- 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
…g lacks a person to look after it?” he wondered. The owner of the building looked out and said, “I am the owner of the building.” This is as Abraham our father said, “Is it conceivable that the world is without a guide?” The Holy One, blessed be He, looked out and said to him, “I am the guide, Sovereign of the Universe.” This gives insight as to how Abraham comes to fully accept and understand the awesome concept that is a one true God. He saw the…
…ng the land in the seventh year, called shmita. Still others speak to us today as Jews and equally as Americans, as modern men and women. These ancient laws direct our behavior. They operate across the full range of our experience, calling on us to achieve the purpose of Torah — Tiqun `Olam, the perfection of the here and now. With my mom’s help [as the reader of the sources], I would like to share some examples of these mitzvot. Although they don…
…uld be endangered, since as their resident father, I am on call 24-hours a day to provide them emergency care, if not daily guidance and maintenance. My kids already think Iʼm a dope; I canʼt be doped up and fulfill my responsibility toward them. To a lesser extent, I also have a professional responsibility to the congregation, although there seldom are true “emergencies” that require immediate rabbinic sobriety. Although it may not always seem li…
…nces of which would compromise the species’ prospect for survival!) In our day, advocates for “Animal Rights” have taken extreme measures to protest and protect against the exploitation of animals. The sentiment behind this is noble, represents valid Torah values, and implements several specific mitsvot. Beyond the value of the animal’s life and well-being in and of itself, and as an independent being in God’s creation, we believe that the way we…
…mourn the destruction of the Second Temple: (JTA) – As the Tisha B’Av holy day began Monday evening, fervently Orthodox men began trying to shout over the prayers of about 200 men and women worshipping together in a specially designated area at the entrance to the Western Wall plaza, a couple of hundred yard from the Wall itself. Anxious to avoid a confrontation with the thousands of fervently Orthodox men milling about the plaza, [Israeli] police…
…st offensive. That is why we observe the Fast of Esther, Taanit Ester, the day before Purim. (When Purim occurs on Sunday, the Fast is observed the previous Thursday.) From the morning until afternoon or evening, we observe a half-day fast, just as Esther observed a fast when the fate of her people hung in the balance. When we observe the Fast of Esther we solemnly commit ourselves to making a world where genocide is unknown, where all people enjo…
…lies. Interfaith Day of Service BEKI participates in the annual Interfaith Day of Service in August. On that day, volunteers from the Greater New Haven community gather on the New Haven Green to learn about community needs and head in various directions to complete projects, including preparing food for the hungry, stuffing personal care bags, restoring a Jewish cemetery, or cleaning up a shoreline. Collections Food drives are arranged at High Hol…
…lieve that the book of Isaiah was written during the Babylonian exile by a number of people in addition to Isaiah. Isaiah himself was a prophet of the nation of Judah and was one of the first to leave a written record of his prophecies, or proclamations. The book of Isaiah is one of the longest in the Bible, containing sixty chapters. The sayings of Isaiah are contained in the first 39 chapters. Most of the rest, written around 550 BCE, were poems…
…es according to what the judge sees is possible in the matter (she-yire ha-dayan efshar be-devar).”32 In his notes on the Rambam, Rabbenu Avraham ben David of Posquieres (Raabad, 1120-1198) takes exception to Rambam’s formulation: “I have never heard that the rod is inflicted on women; rather, her financial support and food are reduced until she gives in.”33 Rabbi Shem Tov ben Avraham ibn Gaon (14th century, Spain) comments that “This is an old di…
…y of Shabbat and weekday programs for children and youth expanded, and the number of minors grew from under 70 in 1994 to over 225 a decade later. A typical Shabbat morning includes simultaneous programs or services for children and youth, as well as youth participating in the main service and Shabbat Shalom Torah Study. In 2003, the congregation began a process of building renovations, aimed at improving accessibility, enhancing energy efficiency…
