Temple Beth El of Williamsburg, VA
E-News
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Jill Hyman,
Synagogue Manager
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Parashat Behar-Behukkotai
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Behar begins with the laws of the Sabbatical year and the Jubilee year. During the Sabbatical year, which occurs every seventh year, the land must lie fallow, as an acknowledgment of God as the Creator and owner of all. After every 49 years (seven cycles of seven years), there is a "Jubilee" year, in which slaves go free, certain debts are canceled, and all land returns to its original titleholders. As the portion continues, further laws are given pertaining to debts and property: one must help people avoid debt-servitude, and one must help people to avoid losing their property. Interest and oppressive financial practices are prohibited. Behar ends with a general reminder to keep God's laws, especially Shabbat and the prohibition on idolatry.
Parashat Bechukotai is read with Behar as a double portion in non-leap years, and is very different from its partner. The opening verses describe all the blessings and rewards that will benefit Israel as long as they uphold the covenant and follow God's commands. However, following this list of great benefits is a passage which our tradition identifies as the tochechah - which means "rebuke" or "reproof." It is a much longer list of the curses and terrible punishments that will befall the people of Israel if they do not follow the mitzvot. The portion concludes with additional teachings about vows, tithes and gifts.
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TBE will be continuing all services and programming online
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We hope this finds you safe, healthy, and relatively well, as we navigate these unprecedented and challenging times. We’re writing to let you know that as Virginia moves into Phase One of the state’s reopening, we are not yet ready to physically reopen TBE for in-person services, classes and programs. In the meanwhile, we will continue to meet together virtually, as the warm and welcoming community that TBE is and always has been.
We urge everyone to continue to shelter in place, wear masks, and maintain social distancing when going out for essential needs; to continue to maintain social distancing when walking and exercising outside; to refrain from communal gatherings; and to continue to be vigilant with hand washing.
We look forward to a time when we can all be physically together again.
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Kabbalat Shabbat
Friday, May 15
7:30 pm
LINK:
https://zoom.us/j/175881984?pwd=eU5jT1FnM2ZkTjFBRWJmbU9kNG5pdz09
Meeting ID: 175 881 984
Password: 009097
TBE School via Zoom
Sunday, May 17
Information about TBE School will be sent directly to all families by Rabbi David and Brenda.
Zoom and Schmooze
Monday, May 18
3:00 pm
Here's a chance to check in, say hi, and visit with other TBE friends. Rabbi David will not be participating in this session.
Meeting ID: 758 424 002
Password: 016921
Meditation and Mindfulness
Tuesday, May 19
4:00 - 5:00 pm
TBE's MMG will have a regular session led by Rabbi David. Newcomers are welcome, but please be in touch with Rabbi David ahead of time if you haven't participated before.
LINK:
https://zoom.us/j/750545116
THIS ZOOM WILL ALWAYS BE THE SAME
Password: 316776
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Zoom and Schmooze
Wednesday, May 20
11:00 am
Here's a chance to check in, say hi, and visit with Rabbi David and other TBE friends.
Meeting ID: 104 219 597
Password: 042870
Torah Study
Thursday, May 21
10:30 am - 12:30 pm
Torah Study by Zoom
Please join us for TBE's always-lively Torah Study session
LINK:
https://zoom.us/j/104488948
THIS ZOOM WILL ALWAYS BE THE SAME
Password:
978192
Shabbat Kulanu
Friday, May 22
6:30 pm
LINK:
https://zoom.us/j/175881984?pwd=eU5jT1FnM2ZkTjFBRWJmbU9kNG5pdz09
Meeting ID: 175 881 984
Password: 009097
Passwords for our Zoom sessions are in response to concerns about security. Please do NOT share Zoom passwords with anyone you don’t know.
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All Zoom sessions can be accessed by phone, if you’re unable to join us on the internet. Just call the number
929-436-2866
, and when prompted, enter the meeting ID and password for the appropriate section.
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Please use this link to download a PDF copy of our prayerbook, Kol HaNeshamah:
https://rrc0.sharepoint.com/:b:/g/comm/ERDCpHBFXoxGhxt7pXGFG5gBknXW6LjVJw95_HZMvZN4eA?e=2EujCH
Attached to this Email is a document that tells you the page numbers, both in the prayerbook itself and in the PDF document, that we will be reading from tonight.
