- 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
…at down to dinner he asked her, “why does your father serve his wine in a plain clay jar? Why not a silver pitcher?” She had her father pour the wine into a silver pitcher. The wine reacted with the metal and became bitter. The scholar noted, “Al tistakel b’kankan, ellah b’mah sheyesh bo.” Don’t look at the vessel, but at what’s in it. But of course, we do look at externals, and that can influence how we treat people. Which brings me to the parash…
…s a certain economy of scale involved in the production of power, thus the large power plants. But we could use solar panels. It will take some time, but I really think the transition into solar energy is inevitable. With power production spread across America, blackouts, brownouts, and inefficient energy handling will be all but gone. Additional benefits of solar panels include taking advantage of a practically unlimited energy source, that is, t…
…communal life of the synagogue. Ve-kulam miqablim aleihem `ol malkhut shamayim, ze me-ze. You have all taken upon yourselves the yoke of the heavenly kingdom, accepting it from one another. I love you all. See also Parashat Huqat-Balaq by Gila Reinstein See also Parashat VaEthanan — Installation of Officers by Gila Reinstein See also Parashat Ki Tetse by Gila Reinstein See also Parashat Sheqalim 5765 by Gila Reinstein Email Gila Reinstein at gila.…
…ife changing, meaningful learning — happens in the context of supportive relationships. It is through the relationship with Naomi that Ruth takes on the formidable challenge of accepting monotheism into her life. In classrooms where there are supportive and positive relationships between teachers and students, between students and students, and in schools where there are good relationships among the adults, optimal learning takes place. People fee…
…r daughters are borne on the side. Violence shall no more be heard in your land, desolation nor destruction within your borders; But you will call your walls Salvation and your gates Paradise. Your sun shall no more go down, neither shall your moon withdraw itself; For the Lord shall be your everlasting light, and your days of mourning shall be ended. I the Lord will hasten it in its time. Marc D. Schwartz, MD, President HealthCalls America Inc. w…
…ldiers. The headline story in mid-August (2009) of the Swedish daily Aftonbladen, claiming that the Israeli Army has been capturing and killing Arabs in the West Bank and harvesting their organs, is widely repeated in the Arab press, without noting that the story is a hoax. At the end of 2007, HAMAS bombed the petrol facility in Israel that served Gaza and shot the people operating the border crossing, and then complained to the international pres…
…eaching. To my mind, it’s no coincidence that there are a disproportionate number of gay clergy. Half of my ordination class was gay or lesbian. The process of coming out of the closet, the work we’ve done to become whole and unashamedly ourselves is deeply spiritual. Perhaps this is the Torah that gay men and lesbians have heard and give the world – the lesson that we all, gay or not, must be honest about our lives. And it’s a lesson that is usef…
…was purchased by a donor. We chose to honor the many missing people with a large empty frame. Our call to contemplation also includes phrases scattered throughout the exhibition. We invite BEKI members to send us their thoughts on the exhibit. For further reading, we suggest the 2008 JTS blog post by Marc Wolf, Nostalgia, Memory and the Building of Judaism, We hope that this bit of nostalgia will inspire you to take one of the artworks into your h…
