July 3 2020 l 11 Tamuz 5780
CONGREGATION BEIT T'SHUVAH WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
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JOIN US WEEKLY FOR SHABBAT SERVICES-VIRTUALLY!
FRIDAY NIGHT- 6:30PM
SATURDAY MORNING- 10:30AM
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Dear Congregants,
This year the 4th of July falls on Shabbat. It is the day when we remember the struggle for and the declaration of our independence and the birth of the United States as nation. With the signing of the Declaration of Independence the hope of the Founders was that everyone would have a right to freedom with a government that would derive its power from the consent of the people. But true freedom has not come so easily.
Abraham Joshua Heschel speaks to this intersection of days in his book,
The Sabbath
: “To set apart one day a week for
freedom
, a day on which we would not use the instruments which have been so easily turned into weapons of destruction, a day for being with ourselves, a day of detachment from the vulgar, of independence of external obligations, a day on which we stop worshipping the idols of technical civilization, a day on which we use no money, a day of armistice in the economic struggle with our fellow [humans] and the forces of nature — is there any institution that holds out a greater hope for [humanity’s] progress than the Sabbath?”
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Micha'el
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THIS WEEK'S TORAH PORTION
By: Rabbi Miriam Green Potok
Earlier this week, I was speaking with some colleagues as we were working on assigning tasks to complete a project. One person would be in charge of this, another in charge of that. We went through our list of tasks, and we came to one that left us stumped. Who should take responsibility? “God,” someone piped up eagerly.
At first we chuckled at the thought - and then we laughed in earnest as we realized the essential truth within the humor. As Rabbi Shais Taub teaches, everything in our reality is an expression of God. Everything - from the humans in our homes and workplaces to the tasks that we’re not sure how to handle - is a manifestation of God in our human world.
It’s not always so easy to see that the people we meet and the responsibilities we have are Divine expression, that they contain a Divine essence. In this week’s parashah, we see perhaps the most notable example in the Torah of a well-meaning human who forgets that God is present in every aspect of our world.
The Israelites are continuing their forty years of wandering in the desert, and their community is going through a generational shift. New babies are born, and loved ones die… including Miriam, who according to midrashic legend, had been responsible for providing the community with water. As the community grieves and thirsts, Moses and Aaron approach God for help
...click here to read more.
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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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If you would like to sponsor shabbat at
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Each week we will be featuring pieces from our thrift store for purchase on Bidding for Good. Be sure to check back here weekly for the newest finds.
*For optimal viewing, open this page on a computer*
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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.
Rhonda & Bradley Snyder in honor of Jackie Elkins and her Challah Zoom class
Lori & Scott Lahman in honor of Rabbi Micha'el Akiba
Barbara Pitkoff in memory of Bernard Jack Pitkoff
Mel &Lorraine Baron in memory of Judy Carroll's daughter
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
Tim Foster
“My brothers were both going to a Rolling Stones concert with their girlfriends, and before they left the house, I remember seeing them pull out a bottle of Jack Daniels,” Tim F. recalls. At the time, he was eight years old, watching in curiosity as they poured shots of unfamiliar light brown liquid amongst themselves. As they drank, Tim says, “I remember them just making a funny little face, like pain, but like a good pain. I remember thinking to myself, ‘that looks like fun, I want to do that’.”
Tim was self-aware enough to realize that as a young child, he’d never get permission to try that strange and enticing drink. But about half and an hour later, once they were gone, he sneaked downstairs and gave himself permission. “I took a shot, and I made that funny face when you taste alcohol. It burns, it’s maybe not tasting so good, but there was a warmth that I felt to it,” he remembers. “I remember liking the kind of loopy feeling that I felt afterwards, the warm, kind of out-of-body feeling that I experienced.”
Although he did not start pilfering alcohol from his parent’s personal bar until the age of twelve or thirteen, the Rolling Stones incident is his earliest memory of a budding enchantment with alcohol, and a foreshadowing of the alcoholic he would later become.
Tim F. has fond memories of his early years, describing a “happy and connected” childhood. Growing up in Beverly Hills, he had “a traditional suburban upbringing”: little league matches and soccer games, “just growing up.” Except for one thing; he did his homework with a bottle of
..click here to continue reading.
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(Very Virtual) Talent Show
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Join us Saturday, July 18th at 7pm for our Live(ish) Event! (on Zoom)
Suggested donation $18
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Beit T’Shuvah Custom Masks are Here!
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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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This group is for families of our current and new residents. Please
RSVP
to our Family Program Manager,
Elena Bahar.
Upcoming:
Wednesday, July 8, 7-8 pm
Wednesday, July 29, 7-8 pm
Wednesday, August 12, 7-8 pm
Wednesday, August 26, 7-8 pm
Join us on our bi-weekly Zoom Family Education Series on every second and last Wednesday of the month. In these meetings, you get to meet our
Founder, Harriet Rossetto
, learn about our philosophy of addiction, family dynamics, codependency and how you can best support your loved one in treatment.
Meeting ID
: 852 3052 3448
Password
: 678276
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Friday night services held via zoom at 6:30pm PT. Click the link below to join.
Dial-in by Phone:
669 900 9128
Meeting ID: 237 072 458
Password: 211687
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Saturday Morning Services
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Saturday morning Prayer and Meditation at 10:30am PT. Click the link below to join. Password required.
Meeting ID: 353 786 763
Password: 220882
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Come learn on Saturday mornings at 9:30am PT with Rabbi Micha'el Akiba.
Meeting ID: 353 786 763
Password: 220882
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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 for pick-up!
$12/challah, 100% of proceeds benefit BTS.
Meeting place for drop off.
Available flavors: Plain, Chocolate Chip, or Raisin.
Contact
Jackie
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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Daily Spiritual Dose. Check @BeitTShuvah instastories and facebook page daily.
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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.
Dial-in by Phone 1 669 900 9128.
Meeting ID: 457 604 965.
Password:
749655
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#NotMyCorona. Recovery-Minded Spiritual
Learning with Beit T’Shuvah and the T’Shuvah Center. Wednesdays. 1pm PT/4pm ET.
Dial-in by Phone: 669 900 6833.
Meeting ID: 286 111 196.
Password: recovery
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BTS community AA meeting: Thursdays at 7pm.
Dial-in by Phone: 669.900.9128
Meeting ID: 452 685 1337
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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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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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