October 2 2020 l 14 Tishrei 5781
CONGREGATION BEIT T'SHUVAH WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
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Dear Congregants,
Thank you to all of you for being a part of our High Holiday services at Beit T’Shuvah. The music, the sharing of personal stories, the prayers, and you added all together to create an amazing experience.
However, we’ve only completed the beginning part of the High Holidays! Next comes the holiday of Sukkot which again coincides with this Shabbat. The sukkah is already up and decorated at Beit T’Shuvah with virtual programming next Tuesday night.
So, join us for Shabbat and let’s celebrate this time of our joy together!
Chag same’ach!!
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Micha'el
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THIS WEEK'S TORAH PORTION
By: Rabbi Kerry Chaplin
I have this image of my grandma: she’s still in her 70s, as I knew her, but she’s back in Brooklyn, the motherland. She’s sitting around a table with other people in their 60s and 70s, almost all - if not all – Jewish; almost all - if not all - poor. They’ve just pooled resources for a good meal. And they’re telling jokes about the state of the world.
Or maybe it’s my grandma’s parents sitting around the table with their friends, I don’t know.
The image brings me comfort in 2020. These are people who knew uncertainty - financial, political, occupational. They were fearful. And yet here they are: stories, laughing, togetherness. This image is an image of joy.
And not only the ancestors we can remember, but our spiritual ancestors knew this. When they came out of Egypt into the intense heat of the desert, the torah tells us they dwelled in sukkot (Vayikra 23:43). In these sukkot, they gathered not because any master told them to, but for their own refuge from the heat.
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Vicki C. for 4 years of sobriety.
Lauryn B. in absentia for 7 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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This is the first time I have made it 4 years! It is through the love and support of my own Rabbi, Miriam Hamrell, and the Beit T'Shuvah community, in particular, Andy Besser, Rabbi Michael, Michael Kaminer and the cast of "Freedom Song." I have been so blessed to be a part of Beit T'Shuvah's play about spreading the word about addiction. I am living step 12! Toda Raba everyone. ~ Vicki C
In gratefulness for everyone who helped to make High Holidays successful. Love, Rabbi Micha'el
Lauryn ~ In honor of celebration of your 7th sober birthday. Even though we are socially distanced during this challenging year we can still celebrate and take pride in your journey. Love, your family
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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.
Elizabeth Krown Spellman in celebration of Alexander Krown Spellman's wedding
Dorit Cooper in honor of Allan and Jana Lubert
Marc Engel in honor of Paul Bergman
Susan & Joel Levine in honor of Rabbi Mark Borovitz and Harriet Rossetto
Lori Weiss in honor of Rob, Kyle, and Ryan Pullan
Henri Abergel in honor of Sarah Abergel
Mariela & Leonard Bauer in memory of Nate and Mary Bauer
Mariela & Leonard Bauer in memory of Ampero and Humberto Santamaria
Wyllie & Neal Maslan in memory of Bernie and Anne Maslan
Sandra & Lee Porterfield in memory of Melissa Barash
Glen Sanders in memory of Michael Sean Sanders
Yaakov Adams in memory of my brother, Eliezer Adams
Nancy & Jerry Lahman in memory of Noah Lahman
Anna Tractenberg in memory of Sam Spitz
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
Anton A.
By: Nathan R.
Anton A., an extended-care resident at Beit T’Shuvah, was born in Ukraine, where he spent his first thirteen years. Although there was a history of heavy drinking in his family, he doesn’t remember hearing of any drug addiction. He and his family moved to Los Angeles when he was 13. He remembers that, on the flight, he “felt like I was going to a different world.” His only experience with America was from movies and television. “I thought I was going to live on the 100th floor in a tall building.”
Although Anton had smoked weed and gotten drunk in Ukraine, Anton’s usage didn’t become problematic until he was in America. He smoked weed in high school and had behavioral issues, but avoided harder drugs. “I’d get into fights a lot, and in two years I went to six different high schools.”
At 16, Anton decided to get his GED, then went to ultrasound school and graduated after two years. He got hired for a job in Sacramento, but shortly after he got married, he and his wife moved back to Los Angeles. He was counting on a promised job transfer, but that didn’t pan out, and he was unemployed for several months. He returned to school to get certified in heart imaging and was soon...click here to continue reading.
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Sukkot: Hope in Uncertainty |
Join Harriet and Doug in the virtual Sukkah on Tuesday, October 6th at 7pm to find hope in uncertainty. Through an interactive discussion, Harriet and Doug will guide us in an exploration of the unique opportunity of living in uncertain times, and help us build not only a sukkat shalom, a shelter of peace, but a sukkat tikvah, a shelter of hope.
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Join us on Saturday, October 10th at 8pm for Virtual Simchat Torah!
More Info Coming Soon!
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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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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!
Pick up at BTS. Must prepay.
Available flavors: Plain, Chocolate Chip, Salted Caramel or Raisin. Contact Amy Abrams 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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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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