- 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
…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, and upgrading security. BEKI has won awards from the US Environmental Protection Agency and the United Synagogue for Conservative…
…The other days of Creation are denoted, as you would expect, using ordinal numbers – second, third, and the like; but not the first day, Yom Ehad – Day One. Rashi teaches that “Day One” is to be understood as the Day of the One, the Day of God, and that God created everything in all its potential on that Day. From that day on, it follows that, as my daughter Sarah has recently begun quoting Martin Buber in the tag line to her email messages — To p…
…, only to find the once-vanquished nation rising again. Like post-frontier Americans, Palestinian Arabs must face up to their own history and let Jews live on the Jewish reservation in peace. If Americans can claim the right to regulate the migration of Mexicans into Texas and New Mexico, or any of the millions who in theory should have just as much right to live on these shores as the native born, then surely Israel, like any society, has a right…
…Commission Ramah Programs in Israel Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies Women’s League for Conservative Judaism Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies National and International Organizations Anti-Defamation League (ADL) American Jewish Committee (AJC) Hadassah JACS: Jewish Alcoholics, Chemically Dependent Persons, and Significant Others JewishGen: The Official Home of Jewish Genealogy Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center Keshet…
…shortcode. Week 5: Music and the Politics of Memory Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 “American Sugyot: Unmasking Issues in Conservative Judaism through Contemporary Prooftexts,” Dr. Rela Mintz Geffen, Rabbinical Assembly, 2000 “Big Bang, God and Torah: A New View,” Rabbi Bradley Shavit Artson, Rabbinical Assembly, 2000 “Contemporary Ethical Reflections on Identity, Community and Tradition: A Textual Study,” Dr. Kenneth Koltun-Fromm, Rabbinical Assembly, 2000…
…c deeply ingrained in our psyche. As relatively sophisticated middle-class Americans, we are almost unique in the world in that we feel comparatively comfortable accommodating and tolerating other people’s dietary patterns. If you had a seder with your extended family or guests, you no doubt had at least one diner demanding a low sodium, diabetic, vegetarian, low-cholesterol, lactose-intolerant, or low-calorie diet. Twenty years ago it was a big d…
…acterization in films. Apparently, these complainants have not noticed how American Indians and African Americans are portrayed in television and film – not to mention the negative stereotyping of women. The Tarzan movie that came out a couple of years ago was a full-length picture set in an Africa devoid of (black) African people. Thatʼs one way to avoid racist stereotyping. The one unbelievable line in the film – direct from the Gospels – is the…
…ov June 30, 2021 BEKI Annual Meeting June 21, 2021 JUNETEENTH, the African-American Celebration of Freedom Robert Forbes June 16, 2021 Tea Tasting Caroline Keogh of New Haven Tea June 9, 2021 Anti-Asian Racism in America Rachel Forbes June 2, 2021 Together New Haven: Economic Development in New Haven Carlos Eyzaguirre May 26, 2021 Regendering the Torah Yael Kanarek May 19, 2021 Broke in America: Seeing, Understanding, and Ending U.S. Poverty Joann…
…ntemporary rabbis. But first, we need to understand what blasphemy is. The American Heritage Dictionary says that blasphemy is “irreverent or impious activity, attitude or utterance in regard to something considered inviolable or sacrosanct.”. Going back to the Torah, prior to this story, blasphemy is only mentioned once, in Exodus 20:7. The citation is vague, saying that one “shall not swear falsely by the name,” which in this case is the Hebrew…
…the Megilla). It was this account that tipped the mental imbalance of the American Jewish man who committed the massacre of Muslims at worship in Hebron at Purim in 1994. Even if Purim is supposed to be a farce, it is now harder than ever to find it amusing. For this reason, the mirthful celebration of Purim by itself would be almost offensive. That is why we observe the Fast of Esther, Taanit Ester, the day before Purim. (When Purim occurs on Su…
