- 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
…e attraction of Judaism,” the conversion candidate said, “is that you’re always asking questions, always discussion and debating.” It is the ma nishtana of the Passover seder, the emphasis on questioning — and answering — that makes the Jewish world go ’round. Classic Judaism insists on free discourse and open-mindedness, and the respect for the intellectual and religious integrity of each person, within broad limits, as essential to the search fo…
…s tell us Is that 14,700 people died In this sudden plague. It’s a precise number. And it invites immediate comparison To the number we heard just a few verses earlier: Why did only 250 die From Korach’s active rebellion, But 14,700 die For a single line of passive complaint: “You two have brought death on the L-rd’s people.” This single line of lament, Of blame and complaint, May not seem so surprising, or egregious. They had seen Moses tell the…
…lfillment of a specific related Biblical law, a halakha de-Oreita, in this way: Rabbi Alexander said: Two donkey drivers were walking by the way and they hated each other. One of their donkeys sat down. The second driver saw it, but kept going. Then, after having passed, this second driver thought: It is written in the Torah, “If you see the ass of one who hates you lying under its burden, you shall surely lift it up.” Immediately the second drive…
…rning and take pride in the students of our Conservative school. Torah Pathways Adult Education Torah Pathways is a discussion and study group which serves as part of a basic Judaism course. Special attention is placed on issues of concern to those considering conversion or in interfaith relationships and to those studying for Adult Bar/Bat Mitzva. Torah Pathways examines fundamental ideas and practices of traditional Judaism in an open and non-ju…
…no middle ground? No way to bless a child without dividing a family?25 No way to have merit without sacrificing equality? No way to have equality without sacrificing merit? No way to water the vital tree, but not the deadly one? * * * What we often forget is that these two blessings are not the only blessings of the parshah. When Rebecca tells Jacob to run, and Rebecca tricks Isaac a second time, creating the cover story for Jacob’s escape, Isaac…
…ene. Each member of the household has their own Hanukia, and each lights a number of lights corresponding to the number of the day of the holiday. We are fortunate that we are able to do this mitzva in such a complete and beautiful way. But what of the poor person who can not afford all of this “hidur mitzva” but must struggle to light even one lamp? The Mishna Berura, written at the beginning of the twentieth century by the Hafetz Hayim, comments…
…urners would have a turn. There are some communities that still do it that way, too. But this procedure often created a dilemma: If the number of qaddishes was limited, there might still be some who did not get to say one; if there was no limit to the number of qaddishes added, the service became burdensomely long. So after careful scrutiny the rabbis allowed all mourners to say qaddish simultaneously. This rabbinic solution was adopted only after…
…s and supporting columns are, the ramps would need to be at least 12’ 10” away from the walls. The area between the ramps and walls would essentially become a very large walkway — we couldn’t put seats there, because they would be behind the ramp. On a typical Shabbat, that might not be a problem. But on high-attendance days, like the High Holy Days, we may need that area for seating. Why are steps necessary? Why not have everyone use the ramps? S…
…ou all. Please help us again, this time by passing along our thanks to the number of congregants who are away this weekend of Thanksgiving, giving thanks of their own elsewhere. The morning of the surgery I prayed and learned another prayerbook lesson, this time explicit. At my request, Marsha had brought me a copy of our Siddur, Sim Shalom. Uncharacteristically, I admit, I started from the beginning of the Shaharit, or morning, service. There I d…
…ich only enhanced my own sense of alienation and turmoil as a Jew. I was always waiting for the right time to run away. And so here I was again, taking another chance, hoping that this time I would not run. I realized as soon as I got to the retreat that I had made a huge mistake. I felt like an outsider…and all this beauty and joy was sprouting up all around me, and rather than it feeling inviting to me, it felt like a painful reminder of what I…
