October 9 2020 l 21 Tishrei 5781
CONGREGATION BEIT T'SHUVAH WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
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Dear Congregants,
With the final days of Sukkot, the High Holiday season is finally coming to an end. We bring it to a close with three special days: Hoshanah Rabbah, Sh’mini Atzeret, and Simchat Torah.
Because this Shabbat is Sh’mini Atzeret, we will remember our loved ones who have passed away with a Yizkor service during out Saturday morning Shabbat service. Saturday Shabbat service begins at 10:30 am.
Endings also mean beginnings. Saturday night at 8PM we celebrate via ZOOM the completion of our reading of the Torah and begin again at the beginning for a new year of learning. This is Simchat Torah, the “joy of the Torah”.
Gut Yontiff!!
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Micha'el
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THIS WEEK'S TORAH PORTION
By: Rabbi Joseph Shamash
We are at a very interesting time in the Jewish calendar (I recognize I say that quite frequently, but alas, the wisdom of the rabbis and their intentionality behind our communal festivals), as we enter the final two days of Sukkot tonight (Hoshana Rabbah/Shemini Atzeret), with Simchat Torah on Saturday night.
Have you forgotten the past two weeks? Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. We just had our High Holidays; why are we continuing another seven days with the festival of Sukkot, followed by Simchat Torah on the eighth day? Can’t we just relax and take a long needed break after the grueling work of Cheshbon Hanefesh (accounting of the soul) and Teshuvah that we’ve been engaged with for the last forty days!
Why does God seem to be so sure, demanding even, that we need another holiday?!?!
Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch points out:
Rosh HaShanah, which is a day of supplication and broken-heartedness, is fixed for only one day. Similarly, Yom Kippur, which is a day of fasting, forgiveness and atonement, is only one day long. However, Sukkot, which is the time of our rejoicing [z'man simchateinu], the Torah says to celebrate for seven days. Because the desire of The Creator is that Israel persists with joy, as it is...click here to read more.
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Jillian C. for one year of sobriety.
Jonathan K. for one year of sobriety.
Bradley E. in absentia for 4 years of sobriety.
Deborah K. for 14 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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Dear Jillian, We are so incredibly happy that you have been successful on your journey. We are always proud of you and the woman you have become. We love you, Mom & Dad
Jonathan, your journey through recovery is remarkable. Your willingness to persevere, learn and remain humble will keep you moving forward. We are so proud of and incredibly grateful to share this celebration with you. We love you, Sharon, Kyla, Haley, Aaron and Ken
Bradley, We are incredibly proud and grateful to celebrate this birthday with you. Mazel Tov Lexy and Bradley on your engagement. We are thrilled to have Lexy join our family. We love you both! ~ The Elkins
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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*
*30% off this week with coupon code*
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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.
Nicholas Losorelli in memory of my cousin Austin Losorelli
Linda and Ted Labov in memory of Jody Labov
Cathy Gordon in honor of Jordan Halem, with so much gratitude for speaking to our students!
Nancy Grant and the entire Development team in honor of Jillian Coventry's sober birthday
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
Mason I.
By: Nathan R.
Mason I., a resident since January 2020, recalls a recent, uniquely Beit T’Shuvah experience during a Sukkot group led by Rabbi Kerry Chaplin. Group participants chose a random Hebrew word and his was asher, or, in this context, “that”. “So, at first, I laughed about that. It’s just such a common, meaningless word.” But Rabbi Kerry said it’s actually pretty important. He remembers, “what that means in this context is that you’re forming bridges, within yourself and to other people and connecting all of these parts of yourself that have always existed, but that you’ve never really known about or nurtured.”
Mason describes his childhood as a “mixture of loving and chaotic; traumatic in a lot of ways.” His mother was very supportive and caring, and his father was an alcoholic, which would often bring out the worst in him. He had heard his father described as an alcoholic, first realizing that his drinking was problematic when he was about 16 years old.
Mason’s first memory of getting drunk was from a dessert his father made when he was very young: cherries jubilee with the brandy not cooked off. He remembers that “it tasted terrible, but I liked the way it made me feel.” His first time intentionally getting drunk was around age twelve, on a ski trip with two friends, his father, and a bunch of my dad’s friends. “They were all having a great time, and one of my friends and I started drinking Jägermeister with all of them—a lot of it...click here to continue reading.
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Join us on Saturday, October 10th at 8pm for Virtual Simchat Torah!
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Join the BTS clergy Tuesdays at 7pm beginning October 27 as we indulge the senses and the mind.
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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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NO CHALLAH FOR NEXT FEW WEEKS |
Please check back here for updates on when Challah will be back for purchase! |
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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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