December 25 2020 l 10 Tevet 5781
CONGREGATION BEIT T'SHUVAH WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
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Dear Congregants,
It’s my favorite holiday. We’ve been preparing for it all week. We’ve been getting the house ready, making special food, getting our clothes ready, and humming the holiday tunes the entire time. And as we’re preparing a special meal, we’re thinking about family and friends who will be joining us and remembering those who won’t be able to do so this year.
I’m sure you’ve already guessed which holiday I’m talking about. That’s right…SHABBAT! Every week, we have this special holiday on which the Torah tells us that G-d ceased working and “rested”. She is the Shabbat Bride about which we sing and delight.
Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel teaches us that “the meaning of the Sabbath is to celebrate time rather than space. Six days a week we live under the tyranny of things of space; on the Sabbath we try to become attuned to holiness in time…” He further teaches us that “the goal is not to have but to be, not to own but to give, not to control but to share, not to subdue but to be in accord.”
This week is the last Shabbat of 2020, a year filled with challenge upon challenge. Asher Zvi Hirsch Ginsberg, known as the “Ahad Ha’am” once said, “More than the Jewish People have kept Shabbat, Shabbat has kept the Jews.” So, on this very special day, prepare your home, dress up, and come and sing “holiday” heart-warming songs and let this Shabbat “keep you” with family and friends at Beit T’Shuvah!
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Micha'el Akiba
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THIS WEEK'S TORAH PORTION
By: Rabbi Kerry Chaplin
I was in a group with residents of Beit T’Shuvah earlier this week. One resident said, “I’ve always not fit in with this group or that group - not enough this for these people or enough that for those people. But maybe that’s a tired story.” The Outsider. How many of us identify as an outsider? And if not the Outsider, what about the Victim? The Hero? The Hustler?
The ways we think and talk about ourselves become the ways we behave. They become our identities that we’ll defend until, well, we can’t anymore - whether because of death or recovery. Think of the Hustler: Their only goal is to get what they want from you. It’s a kind of game. If you saw the real human being underneath the hustle, the game would be over.
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Julia G. for one year of sobriety.
Kyle P. for one year of sobriety.
Ryan P. for 3 years of sobriety.
Gordon Z. for 5 years of sobriety.
Mark C. for 24 years of sobriety.
We are still celebrating birthdays each week on Zoom!
To sign up to take a Sober Birthday cake at Beit T'Shuvah, click here.
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Five years of sobriety! (December 19) Gordy, you are my hero! With love from Mumsy and Gary
After 24 years of Sobriety I am thankful for the help and support from G--, Harriet and Mark for the great life I have today! I have learned and practiced to "stay in the moment - stay sober no matter what, to pray to Hashem daily for his love, kindness, care and to help others. By turning my will over to G-- daily "All will be well" no matter what. ~ Mark C.
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If you would like to sponsor shabbat at
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Shop, donate and share with your friends.
*Shipping is available upon request*
*50% off this week with coupon code FLASH50*
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OUR SINCEREST CONDOLENCES |
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...to Amy Palubicki and her family, on the loss of her father, Thomas Palubicki
If you are interested in sending a beautiful tribute, please contact Development . You can also send a tribute online by Clicking Here. Beit T'Shuvah will promptly send a card to the family or friend you are recognizing.
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Tribute donations are a wonderful way of marking life cycle events for your loved ones and friends and supporting Beit T'Shuvah.
Janine & Richard Kolodny in honor of Emily and Richard Corleto
Lisa & Brian Fagan in honor of Jackie Elkins
Melissa Gondek in honor of Jeff Marantz
Joy Wolf in honor of Rabbi Mark Borovitz's birthday
Marjorie & Steven Rheuban in loving memory of Barry Keyes
Zoya Van Every in loving memory of our beloved godson, Geoff Tamayo
Marjorie & David Lee in memory of Alex Gerstel
Fred Kroner in memory of Geoff Tamayo
Ms. Margaret Quinn in memory of Geoff Tamayo
Jennifer Messeca in memory of Mark Shullen
Gerald Yohanna in memory of my friend Jeffrey Klein
Annette & Leonard Shapiro in memory of Ruth Moss
If you are interested in sending a beautiful tribute, please contact Development . You can also send a tribute online by Clicking Here. Beit T'Shuvah will promptly send a card to the family or friend you are recognizing.
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THIS WEEK'S SPOTLIGHT
Noam J.B.G.