Please click here for the:
Also attached to is a sheet with the words to Debbie Friedman’s Mi Shebeirach prayer, which is not in our prayerbook.
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Mi Shebeirach by Debbie Friedman
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Mi shebeirach avoteinu
M'kor hab'racha l'imoteinu
May the source of strength,
Who blessed the ones before us,
Help us find the courage to make our lives a blessing,
And let us say, Amen.
Mi shebeirach imoteinu
M'kor habrachah l'avoteinu
Bless those in need of healing with r'fuah sh'leimah,
The renewal of body, the renewal of spirit,
And let us say, Amen
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This week’s Shabbat Box from the Reconstructionist movement
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3rd Food Drive - This Saturday
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Where: Smith Memorial Baptist Church, 6515 Richmond Road,
When: Saturday, May 16, from 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Rain or shine
If you would like the flyer sent to you, or if you would like to help sort and deliver on Tuesday and Wednesday, please email info@cofm.info.
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Shabbat Kulanu Online - May 22
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Rabbi David and Rich Roston will lead Online Shabbat Kulanu service, Friday night, May 22. Shabbat Kulanu is TBE’s monthly, family-oriented service. Shabbat Kulanu starts at 6:30pm, and usually features dancing, guitar playing, and a puppet show. The Shabbat Kulanu service will be the only service TBE offered that Friday night.
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Shavuot Study Session on May 28
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Shavuot - the holiday that commemorates the Israelites receiving the Torah at Mt. Sinai - starts this year on the evening of Thursday, May 28. That night, we'll follow the tradition of holding a Tikkun Leil Shavuot - a nighttime study session - by holding an Online Shavuot Study Session, starting at 7:30pm, taking place on Zoom. The program will consist of 15-20 minute study blocks, with different members of the congregation teaching about their favorite Jewish texts. Rabbi David will start by teaching about one of his favorites, and is looking for other TBE folks to do the same.
Please contact Rabbi David if you'd like to be one of the teachers - he can help you work out the logistics of how to do this, and/or he can help you determine an appropriate text to share that night. The traditional food on Shavuot is dairy, so all are invited to eat ice cream, cheesecake, or blintzes, during the evening.
The Zoom information for Shavuot is
Meeting ID: 842 7578 7710
Password: 524278
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Celebrate Shavuot with the Reconstructionist Movement
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After the TBE Erev Shavuot Program is done, please continue "Celebrating @ Sinai a virtual Shavuot celebration" with the Reconstructionist movement. The celebration will begin with a Kabbalat Hag Song Fest and Candlelighting, Thursday, May 28, 7:30 pm Eastern Time and continuing with a Tikkun Leyl Shavuot of teaching, learning, movement, and musical offerings through Friday morning, May 29, 7:30 am Pacific Time. Reconstructionist communities and individuals are welcome to join this Zoom webinar or view on the Facebook live stream for as much or as little as you would like.
Watch on Facebook at:
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The TBE Office will be closed Friday, May 29 in Observance of Shavuot.
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During online services Friday night, May 29, we’ll celebrate any Simcha that you’ve celebrated in your life during the month of May. If you’re able to, please send Rabbi David an Email prior to May 29 to let him know that you’d like to do this, but it’s also ok to just let him know when he asks for Simcha Celebrators at the start of services.
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Kabbalat Shabbat with Mei Mei June 5
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Our own Kohenet and magid/storyteller
Mei-Mei Sanford is going to share a story during services on Friday night, June 5.
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High School Senior Night
June 19
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Please join us Friday, June 19, during Zoom Kabbalat Shabbat services, when we will celebrate our High School Seniors. We hope you can join us to celebrate our students, as they help to lead services, and share some words of wisdom, as they prepare to head off to the next stage of their lives.
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Annual Congregational Meeting - June 24
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Our Annual Congregational Meeting will take place via Zoom on June 24, the last Wednesday in June at 7 pm. Please join the Zoom meeting and vote on our annual budget and Board of Directors for the new term. Candidates' biographies were mailed to member households in May.
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Modern Hebrew, Virtual Beginners Class at TBE
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TBE is offering a new online Modern Hebrew Class, taught by TBE member Betty Ronnen. Biblical and modern Hebrew are two versions of the same language. The former ancient, the latter its ongoing adaptation in the present day. Participants in the class may choose their level of involvement - they can respond to home assignments, or just be or casual listeners.
