October 30 2020 l 13 Cheshvan 5781
CONGREGATION BEIT T'SHUVAH WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
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Dear Congregants,
As this week’s Torah portion speaks to us about uncertainty, trust and journeying forward into the unknown future, we have to turn our attention to our country and Election Day which is next week.
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a champion of voters rights and it is clear that, no matter her decisions, she was always putting forward a strong vision of voting rights that were protected by the Constitution. She wrote in a dis-sent of hers: “Either they will have to brave the polls, endangering their own and others ’safety. Or they will lose their right to vote….” The right to vote was of utmost importance to her, for the constitutional rights of our citizens, and for the health of the Nation.
Abolitionist Frederick Douglass is credited with saying: “Praying for freedom never did me any good ’til I started praying with my feet.”
The message is simple: Don’t talk about it anymore. I’m even willing to say: Don’t pray about it anymore. We don’t know in which direction our nation is going to go, but we do have the power to make our voice heard and to move this country so that it changes for the better. However, it won’t change unless you vote.
So, get up. Pray with your feet….and, if you haven’t done so already:
GO VOTE ON TUESDAY!
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Micha'el Akiba
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THIS WEEK'S TORAH PORTION
By: Rabbi Miriam Green-Potok
This week’s parashah has one of the most compelling and memorable lines in all of Torah:
The LORD said to Abram, “Go forth from your land, from your birthplace, and from your father’s house to the land that I will show you” (Genesis 12:1).
This instruction from God to Abram comes with virtually no context, as does Abram’s response. “Abram went forth as the LORD had commanded him” (12:4). At this point, we don’t have many details about Abram’s life or his personality; we have very little information that could explain why he made such a decision.
This lack of information is an invitation to imagination, to our interpreting the Torah through the lens of our own life and our own experience. Some of us, like Abram, have physically moved away from our land, our birthplace, and our family to live in a different land, to make a new home. We have taken the risk of leaving everything behind because we know that we must make a change, that we must do something different. We can relate through our own memories of fear and excitement to imagine what Abram must have felt like as he was packing his bags, making ready for the journey.
For us in the Beit T’Shuvah community, we can relate to this moment of Abram’s life through the lens of our recovery. When we come out of our addiction and move towards a community of recovery, we are...click here to read more.
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Ryan C. for one year of sobriety.
Leslie B. in absentia for 2 years of sobriety.
Michael K. for 5 years of sobriety.
Dano G. for 9 years of sobriety.
David P. for 9 years of sobriety.
Laura B. for 17 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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For Michael Kamenir in honor of your 5 year sober birthday....We are all so proud of you. Keep going, one day at a time.
We love you,
your loving family.
With Love and Gratitude to my Daughters, my Mother, my Sisters and Brother, my Family of Choice and of course to Harriet, Rabbi and Beit T’Shuvah. You never gave up!!
-Michael K.
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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.
Adi Schacker in honor of Aesa Masliyah's Bar Mitzvah
Tena Frank in honor of Fran Lewbell
Jill Berlin in honor of Nathan Roth
Anne & David Ruderman in honor of Sandy Chase
Sharon Wiviott in honor of Wyllie and Neal Maslan
Aaron Blanchett in memory of Geoff Tamayo
Nina & Howard Levy in memory of Geoff Tamayo
Margo Roth in memory of Geoff Tamayo
Catriona Breider in memory of Geoff Tamayo
Elyse Matson in memory of Geoff Tamayo
Emily Hoolihan in memory of Geoff Tamayo
Laura Loye in memory of Geoff Tamayo
Maria Keckler in memory of Geoff Tamayo
The Pierce Family in memory of Geoff Tamayo
The Stahmers in memory of Geoff Tamayo
Phyllis & Edward Belzer in memory of Katie Eisen
Cara Mehrer in memory of Katie Eisen
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
Kevin J.
Written By: Nathan R.
Beit T’Shuvah counselor Kevin Jackson vividly remembers his first day as a resident, freshly paroled after serving 21 years of a life sentence. It was a Friday and at that evening’s Shabbat services, he was welcomed into the community. “Everybody was telling me, ‘Welcome home,’ and I didn't take it in the sense of welcome home from prison. It was, ‘Welcome home to this family.’ I think that was just a big part of what really made me feel like I was a part of this community before I even really met anyone.”
The community Kevin found at Beit T’Shuvah was a far cry from the community of his youth. After the deaths of his parents, he and his siblings were taken care of by his grandmother, who was already taking care of his ailing grandfather. “I was out in the streets most of the time because my grandmother worked as a housekeeper, so she worked long, hard days, and then she had to come home and pretty much take care of her husband.” Kevin’s older brother introduced him to the gang lifestyle, and he started identifying as a gang member by the time he was 13 or 14. “My brother was already fully immersed in the lifestyle and his influence on me was big at that time. I had to live up to his reputation, being his little brother.”
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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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Calling all alumni: Join us for our annual picnic, which will be held virtually via Zoom, on Sunday November 8th at 1pm. While there will be no barbeque and no softball game this year, we will still hold our annual gratitude meeting, enjoy some BTS style games, and have a chance to catch up with old friends and meet new friends!
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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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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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