May 28 2021 l 17 Sivan 5781
CONGREGATION BEIT T'SHUVAH WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
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Dear Congregants,
In Judaism, we have a day when we remember the fallen. It is called:
יוֹם הזִּכָּרוֹן לְחַלְלֵי מַעֲרָכוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל
וּלְנִפְגְעֵי פְּעֻלּוֹת הָאֵיבָה
Yom HaZikaron LeHalalei Ma'arakhot Yisrael
ul'Nifge'ei Pe'ulot HaEivah
Memorial Day for the Fallen Soldiers of the Wars of Israel
and Victims of Actions of Terrorism
The official remembrance day was enacted into law in 1963 and was later extended to include civilian victims of terrorism. On the Hebrew calendar, it falls on the 4th of Iyar which occurred on April 15 this year. It is always the day before Yom haAtzma’ut, Israel’s Independence Day. At precisely 11 a.m., a siren sounds for two minutes across the country. During these two minutes, it is customary to stop whatever you are doing. Traffic on Israel’s roads and highways comes to a complete halt during this period, as drivers and passengers all get out of their vehicles and stand silently at attention.
Monday, here in America, is Memorial Day, a federal holiday on which we remember those who have fallen in the performance of their military duties in service and defense of the United States of America. As many as 25 different places claim to have originated this holiday as early as the 1860s. The holiday was originally known as “Decoration Day.” In my neighborhood, American flags have already began appearing on graves in our local cemetery.
Did you know that, similar to Israel, in the year 2000, Congress passed the National Moment of Remembrance Act, which encourages Americans to observe a moment of silence at 3 PM local time to remember those who have died in service of their country. During this 3PM moment, Amtrak conductors sound a long whistle to salute those who have died for our country.
Many of you know that my father proudly served for 30 years in the United States Marine Corps because he believed in the core values of this country. When I was a child, Memorial Day was a day we would gather on Chapman Ave in Orange for the annual Memorial Day parade to give honor to the men and women who served this country.
This Memorial Day, let us remember and not forget those who have died with the desire to keep the dream alive of America being a land of freedom for all.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Micha'el Akiba
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THIS WEEK'S TORAH PORTION
By: Rabbi Joseph Shamash
Whoever does not make him/herself ownerless, like the wilderness, is not able to acquire wisdom and Torah (Bamidbar Rabbah 1:7).
Ever since my first experience with Hitbodedut -- a Chasidic practice championed by Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, where one goes out into nature alone and pours out one's heart and soul in prayer to God and saying whatever words need to come out in our native tongues -- nature and the wilderness became a place where I can get lost and yet somehow be found. By engaging in this practice, my ego strips away and my higher self, my true self, emerges as I no longer cling to external rewards but hear the calling of my soul. I am able to hear the small whisper of my Higher Power nudging me, inviting me to take the next step along this journey to the promised land of milk and honey.
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Joey M. in absentia for 4 years of sobriety.
Judy S. for 11 years of sobriety.
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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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“BTS Thrift Store Update: While we are extremely grateful for the generous support of our community, we are temporarily not accepting donations of any kind (clothes, furniture, etc.) as we prepare for our relocation (location TBD). We will be sure to keep you updated when this changes. Thank you for your support. For more information about the thrift store, please visit: https://btsthriftstore.com/
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Shop, donate and share with your friends.
*Shipping available upon request*
*30% off this week with coupon code*
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Baked T'Shuvah's founder Jackie Elkins is licensed by the state and you can order the Baked T'Shuvah challah you know and love!
Pick up ONLY at BTS Fridays after 11AM. Must prepay. Order online here.
Available flavors: Plain, Chocolate Chip, Salted Caramel or Raisin.
Orders need to be placed by Wednesday!
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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.
Marjorie Marantz in honor of Ariya Phoenix Rogers
Leslie & Danny Cohen in honor of Lauren and Sheldon Horowitz's anniversary
Marjorie Marantz in honor of Rabbi Micha'el Akiba
Andrea Sossin-Bergman & Paul Bergman in memory of Ruth F. Sossin
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
Randall S.
There are some stark differences between living in Southern California in 2021 versus growing up in a small town near Greenville, South Carolina in the 70’s. Beit T’Shuvah resident Randall “Wolf” S.’s parents were pretty tolerant and open-minded, which at that time made them outliers. Racism and evangelicalism existed in spades.
It wasn’t an easy place to grow up. At best, Randall was expected to perform at the highest levels in his classes—and he did. At worst, his father was negligent and his mother sexually abusive. His mother suffered from severe bi-polar disorder and passed that on to Randall. After forcing him to join a religious cult for seven years, his mother was diagnosed with cancer when he was 22 and died a year later. Unfortunately, she didn’t only pass mental illness down, Randall also received a cancer diagnosis...click here to continue reading.
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Our Annual Circle of Majesty, now in its 14th year, will be held virtually once again and will take place on Thursday, June 3rd at 4pm. This will be a warm, informative, and short get-together to support the men and women of Beit T’Shuvah suffering from the devastating effects of addiction.
For more information or to renew your membership please click here.
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Jog-a-thon: The Social Distance |
Whether you have been part of our Running 4 Recovery Marathon team in prior years, or have never even thought about running a single mile, now is the perfect time to get started.
Part fundraiser, part community event – one great time!
The Social Distance is Beit T’Shuvah’s approach to ensuring everyone can run/walk as a team while staying safe during the Covid-19 Pandemic and raise money to support Beit T’Shuvah!
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The Beit T’Shuvah Magazine is now live! Produced by the brilliant minds at Creative Matters, our first-ever digital magazine features stories on the most important issues of our day, and answers questions like what it’s like to lose $125 million, how it feels to be handed a life sentence, and do you have to believe in God to get sober.
Read the magazine by clicking here and follow Creative Matters on IG @creativematters.agency
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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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Friday night services held via zoom at 6:30pm PT.
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Beit T’Shuvah Sisterhood T-shirts $30.
Multiple Colors Available!
Contact Dana Gache:
Phone: 3103516408
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Beit T’Shuvah Custom Masks |
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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Alumni Process group for residents who have left BTS during the pandemic.
Wednesdays at 12pm.
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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.
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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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We are still celebrating birthdays each week on our Shabbat Zoom.
To sign up to take a cake, please 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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Wednesday through Friday at 9am PT. Join the Facebook group:
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BTS community AA meeting: Thursdays at 7pm.
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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 shops on Amazon, 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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