For information, and/or to register for the class, please contact Betty at
bettybet@cox.net
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Something To Watch To Prepare For The High Holidays
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Rabbi David's Yom Kippur talk this year will use the recently ended TV show "
The Good Place
" as a way to talk about mortality. During that talk, Rabbi David will specifically talk about the last few episodes of the show (the end of the fourth season).
The Good Place is a sitcom that aired on NBC, which imagines the afterlife. While the first season can seem like it continually mines the same joke, there is a major twist at the end of the season that sets up the next three seasons, which explore philosophy and eschatology in ways that are incredibly creative and unusually imaginative. If you're looking for something to watch while you're at home during the pandemic, Rabbi David highly encourages you to watch the entire show. There are four seasons, each composed of 13 half-hour episodes. The first three seasons are currently streaming on Netflix, and the fourth season can be watched on NBC's website, and is expected to come to Netflix later this summer. Please let Rabbi David know if you have any questions, and happy watching!
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Zoom Links from a friend’s synagogue
If you’re interested in more Zoom-accessible Jewish programming, TBE members have been invited to participate online in the following programs at the SAJ (the Society for the Advancement of Judaism) - the first Reconstructionist synagogue, located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, whose original rabbi was Mordechai Kaplan and whose current rabbi, Lauren Grabelle Hermann, is a friend of Rabbi David’s.
Every Tuesday at 2pm
Text Exploration with Rabbi Lauren or Guest Teachers TBD
Zoom ID: 790-811-981
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Every Wednesday at 2pm
Moments Musicaux": Notes on Music"
"Moments Musicaux": Notes on Music" 45 minute lectures with SAJ member-concert pianist, Dr. Claudia Knafo, who will present and perform (sometimes) anything and everything you wanted to know about classical music, the lives of composers, and the gossip of the greats. See Claudia’s bio here: https://www.claudiaknafo.com/
Zoom ID: 790-811-981
Every Thursday at 2pm
Philosophy of Prayer, with student Rabbi Sarah Brammar-Shlay
Zoom ID: 790-811-981
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Social Action Committee Tzedakah Project
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TBE member Steve Alter is 3D-printing face shields for use by medical personnel at Sentara Williamsburg Regional Medical Center. He is producing 100+ weekly, and is in need of volunteers to deliver them to the hospital. Please contact Steve directly at
altertalk@gmail.com
if you can help out with delivery.
If you would like to help with the material costs of the face shields, please make checks payable to Temple Beth El, with Social Action/Mask Project in the memo field. This will will be a tzedakah project for the Social Action Committee.
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Outerwear found in social hall
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We would like to help return lost items to their owners. Please call the office to make arrangements to collect "left" items. All items not collected by Friday, May 12, will be donated.
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Child's North Face Jacket
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Community Information and Resources
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This is an extraordinary time, when most everyday routines and services have been disrupted, and procedures and recommendations are frequently in flux. We are doing our best to keep in touch with the situation as it develops, and to respond accordingly.
Rabbi David and Acting President Linda Maltz are in regular contact with area social service agencies, and both participated in a statewide conference call for faith community leaders this past week.
If you are in need of any kind of assistance during this crisis, please be in touch with Rabbi David, and he will do his best to find you the help that you need. Help with food, errands, unemployment, housing, domestic difficulties, and many other areas is available in the community. Please reach out if you need help. Similarly, if you’d like to volunteer to help in some way, please also be in touch with Rabbi David.
For the moment, the Temple Beth El synagogue building remains closed until further notice, and our congregation is not organizing, planning, or endorsing any in-person gatherings.
All in-person events are cancelled. This includes Shabbat Zakein, Ali Kaplan Memorial Blood Drive, Jewish Film Festival, and the in-person Community Seder at the WUU.
Rabbi David and Jill are working from home, and are available by phone or Email, as are our many volunteer leaders.
As of now, we expect this status to continue at least through the end of April (although that is certainly not our hope). We are regularly evaluating how to offer Jewish religious, cultural, and communal programming at this unprecedented moment, and we anticipate offering more options to you as we move forward.
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Greater Williamsburg Basic Needs Map
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As a COVID Community Response, please familiarize yourself with the valuable resources available in our area,
https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1D7dA5JZQUH9ELoaoZ4TiuvLvkZZPmHJB&usp=sharing
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Educational Resources from the ISJL are an important tool for us to share. From a Taste of Torah to Special Resources for Passover and More. Southern Jewish Playlists are also in the works - coming soon! Please take a look!
