- 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
…hings that live in the heaven or under the earth. This does not prohibit artistic endeavors or even forbid the representation of humans. It merely forbids idolatry. The fact that the Tent of Testimony and the Temple of Solomon are described in the Bible as containing carved cherubim strongly argues that the commandment is accepting of representations even of heavenly beings. Furthermore numerous passages of the Bible describe Temple art containing…
…to indicate that this digging is different in kind from any other. This distinction makes it clear that one is performing the act in order to fulfil a specific mitzva. It is an old custom but not a requirement. Dear Rabbi, Why is the Keser Israel Memorial Park (cemetery) all the way out where it is? Similarly, the Beth El Memorial Park (cemetery) must also have been way out when it was dedicated. Signed, Dying to Know Dear Know, Long ago when th…
…ing an opera. And so a Jew does not chew, suck or lick while praising or petitioning God. So be patient, wait for the Qiddush after services, leave your gum at home, and wag your jaw in Praise of the Lord. Dear Rabbi, How does the repetition of the Amida work? It seems to be different each time I’m at services. Signed, Amida Amida Dear Amida, The Amida or shemona esrei prayer, a part of each service, is repeated in the presence of a minyan (quor…
…thing about helping others at the expense of our own pleasure, spiritual satisfaction, or bank account — we’re talking mitzva here. Like the Biblical Yosef, if we flaunt — or simply enjoy — our material blessings while our brothers and sisters go without, we run the risk of being thrown in a pit. It may be a physical pit, or it may be a spiritual pit. Many Americans are facing a relatively challenging fiscal climate. We are feeling that in Connect…
…our brothers and sisters to insert small handwritten personal notes and petitions to God between the stones of the Kotel, the Western Wall of the Temple in Jerusalem. The service provided by the phone company allows people unable to visit the Wall in person to fax their petitions to an agent who then carefully inserts the sheets into cracks between the stones. But you don’t even need a fax machine to reach God. Our sages valued sincerity in praye…
…tend a helping hand, and we should. How will this work? Well, were just getting started, and there may be some kinks till we work out the process, but, basically, its up to you to tell us how you can help, and its up to you to ask for help if you need it or let us know if someone else needs help. Sometimes a person needs one kind of help but can provide a different kind. George Posener, for example, needs a ride to shul on Shabbat morning, but has…
…t – 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 a formal and participating member of the Interfaith Cooperative Ministries (ICM), a coalition of New Haven religious communities and social service organizations. ICM was formerly kno…
…and, as luck would have it, she was free to see me. She asked me many questions…questions about my relationship to God and Judaism. She truly had a gift because the words began pouring out of me. I told her that Judaism was something that haunted me…the melodies haunted me, the faces of the elders haunted me, even the movements during prayer haunted me…that I felt that it was a part of me but that I was not a part of it. I felt like an invisible…
…l Haven, an agency down the street where adults with developmental disabilities participate in an assisted learning apartment program. At Chapel Haven, adults learn how to do everyday chores — how to cook, clean, and balance a check book. But the Jewish residents also wanted to learn about synagogue life and their Jewish heritage. As a special educator, Johnston wanted to integrate these adult into BEKI’s services with “dignity and respect.” She w…
…s and couples who are both Jewish Jews of all races Jews of all gender identities or sexual orientations. BEKI believes in taking a robustly welcoming stance toward interfaith families. Coming from an interfaith and multi-racial family himself, Rabbi Woodward considers the inclusion of non-Jewish relatives in the community to be deeply important. The same goes for Jews of all income levels. Membership at BEKI is not about money. While BEKI does re…
