February 5 2021 l 23 Sh'vat 5781
CONGREGATION BEIT T'SHUVAH WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
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Dear Congregants,
In this week’s parashah, Moses’s father-in-law, Yitro, gives Moses a plan to have a group of people around him to assist him in his work with the Children of Israel. Moses could not do it by himself. It was just too much and he needed help.
I could not ask for a better setup in order to acknowledge the many people who have shown up to help Beit T’Shuvah and its mission….because we cannot do it just by ourselves.
This week’s Gala was an amazing success! Over 1371 people participated virtually. Over $313,000 raised in the live appeal. Around $50,000 was brought in by the Silent Auction. To date, $1,659,000 has been donated through the Gala to support Beit T’Shuvah and its mission.
In our Beit T’Shuvah Handbook, we read:
“We want to welcome you in. And the first thing I want to tell you is that Beit T’Shuvah is not a rehab. It’s a community. We’re a community.”
All of you who participated in the Gala are a beautiful reminder to us all that we are, indeed, a community and I want to, personally, thank you from Congregation Beit T’Shuvah for being a part of this community and for helping us to keep the mission of Beit T’Shuvah alive and well.
And a special word of thanks to the leadership of our Board and our Board Chair, Janice Kaminer-Reznik; to our Executive Director, Sergio Rizzo-Fontanesi; to all of the committee chairs and their members, to our Development Director, Nancy Grant, to our Special Events Coordinator, Avia Rosen; and to everyone behind the scenes who helped make the Gala happen. We, at Beit T’Shuvah, are immensely grateful to you for your commitment to this community and its mission.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Micha'el Akiba
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THIS WEEK'S TORAH PORTION
By: Chaplain Adam Siegel
Amidst the manufactured reality of our socially distanced separation, this week’s parashah reminds us about the essential role that trusting relationships have in connecting us with the Holy and helping us live into our best selves.
In between the Torah’s narrative of the splitting of the sea and G!D’s giving of the Ten Commandments, there is a short passage re-introducing Yitro (Jethro), Moses’ father-in-law. Yitro is a Midianite priest (that is, an outsider), and our tradition views him as a wise and holy person.
The story starts as Yitro reunites with Moses and the Israelites and quickly becomes aware of the great struggles they were enduring in order to...click here to read more.
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Sarah L. for 3 years of sobriety.
Marrisa A. for 20 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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Marrisa, we are awed by your strength of character and your ability to always jump those hurdles that get in your way. We congratulate you on your "20th" Birthday and celebrate all the many accomplishments you've achieved along the way. Our love forever & always, Mom & Dad
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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*
*50% off this week with coupon code*
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Our Sincerest Condolences |
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To Carrie & Scotty Newman on the passing of Carrie's father, Paul Louis Appelbaum z'l
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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Tribute donations are a wonderful way of marking life cycle events for your loved ones and friends and supporting Beit T'Shuvah.
Jennifer Hechtman Rosen in honor of Elena Bahar and Harriet Rossetto for creating the virtual Zoom Family Education/Support group
Catrina Kopell in honor of Jackie Elkins
Llance Kezner in honor of Joseph Shamash
Barbara Rappoport in honor of Joseph Shamash
Randee Turtle in honor of Lynn Shapiro
Hope Magana in honor of my Frank Siegel and memory of his dearly missed sister Sandy
Jamie Rappoport in honor of Rabbi Joseph and for all he does for this community!
Rosalina Castro in honor of Tena Fishman Frank's birthday
Nancy & David Grant in honor of Tena Fishman Frank's birthday
Tobi Inlender in honor of the birth of Zoe Lillian Reznik Slater
Sharon Fomil in honor of the services provided by Cantor Barry Reich for the funeral services for Eric Fomil
Susie A. Schneider in memory of Tiky Paley
Vivian & Ray Ihori honor of Andrea Sossin-Bergman and Paul Bergman
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
Sarah H
By: Nathan R.
Sarah H, a recent resident and intern at Beit T’Shuvah, has found a productive way to integrate her yetzer hara with her yetzer tov. Instead of using needles to use methamphetamine and heroin intravenously, Sarah is now training to become a phlebotomist, channeling that destructive urge into helping people. That’s just one of the ways she sees the uniqueness of Beit T’Shuvah.
Adopted at birth and raised in Santa Monica, Sarah remembers her childhood fondly. “They gave me everything that I wanted or needed. I wasn't traumatized. There's no really horrible thing that turned me to drugs.” But by the time she was 15, she was already taking Xanax, abusing alcohol, and acting out...click here to continue reading.
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Alumni Process group for residents who have left BTS during the pandemic.
Wednesdays at 12pm.
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Beit T’Shuvah Sisterhood T-shirts $30.
Multiple Colors Available!
Contact Dana Gache:
Phone: 3103516408
E-Mail: Ohmygache@gmail.com
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Purim is coming! Join us on Thursday, February 25th at 7pm (on zoom.) A holiday of hat-shaped cookies, heroes, evildoers, masks, and unmasking, Purim is like a funhouse mirror that distorts reality to show us who we really are - much like 2020. And much like early recovery, you can’t make this ish up.
Join our Beit T'Shuvah community for a mini-schpiel, Purim games, and a mask contest - all via zoom!
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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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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 at BTS. Must prepay. Order online here.
Available flavors: Plain, Chocolate Chip, Salted Caramel or Raisin. 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.
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Monday through Saturday at 9am PT. Join the Facebook group:
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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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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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