Ki Teitse 5779
Animal Welfare Ki Teitse is about relationships: between men and women, parents and children, employers and employees, lenders and borrowers. Strikingly, though, it is also about relationships between humans and animals. Descartes thought that animals lacked souls. Therefore you could do with them as you pleased.[1] Judaism does not believe that animals lack souls – “The […]
Parashat Shof’tim
Friday, September 6, 2019 /6 Elul, 5779 Parashat Shof’tim Deuteronomy 16:18-21:9 Dear Friends, As the Israelites prepare to enter the Promised Land, Moses makes an important declaration: “Tzedek tzedek tirdof,” he says, “Justice, justice you shall pursue.” (Deuteronomy 16:20) We often translate the word tzedek as justice, but Moses knew the word encompassed far more. […]
September 2019, Paul Kalinithi, “When Breath Becomes Air”
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • PULITZER PRIZE FINALIST • This inspiring, exquisitely observed memoir finds hope and beauty in the face of insurmountable odds as an idealistic young neurosurgeon attempts to answer the question What makes a life worth living? NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The New York Times Book Review • People • NPR • The […]
Shoftim 5779
The Ecological Imperative In the course of setting out the laws of war, the Torah adds a seemingly minor detail that became the basis of a much wider field of human responsibility, and is of major consequence today. The passage concerns a military campaign that involves laying siege to a city: When you lay siege […]
Shabbat Koleinu with Josh Goldberg
Shabbat Koleinu 8-30-2019 On a very special Shabbat Koleinu we welcomed cantorial student and composer Josh Goldberg for an evening musical worship featuring some of his beautiful original compositions. Here are 2 examples of this joyful service with wonderful music: Here is Josh Goldberg singing Ahavat Olam with Cantor Davidson at our Shabbat Koleinu on […]
Sisterhood Speaks – September 2019
Getting Involved Dina Dreizler, Sisterhood President The gym of life has a free membership.” – Jane Siberry. Well, not quite so with the TBE Sisterhood, but we truly hope you will join us and participate in our strengthening activities and events. Sisterhood is currently engaged in its annual membership drive. Hopefully, you have already received […]
Educationally Speaking – September 2019
Time for T’shuvah Racheli Morris, Director of Education TBEeducator@bethelsp.org As we begin our preparations for a new school year months before school begins, there is another masterpiece of timing that is commencing shortly. We are about to celebrate the Jewish High Holy Days. These days, Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur mark a culmination of […]
Cantor’s Column – September 2019
Community Cantor Ilan Davidson cantor@bethelsp.org To paraphrase the late, great, President John F. Kennedy, “Ask not what you can do for your community, ask what your community can do for you.” This past month, as we lay my dear father-in-law, Cyril, to rest, I was struck, as I often am, by the outpouring of love […]