The months of Elul and Tishrei are a sacred time on the Jewish calendar for intense personal reflection and spiritual growth.
This the final installment in our
YOU ARE HERE
email series.
Links to all our prior emails are below. We hope this has been a season of growth, renewal, and reflection for you.
Chag Sameach!
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Rabbi Jesse Olitzky: Simchat Torah
Rabbi Olitzky
teaches
on S
imchat Torah, the joyous holiday that celebrates our completion of the Torah and beginning again. A
s o
ur High Holiday season and
YOU ARE HERE
series culminates, we invite you to come out for a final hurrah of dancing, singing, Torah reading, and celebration with the Beth El community!
“Why do we conclude the reading of the Torah and immediately begin it again? We read in Talmud that we are to ‘turn it and turn it.’ Every time we read Torah we get something new out of it. In this new year, we will all learn something new; something about each other, something about ourselves. We make Torah part of our lives when we make it our own.”
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Beth El Celebrates: Join us for Holiday Services and Programs!
Saturday, October 19
8:00pm:
Stories in the Sukkah, with comedian Liz Glazer and congregant storytellers. Event is free and open to the community; program is meant for adults.
Sunday, October 20
7:45am:
Hoshanah Rabbah services -
During this service on the seventh day of Sukkot we take the willow branches from the lulav and beat them into the ground.
Monday, October 21
9:30am:
Shemini Atzeret services begin
11:00am:
Shemini Atzeret Club (Grades K-5) and Mini-Minyan begin
11:00am:
Yizkor (approximate time)
12:00pm:
Congregational Kiddush
6:30pm:
Simchat Torah begins: all welcome for music and dancing!
Tuesday, October 22
9:30am:
Simchat Torah services begin
11:00am:
Mini-Minyan begins (elementary school-age kids are invited to join the celebration in the sanctuary)
12:00pm:
Congregational Kiddush
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Alexandra Konigsburg: On Simchat Torah
Beth El member
Alex Konigsburg
shares her reflection on how we can embrace the joy that comes with Simchat Torah.
"In thinking about Simchat Torah, I immediately thought about simcha...joy. It made me think of
the moments of joy I feel daily and my attempts to find more joy in a time when the world feels
heavy with fear and anger...Despite the fact that I
am tired, I am going to lean into the joy of our final holiday this season. I’ll sing and
dance and enjoy a
l'chaim
with our community. Not only will I celebrate the joys I experience now, but for the joys I hope to see just around the corner."
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Holiday Music: Simchat Torah
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Od Lo Ahavti Dai,
by beloved composer Naomi Shemer, is one of the favorite melodies we'll sing as we dance with the Torah. Join us!!
אי - עוד לא אהבתי די
הרוח והשמש על פני
אי - עוד לא אמרתי די
ואם לא, אם לא עכשיו אימתי
Aiy aiy ai - Od lo ahavti dai
Haruach ve ha shemesh al pana'i
Aiy aiy ai - Od lo amarti dai
Ve im lo, im lo achshav ei'ma'tai?
My love is incomplete.
But the wind and the sun are still on my face.
My words are incomplete
Oh when shall they come together?
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A big thank you to the Beth El community...
What a beautiful and meaningful Elul and Tishrei holiday season this has been at Beth El! We are so grateful to the many who made our celebration possible:
To
Rabbi Olitzky, Rabbi Marder, and Rabbi Warshawsky
: thank you for filling us with prayer, wisdom, and song. To our educators,
Danielle Weitz, Rivka Nelson, and Molly Gimbel:
thank you for creating meaningful holiday celebration and programming for our kids of all ages, and to our babysitters their care. To our professional team,
Executive Director Jason Silberfein,
the office staff of
Karen Freeman-Pettis, Anita Pittman
and
Shantay Reed,
and maintenance team led by
Terry Pridgen
:
thank you for the tireless hours of set up, clean up, and endless logistics that made all our services and programs run smoothly and safely. To our
lay daveners, Torah and Haftarah readers, Three Pillars leaders, and children's service leaders:
thank you for lending your talents to our community celebration. To the
many volunteers
who helped to usher, gabbai, decorate, mail, fundraise, organize, cook, and communicate: thank you; you are the strength of Beth El.
And finally:
thank you to everyone who joined us at Beth El throughout the holidays -- your presence helped lift up our special community in prayer and celebration.
Todah Rabah!
And our Beth El year has just begun!...
We have many months ahead of community Shabbat and holiday celebrations, and of programs and learning for all ages. Watch our weekly emails,
Facebook page
,
and
website
for updates!
The best way to meet new people and experience all that Beth El has to offer is to join our dedicated volunteer crew!
We have many ways to be involved, no matter what your schedule or available time. E-mail
getinvolved@bethelnj.org
and you'll get a quick response from one of our coordinators.
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Previous Emails in the "You Are Here 5780" Series
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Congregation Beth El is an inclusive, egalitarian synagogue affiliated with United Synagogue for Conservative Judaism, serving Essex, Union, and Morris counties. We can be reached by calling
973-763-0111.
Jesse M. Olitzky, Rabbi
Rachel A. Marder, Rabbi
Jason Silberfein, Executive Director
Danielle Weitz, Director, Thelma K. Reisman Preschool
Rivka Nelson, Director of Religious Education
Karen Freeman-Pettis, Assistant Director
Molly Gimbel, Youth Program Director
Terry Pridgen, Coordinator of Maintenance Services
Jehiel Orenstein z"l, Rabbi Emeritus
For more information about Beth El membership, please contact
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