- 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 some things that we might agree are desirable. But if we want to run the services according to law, then we can only have one person called for an aliya at a time. The historic origin of joint aliya, dating to the 1950s through 1970s in various communities, had to do with the development of the role of women in synagogue ritual. As recently as the mid-20th century, women were not allowed to participate in synagogue ritual in many communities. As…
…a few changes in the decoration and lighting of the sanctuary for today’s services. With a desire to seek beauty in the services, members of the Singers’ Circle have prepared a few songs and new harmonies for the services and the Qiddush. And finally in our exploration of art in the synagogue, we are fortunate also to have some beautiful pictures of Moroccan synagogues displayed in the lobby. They were created by one of our prospective members, C…
…documented by the Mishna and other rabbinic texts, endorses the values of free speech, intellectual integrity and democracy. Individual sages were allowed to teach whatever they actually believed, even if it was not in keeping with the majorityʼs view. The sages could speak their minds and vote their consciences. It is true that the State of Israel has an official “Chief Rabbinate” (actually, two official Chief Rabbinates) whose determinations on…
…. Do our donations merely take the pressure off the Government so they can free up funds log-rolling unaccounted millions that go to institutions that deserve not a shekel? We need to continue our involvement as leaders of UJA and Federations and through that system make building a religiously and politically “Beautiful Israel” a priority. And at home it means we must make Conservative institutions such as BEKI, Camp Ramah, Ezra Academy, United He…
…bis. Our president, Donna Levine, explicitly said to me, “Jon-Jay, you are free to change your sexual orientation.” It is commonly believed that Beth El or Keser Israel has engaged quietly gay rabbis in the past. Our congregation, like many, simply accepts Gay and Lesbian individuals and families on the same basis as we accept everyone else. If you’re Jewish, and your check clears the bank, you can be a member. There are no ritual debilities and n…
…he community right, calling us “urban, middle class and prayerful,” mostly free of material excess; “[a place] where the impulse to worship, seriously and at length, was nurtured.” You will be very happy with how he sees this congregation. This is not a plug for the book, but you can order it through Amazon at a discount. If you log in through the BEKI website, we get a small donation. Tonight is probably the last time I will stand in front of you…
…29 Oct 20’s/30’s Havura Garden Tour October 29, 2017 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm Home Page Tour Yale’s Marsh Botanical Garden, Sunday 10/29: This little hidden gem is open to the public for free, with free tours on the last Sunday of each […] More Info…
…sing seem to be a treadmill. Would that our Board and active volunteers be free to focus on our spiritual mission of Torah, Avodah and Gemilut Hasadim. It is with this in mind that we ask BEKI members and supporters to envision our shul with a well-maintained renovated building and an adequate endowment that would allow us to focus on our spiritual mission. God freed you from slavery in Egypt so that you could do God’s work in the world. Help us b…
…s and our traditions. The times we live in right now are very good. We are free and privileged. We are welcome in mainstream society. More than that: we have considerable impact on it. The danger is that we might intermarry and assimilate until there’s nothing left of Judaism to preserve. In the century just past, an extraordinary percentage of Nobel prizes were awarded to Jews, and Jews earned distinctions way out of line with our numbers — in re…
…11 Nov Film Discussion: “I Am Not Your Negro” November 11, 2020 8:00 pm – 9:00 pm Home Page Interior Page Launching BEKI’s film and discussion series about racial justice, we’ll discuss the film “I Am Not Your Negro,” a 2016 award-winning documentary, narrated by Samuel L. […] More Info…
