- 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
…Join Debby Kahan for an hour of light yoga (all ages) Free for BEKI Members $5 for non-members…
…21 Nov Motse’ei Shabbat Dinner and (Kids) Movie November 21, 2015 4:30 pm – 8:30 pm Home Page Join us for a family-friendly ma’ariv and havdalah, followed by a light dinner/drinks and kids movie. Free and open to all — bring friends old […] More Info…
…Join Debby Kahan for an hour of light yoga (all ages) Free for BEKI Members $5 for non-members…
…Group BINA (our religious school) Teen Kesher USY and Kadima youth groups Free High Holy Day tickets Support from our Hesed Committee Shiva minyanim Choice of two affiliated cemeteries Programming for children and adults All Jews are invited to become members of BEKI, including: Jews by birth and Jews by choice (converts) Jews in mixed marriages and couples who are both Jewish Jews of all races Jews of all gender identities or sexual orientations…
…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…
…This recognition emerges from a study of Midrash, in which the sages felt free to create dialog for God for educational or inspirational purposes. While Midrash expresses profound truth, no one other than the fundamentalist or ignoramus would claim it to be an actual record of Divine dialog or veritable history. More than that, our sages recognized that any literary presentation of God is inherently limited by human experience and intelligence. R…
…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…
…nder Jewish sovereignty that all three religions in Jerusalem have enjoyed free and unfettered access to their holy places.” Surely of the first order of importance for the Zionist program was the preservation of freedom of access of Jews to their Holy Places. Surely, too, would it turn Zionism on its head if the Prime Minister’s pledge were to hold for Christians and Muslims but not for Jews. The principle of broad Jewish access in the area of th…
…teachers’ and friends’ guidance, but I must make my own choices. It is my free will. That’s an exciting but scary realization. Like Jacob, I am aware that I might not always make good choices. I will have to use the guidance and advice I have received to choose the right paths throughout my life. And, like in Jacob’s dream, I hope that there may be new angels that will come to accompany me through the next stage of my life. One reason to be optim…
…Join Debby Kahan for an hour of light yoga. Free for BEKI Members $5 for non-members…
