedicated and caring BEKI members it is hard to say “no” to an invitation to do a mitzva. And so, for the benefit of the many new members who might not yet know what to expect, and for those already suffering mitzva indigestion, I want suggest the following perspective. At BEKI yo…
…arding) a Biblical rule that has become untenable. Perhaps in the next few years we will see a better way to reconcile an ancient rule with a radically changed world, but in the meantime, life goes on. After all, we don’t want to take Biblical rules lightly; but in this case, there is not much else we can do but treat it the same way we treat some other technical violations. Unfortunately, most of the CJLS papers promote sweeping and far-reaching…
…always seem like it, we do have professional standards. For those reasons, years ago I had thought that I would defer recreational drug use until retirement. But now as I begin to see the glimmer of Golden Years on my horizon, a new deterrent rears its head: Many recreational drugs destroy brain cells. I can barely get my childrenʼs names straight, let alone remember new information, as it is. It is abundantly clear that I do not have any brain ce…
…al campaign. They visit Israel, send their children over a summer or for a year and support financially every one if its worthy institutions.” As diaspora Jews our relationship with our beloved homeland has been sorely challenged by the actions and statements of the current temporary Government of the State. What are we to do, who love Israel but are mad as heck at the Government? One legitimate and appropriate way of working toward a solution is…
…27 Jun 17th of Tammuz Sanctuary Service & Zoom (Fast Day) June 27, 2021 9:00 am – 10:00 am Home Page Interior Page Sunday, June 27, the 17th of Tammuz (Shiva Asar b’Tammuz), is a fast day commemorating the breach of the walls of Jerusalem in the year […] More Info…
…Israelis discussing the hardships of life in modern Israel. “Four weeks a year in the Army Reserves, sky-high taxes, rock-bottom salaries, meshuga drivers, terrorists, corrupt politicians, rampant sexism, poor postal service, rude and lazy bureaucrats — who can stand it?” “You’re right,” said the other, “it’s terrible. As soon as they open another Jewish State, I’m moving!” While we must recognize that there are certain aspects of Jewish culture…
