- 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
…am hadrat hamelekh, the splendor of God is among the people. What would it look like if our spiritual space were designed to express our values — to express that at BEKI, and in our vision of a redeemed world, there is no front or back, but rather bonds of equality and love that connect us to each other and to God? At BEKI, we deeply value all the voices in our diverse congregation and seek to hear them all. What would it be like to pray in a spac…
…, he was addressing his precept to the intelligentsia, the scholars, those best able to appreciate the value of community, those with the most to offer the community. Often people who are especially ethically and spiritually sensitive get disgusted with the Jewish community in general and the Synagogue community in particular. They may be personally wronged or they may recognize certain pathologies operating in the community. Such people may let g…
…, and the Shema and VeAhavta are all in this remarkable parasha. I want to look at VaEthanan to see what it says about leadership and community, since that’s what’s on my mind today, as we celebrate our installation. The very first word of the Torah reading offered me an insight: VaEthanan – usually translated, “I pleaded.” The root of the word is hen, hanan – “Hanan” is the Hebrew name of my youngest brother Andy, who lives in Alaska and whom I’l…
…11 Apr Kadima at Adventure Park April 11, 2021 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm BEKI Kids page Home Page Interior Page April 11 from 3-6 pm, BEKI Kadima is going climbing at the Adventure Park at the Discovery Museum in Bridgeport! Explore the park’s aerial trails […] More Info…
…25 Jan The Afro-Semetic Experience January 25, 2000 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm BEKI Join us for An encore concert IN ANTICIPATION OF THE DAYS OF AWE David Chevan, Warren Byrd and the AFRO-SEMITIC EXPERIENCE CONGREGATION BETH EL – […] More Info…
…me to my final thought: We took out a third scroll this morning because today is the first day of Adar Bet, the month that gives us Purim (quoting Ina: “Purim Baskets!”). Mi-she-nicknas Adar, marbin be-simha once Adar starts, celebration increases (Eruvin 29a). Tonight’s auction will be a great kick-off to the month ahead. I hope to see every one of you here, with friends, beginning at 7:30. Bring your credit cards and some cash, too, for the raf…
…gh Holy Day Service Times 2021 – 5782 Service Start Time Erev Rosh Hashana Day One Monday, Sep 6, 2021 Weekday Minḥa Afternoon 6:00p Rosh Hashana Day One Tuesday, Sep 7, 2021 Shaḥarit Morning Service 9:00a Mincḥa/Ma’ariv 6:00p Rosh Hashana Day Two Wednesday, Sep 8, 2021 Shaḥarit Morning Service (followed by Torah, Shofar and Musaf Services) 9:00a Mincḥa (Havdalah [at 7:54p] and Ma’ariv are home rituals) 5:45p Erev Yom Kippur Kol Nidre Wednesday, S…
…alking, singing, eating, studying, and reading. Shabbat was a very special day for that reason. In our day the lighting serves as a moment for an individual or family to pause and begin a period of sacred time. The act of lighting the candles links one Jewish household to another and one generation to another. Dear Rabbi, Is it permitted to use Razor Boards [skateboards with handles] on Shabbat? Signed, Cutting it Close Dear Cutting it, Halakha…
…, a very complex distribution network. The way it operates is by a certain number of power plants producing energy, usually by burning fossil fuels, and then feeding it into the massive grid of electrical power lines. I think this is quite similar to the societal structure of the monkeys and the medieval Jewish court system, in that the majority of interactions, or in this case, power transmissions, are local, but the network is able to transmit p…
…t sit down to eat at a non-Jew’s table. Prohibition against travel on holy days caused us to live near one another in communities, since we needed a minyan to pray. Intermarriage was rare — Gentile society looked down on us, and marrying out was like death: people sat shiva for the relative who had intermarried. Do we have to close ourselves off in order to preserve our legacy? That’s the choice some Orthodox communities have made. But is it the o…