BTS Resident and Film Department Intern Noam J.B.G. shares his story:
Exactly two years before the horrific events of 9/11, I was born into a somewhat unfortunate family dynamic. My sister was four years old and my parents were still together. I was about seven when they split up. Shortly after the divorce, my dad was fired from his job and started spending the majority of his time isolating in his room. I didn’t see much of him for a while. My mom, on the other hand, ran around juggling her work as a Hebrew teacher, dealing with my sister, fighting with her sisters, and dreaming of having a normal loving family. When I reached the 6th grade, there was a night I spent in the living room listening to the fighting between my troubled sister, and my PTSD-triggered father. That night ended with me running out of my dad’s place and sprinting to my mom’s to get help. My sister was then taken to a mental hospital for her suicidal thoughts. Neither of my parents knew how to tell me what went down that night, so they didn’t. I never knew what happened to my sister then until ...click here to continue reading.
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SUPPORTING OUR RESIDENTS THIS HOLIDAY SEASON |
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You're invited to join in on the fun and submit a video message or photo to be included in a personalized video for BTS Residents to wish them a Happy New Year! Since we all cannot be together in person we want to send our love and messages of hope in this new year to our amazing residents!
Please submit your videos by Tuesday, December 29th!
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Please join us on January 31, 2021 at 6:00 pm for our virtual Healing Broken Souls Gala.
We are excited to share with you an amazing evening: a special musical performance, an inspiring video about a woman’s journey to recovery and redemption, a fabulous silent auction, and so much more.
This year we are honored to present Jackie Elkins with our first ever Spirit of Beit T’Shuvah Award. More will be revealed...You don't want to miss it!
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Stay Safe This Holiday Season |
2020 has been tough for our communities. Beit T'Shuvah, in partnership with LA County Health, is reminding you to stay safe at home this holiday season by celebrating in person only with people you live with. Our work this month is the key to keeping our communities safe from COVID-19.
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Alumni Process group for residents who have left BTS during the pandemic.
Wednesdays at 12pm.
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Beit T’Shuvah has raised nearly 3,000 through the Amazon Smile program to help save the lives of those suffering from addiction. Be a part of the movement and choose Beit T’Shuvah as your set featured charity on Amazon Smile by clicking the link below for all of your amazon purchases! Click here to shop through amazon smile.
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Beit T’Shuvah Custom Masks are Here! |
Stay safe while supporting Beit T’Shuvah with masks custom made by Creative Matters. Perfect gifts for alumni, staff, residents, people in recovery or community members!
$10 per mask
Designs:
One Day At A Time
In This Together
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BTS Zoom Family Support Group! Whether your loved one is still in treatment or they have already moved on to the next chapter of their journey, we would like to provide a platform in which families get to talk about their shared experiences and wisdom.
This group is for families of our current and former residents, no need to RSVP, just drop in!
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Friday night services held via zoom at 6:30pm PT.
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Saturday Morning Services |
Saturday morning Prayer and Meditation at 10:30am PT.
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Come learn on Saturday mornings at 9:30am PT with Rabbi Micha'el Akiba.
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THERE WILL BE NO CHALLAH AVAILABLE FOR ORDER FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR.
CHALLAH WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE AGAIN FOR FRIDAY, JANUARY 8TH 2021.
Baked T'Shuvah's founder Jackie Elkins is licensed by the state and you can now order the Baked T'Shuvah challah you know and love!
Pick up at BTS. Must prepay.
Available flavors: Plain, Chocolate Chip, Salted Caramel or Raisin. Contact Amy Abrams to place your order - orders need to be placed no later than Wednesday!
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We are still celebrating birthdays each week on our Shabbat Zoom.
To sign up to take a cake, please contact Jillian.
If you missed celebrating your birthday this year and would still like to take a cake via Zoom, contact Jillian.
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Life in Uncertain Times: Coping Strategies Before, During, and After Corona. With Rabbi Joseph. Mondays from 12-1pm PT/3-4pm ET.
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#NotMyCorona. Recovery-Minded Spiritual Learning with Beit T’Shuvah and the T’Shuvah Center. Wednesdays. 1pm PT/4pm ET.
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BTS community AA meeting: Thursdays at 7pm.
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Beit T’Shuvah and the Elaine Breslow Institute invite you participate in this spiritual challenge!
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Thursdays. 9-9:30am PT/12-12:30pm ET.
A powerful kaddish experience led by the Lab/Shul community. They have invited our Beit T’Shuvah community to join them.
https://labshul.org/event/virtual-mourners-kaddish-call/2019-08-29/
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Past newsletters are now available online. Please click here to view.
For anyone that shops at Ralphs, please consider registering your phone with their community care program and select Beit T'Shuvah as your charity.
For anyone that purchases items on Amazon, all you have to do is go to Amazon Smile and choose Beit T'Shuvah as your charity and a percentage of each purchase will be given back to us.
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