May 20, 2020
26 Iyyar 5780
This Week with TBE
Friday, May 22
6:00 p.m. Kabbalat Shabbat Service via Zoom  ( Zoom Link )

Saturday, May 23
10:00 a.m. Shabbat Morning Blessings and Torah Study via Zoom (Zoom Link)
Parashat B'midbar; Numbers 1:1-4:20

Sunday, May 24
9:00 a.m. Religious School via Zoom 
11:00 a.m. Important Town Hall Meeting via Zoom (more)

Monday, May 25
Memorial Day
Temple Office Closed

Wednesday, May 28
7:30 p.m. Q & A Session with Temple Leadership via Zoom 

Thursday, May 28
Erev Shavuot 
5:00 p.m. Erev Shavuot with the Bible Players (More info coming soon!)
7:00 p.m. Standing Apart at Mt. Sinai: Essential Torah for a Time of Pandemic (more)
Erev Shavuot Learning and T'fillah via Zoom (Zoom Link)

Friday, May 30
Shavuot 
Temple Office Closed 
10:00 Shavuot Services with Yizkor via Zoom ( Zoom Link)
6:00 p.m. Kabbalat Shabbat Service via Zoom (Zoom Link)

Upcoming Events
Ongoing: Light from the Yellow Star Art Exhibit (more)
May 28: Bible Players Return for "Shavuot Night Live" (More info coming soon!)
May 28: Tikkun Leil Shavuot Study Session & Service with Temple Sholom (more)
May 29, 10:00 a.m.: Shavuot Services and Yizkor
June 14: Blood Drive: Schedule to donate (More)
June 14: Food Drive for the Somerset County Foodbank
June 16: TBE Reads "Beyond the Ghetto Gates"

Community Events
May 20-30: JCC's Annual (Virtual) Race Fundraiser ( more )
June 3: JFS Annual Meeting via Zoom (RSVP)
Shabbat Online -- May 22 and 23
Shabbat Table
Kabbalat Shabbat Worship
Friday, 6:00 p.m.   Yahrzeits will be read. 
Connect via Zoom or Livestream 
(More info about connecting  here)
Prayers will also be shown on screen.

Shabbat Morning Torah Study with Rabbi Gluck
Parashat B'midbar , Numbers 1:1 - 4:20
Saturday at 10:00 for Morning Blessings
Torah Study at 10:15
Connect via Zoom

Religious School ShalomTBE

Torah, Learning
Our last session of this school year is this coming Sunday, May 24 (postponed from May 17, due to the worldwide Zoom outage). Watch your email for li nks to classes and programs. We look forward to a wonderful concluding day!

Avodah, Worship
Please join us for Friday evening Kabbalat Shabbat and/or Saturday morning Blessings & Torah Study (see links above). Even though we'd rather be in person, it's very good to get together online.

G'milut Chasadim, Acts of Kindness
If you are able to donate, please consider making a contribution to MAZON, the Community Food Bank of New Jersey, the Somerset County Food Bank, Elijah's Promise, or any other food bank, soup kitchen, or organization that works to alleviate food insecurity and hunger. The need is enormous right now.
Three Opportunities to Celebrate Shavuot with TBE 

The Bible Players -- Shavuot Night Live
Thursday, May 28 at 5:00 p.m.

The Bible Players , a Jewish improv comedy duo, return to TBE with a virtual exploration of Shavuot. This event will be great for families and kids of all ages. Stay tuned for links to this virtual event which is bound to create joy for the holiday.



Erev Shavuot Learning and T'fillah 
Thursday, May 28 at 7:00 p.m.

Standing Apart At Mt. Sinai:
Essential Torah for a Time of Pandemic
Featuring Rabbis Randi Musnitsky, Arnie Gluck, Cecelia Beyer, Ron Isaacs, and Dan Selsberg

Join via Zoom
Password: Torah
Or via phone: Or call 646 558 8656; Meeting ID: 487 845 4864; Password: 770133


Shavuot Services with Yizkor
Friday, May 29 at 10:00 a.m.

Yizkor services can be especially meaningful if you have recently lost a loved one. 