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TBE member Deanna Marroletti is available to pick up and deliver groceries to any TBE member who can't or shouldn't go out to stores on their own. She is currently doing deliveries on Wednesdays and Fridays. If you'd like Deanna's help please contact her directly at
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GROCERY DELIVERY OPTIONS
Instacart delivery: instacart.com
Delivery from stores in zip codes 23185: Aldi, Publix, CVS, Petco, Food Lion, The Fresh Market and Target. Zero dollar delivery fees on orders of $35 or more with Instacart Express membership available monthly or annually. One time delivery without membership ranges between $3.99 and $7.99. Pickup also available.
Harris Teeter: harristeeter.com
Same day delivery or pickup depending on demand. In addition to $4.95 shopping fee, same day delivery is $9.95 on orders over $50. Same day delivery for orders under $50 is $11.95 in addition to $4.95 shopping fee. Express Lane pickup delayed due to high demand.
Harris Teeter is designating Thursdays from 9am to 2pm as ExpressLane Senior Day. To further enhance our commitment to protecting our senior shoppers, Harris Teeter will designate ExpressLane Online Shopping *pick-up times from 9am - 2pm for seniors only every Thursday until further notice AND will waive the **$4.95 fee & offer $5 delivery for seniors during these times.
ExpressLane Senior Day Promotion Codes
Waive the Fee - SD60
$5 Delivery - SDDEL
This will allow our senior shoppers to take advantage of their 5% Senior Club discount every Thursday, and it will provide a genuine opportunity for our senior shoppers to purchase what they need while practicing the CDC's recommended social distancing guidelines.
Publix: Publix.com
Delivery and curbside pickup by Instacart.
Instore pickup: Due to limited product availability, some online orderable items may not be available. This includes some cake flavors and other orderable items. The store associate will call you if an item or option you selected is not available and offer a replacement.
Food Lion: Foodlion.com
For pickup or delivery of orders over $35, pickup fee is $1.99 and delivery fee is $3.99. There is an additional delivery service fee of 5% of the total order. Food Lion delivery hours are Monday through Sunday, 9 a.m - 10 p.m.
Walmart: Walmart.com
Free pickup. Delivery fee varies and is based on time slot you book. No monthly or annual subscription fees.
Target: Target.com
Free four week trial membership to Shipt, you will be billed for a $99 nonrefundable annual membership when four week trial ends. Same day or next day delivery if item is eligible. Prime Pantry delivery includes fresh and frozen foods and essentials.
Amazon available to Prime members: Amazon.com
Free grocery delivery from Whole Foods with membership. Two hour delivery may not be available due to high demand, free shipping on all orders over $35, flat fee of $5.99 if under $35.
PHARMACY OPTIONS
Williamsburg Drug Company:
McLaws Cir., M-F 9-6, Sat. 9-4, 229-1041, free delivery and curbside service
CVS:
Jamestown Rd/199, 564-1005, M-F 8-8, Sat. 9-6, Sun. 10-6, free shipping, drive-thru
Walgreens:
229-0962, 1309 Richmond Rd, has drive-thru, free shipping
updated our hours to allow for extra cleaning and stocking.
open 9am-9pm weekdays
24-hour stores are drive-thru only overnight 9pm-9am
Seniors-only shopping: 8am-9am every Tuesday
Target: Williamsburg East store
200 Marquis Parkway, pharmacy hours: M-F 10am-7pm, Sat. 11am-5pm, Sun. 12pm-5pm, 259-3021
Pickup and shipping available
OTHER SERVICES OPTIONS
Library Services:
Offering digital library cards if you don't have one already
https://wrl.org/
https://wrl.org/temporary-library-card-signup/
Pet Services:
Petco:
https://stores.petco.com/va/williamsburg/pet-supplies-williamsburg-va-2877.html
4600 Casey Boulevard Suite 100, Williamsburg, VA 23188
(757) 259-1980
Order online and pick up in store or drive up for curbside service
Petsmart
: https://www.petsmart.com/
4900 Monticello Ave,Williamsburg, VA 23188, 259-1630
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Jill Hyman
Synagogue Manager
757-220-1205
Rabbi David Katz
757-206-1633
mobile 757-634-6407
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Temple Beth El, A Welcoming Synagogue In Williamsburg, Virginia
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