Friday, July 10, 2020 /18 Tammuz, 5780 Parashat Pinhas Numbers 25:10-30:1 Dear Friends, As I watched Hamilton on television this past weekend, there was one song that particularly struck me. Aptly named “Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story,” this masterful piece of music prompts us to consider the legacy of Alexander Hamilton. I […]
Moral vs. Political Decisions The coronavirus pandemic raised a series of deep moral and political issues.[1] How far should governments go in seeking to prevent its spread? To what extent should it restrict people’s movements at the cost of violating their civil liberties? How far should it go in imposing a clampdown of businesses at […]
Friday, July 3, 2020 /11 Tammuz, 5780 Parashat Hukat-Balak Numbers 19:1−22:1, 22:2−25:9 “How glorious are your tents, O Jacob, your dwellings, O Israel.” (Numbers 24:5) These words, which open our morning liturgy, come from an apparent enemy of Jewish people, Balaam. In this week’s Torah portion, we learn that the Moabite King Balak feels threatened […]
Standing Against Racial Injustice Rabbi Cassi Kail rabbikail@bethelsp.org Throughout my rabbinate, I have always valued interfaith partnership and community connections. When my tenure began, I was delighted to join the San Pedro Faith Consortium, a cooperative effort of five congregations working to make a positive difference in our community. Rabbi Briskin had been one of […]
Practices and Commitments Linda Rubin Marla Shwarts Before anything else, we must say it is an absolute honor and privilege to be given this opportunity to serve you, our precious Temple Beth El family as your Co-Presidents. We are grateful to Gale Swartz and Eric Imley for their strong leadership and service as Co-Presidents for […]
In-Dependence Day Cantor Ilan Davidson cantor@bethelsp.org Every year on July 4, we, the United States of America, celebrate Independence Day. It wasn’t until my wedding day, 19 years ago, on the 4th of July, that I ever even started thinking of the meaning of Independence. And now, in 2020, I’m realizing this meaning even more. […]
New Beginnings Randi Sher, Director of Education TBEeducator@bethelsp.org Starting a new job can be an uncomfortable undertaking for everyone. Face to face conversations and meeting the community at large often alleviates the stress. The Board of Education for the Torah School has been busy planning opportunities for families to interact with one another and with […]
The Hidden Meaning of the Bilam Story Many questions have rightly been asked about the story of Balak and Bilam and the would-be curses that turned into blessings. Was Bilam a true man of God, or was he a fraud, a magician, a sorcerer, a practitioner of dark arts? Did he have genuine powers? Was […]