Join Via Zoom;  Password: Yizkor
Or by phone: 929-436-2866; Meeting ID: 859 0647 8820; Password: 462532

Blood Drive blood
Sunday, June 14, 8:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.

In response to the desperate need for blood during this public health crisis, TBE is holding another blood drive on June 14. This is long enough after our successful March blood drive that TBE donors can donate again. 

Register online at www.redcrossblood.org
Search for our drive (Temple Beth-El) by date or ZIP code (08844), and scroll down until you find it. If you need help registering, contact  Jodi Siegal with your full name, preferred time to donate, telephone number/email, and blood type (if known.)

The Red Cross will be using enhanced safety precautions: 
1.  All donors must be registered in advance. No walk-in donors.
2. Temperature will be taken at the door. 
3. Masks are required. Please provide your own. 
4. Food offerings in the canteen limited to prepackaged snacks and drinks

Contact Jodi with questions or offers to volunteer in the canteen.
The Light from the Yellow Star Workshop Art Exhibition  Exhibit

Earlier this year, TBE 8th and 9th graders participated in a workshop creating artwork after reading  "Light from the Yellow Star: A Letter of Love from the Holocaust," by Robert Fisch, a Holocaust survivor. The resulting creations were powerful and very moving. They have been assembled into an online art exhibit.
Helping Hands -- Got Masks? Need Masks? 

Helping Hands is sourcing masks for our at-risk population on a first-come, first-served basis. Email HelpingHands@TempleBethElNJ.org with your request. Thanks  to the volunteers at the Mask Squad who are turning out masks at an unprecedented pace, to the several congregants who are busy sewing masks. Can you join the mask-making crew? Or do you have fabric/elastic to donate? R each out to Helping Hands. 

No sewing skills? M ake your own no-sew mask with a bandana or other piece of fabric, and a couple of elastic bands. Here are easy-to-follow instructions. 
 
Civic Engagement Campaign -- Consider Voting by Mail

The Religious Action Center is launching a nonpartisan Civic Engagement effort to ensure that all voices are heard in the upcoming elections. We're encouraging everyone to vote and reminding folks that you can vote by mail; this is a safe and easy way to make sure that your vote is counted.

Visit  https://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/vote-by-mail.shtml and click on your county for a downloadable application. If you need any help requesting or printing a vote-by-mail ballot application, contact our Social Action committee ( ChairSocialAction@templebethelnj.org). Someone from the committee will reach out to help.  

Temple Beth-El is a proud participant in the  Amazon Associates program. 
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How to Reach Us

Our Lay Leaders
Leigh Miller ( President)
Gary Cohen (First Vice President)
Andrea Bradley (Second Vice President)
Elyse Robbins (Treasurer)
Jeff Resnick (Assistant Treasurer)
Lynn Small (Secretary)
Julie Hirsch (Connections Counselor)
Roxanne Levinston (Justice Counselor)
Ryan Maizel (Sustenance Counselor)
Melissa Pyle (Learning Counselor)
Jodi Siegal (Spirituality Counselor)

Temple Beth-El Office: 908-722-0674 
Most staff is working remotely. Voicemail will be checked daily.

Professional Staff
Rabbi Arnold Gluck: x311 /  RabbiGluck@TempleBethElNJ.org
Cantor Emily Simkin: x315 / EmilySimkin@TempleBethElNJ.org
Amy E. Rubin (Executive Director); x310 /   AmyRubin@TempleBethElNJ.org  
Sarah Gluck (Education Director): x313 / SarahGluck@TempleBethElNJ.org  
Lisa Friedman (Education Director): x327 / LisaFriedman@TempleBethElNJ.org
Hannah Lafargue (Director of Youth Engagement) x324 /  HannahLafargue@TempleBethElNJ.org

Administrative Staff
Dina Fisher (Administrative Assistant): x312 /   DinaFisher@TempleBethElNJ.org
Ivy Anglin (Religious School Secretary): x316 / IvyAnglin@TempleBethElNJ.org 


Temple Beth-El 

67 US Highway 206, Hillsborough, NJ
Phone: 908-722-0674  |  Email: info@TempleBethElNJ.org
www.ourbethel.org