- 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
…braham Heschel wrote that a recognition of the sublime, feelings of awe, wonder, and mystery are central to people’s relationship with God. I think that BEKI’s sanctuary should have a design in which such feelings are nourished. I think we might want a sanctuary design that evokes an awareness of the spiritual even the supernatural, of forces and concepts beyond our comprehension. We would like to feel uplifted. I think we would like to be reminde…
…Signed, Dying to Know Dear Know, Long ago when the sites were obtained, land was cheaper outside the city. Moreover, it is viewed as proper that a cemetery be a little bit out of sight. Dear Rabbi, Why do some shuls say Mourner’s Qaddish so many times at the end of some services? Signed, Late for Work Dear Late, Why? Because it’s a tradition. Originally only one qaddish was said, and only one person, usually a mourner, said it. There are some c…
…tters, words and spaces, although exact layout (number of words in a line and number of lines in a column) may vary, as will the quality of the materials and calligraphy. We take out the particular scroll or scroll that is set to the portion that we are reading on the given occasion. The weekly reading goes in sequence, so each shabbat we begin reading from the spot we left of the previous week. But on festivals and other occasions we may read fro…
…ousehold 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 on the section of the Sh…
…Maimonides firmly noted that a person may pray in any language. Yes, God understands English. We encourage everyone to learn Hebrew and to pray in Hebrew, and for good reasons. But a prayer is valued by God regardless of language. In our prayerbook there are even prayers such as the qaddish that are not written in Hebrew, but rather Aramaic, because that was the language spoken by the people when those prayers were written. In the time of the Mis…
…the cracks. Some people in the congregation have a support network of friends and family nearby who help each other out, and this wonderful, informal network is the model on which were basing the Hesed project. Because some people are without such a network. Some are new to the community or have no family in the area. They may need a little help, but they don’t know where to turn. From now on, they can turn to BEKI, and the Hesed committee will d…
…egation provided a convenient and well-equiped venue for participants to find and try clothes stored in the synagogue building. See news story in BEKI Bulletin July 1997. Abraham’s Tent – In 2012, the Congregation began participating in Abraham’s Tent, an initiative of Columbus House with the Interfaith Cooperative Ministries, to provide shelter and assistance to services to homeless people. Interfaith Cooperative Ministries – The Congregation was…
…the words that captured my sorrow. I could actually see myself wandering and wandering through the sand, knowing I had lost my brothers and sisters, knowing I would never find my way back to them. Then she said to me: “I want you to picture yourself finding your way out of the desert. Just imagine that after all those years you find your way back. Close your eyes and tell me where you are and what you see.” So I close my eyes and I can see very c…
…e lives, just as they may learn in their residential programs how to live independently.” Johnston added, “The idea is there’s lots of JCC’s and synagogues around the country doing nice little segregated programs. Let’s give these people their own group and space and we’ll teach them. Kulanu is a bridge to open up the synagogue to help our congregants be more welcoming and informed, and to help our synagogue be a less threatening place to walk int…
…community. It also asks about your yahrzeits (the dates when loved ones have died), so we can remember them on the anniversaries. Above all, membership lets us know that you value Jewish community, so the community can be there for you. To find out more about BEKI, join us for services and lunch on Saturday, or one of our other services, classes, or events. We invite you to explore our calendar. If you have further questions, please e-mail beki-m…
