April 30 2021 l 18 Iyaar 5781
CONGREGATION BEIT T'SHUVAH WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
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Dear Congregants,
As this Shabbat begins, Lag ba’Omer (לַ״ג בָּעוֹמֶר), the 33rd day in the Counting of the Omer, will be coming to an end. It is on this day that we remember that a severe “plague” came to an end for Rabbi Akiva and his students. Why was there a plague? The Talmud in Yevamot 62b teaches us that the 24,000 students of Rabbi Akiva died in one period of time because “…they did not treat each other with respect (כבוד).”
Such is the continuing narrative in our Torah portion which gives us more ways to “be holy”, that is, to be set apart from the way the rest of the world behaves.
We know that addiction makes it hard to maintain trust, respect and open communication – critical elements in making healthy relationships. We also know that the way we learn to have respect for others is, first, to have respect for ourselves.
I look forward to being with all of you on ZOOM once again.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Micha'el Akiba
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THIS WEEK'S TORAH PORTION
By: Chaplain Adam Siegel
Our Torah portions over the past several weeks have explicitly focused on holiness. We started with G!D’s command/promise: “You will be Holy!” (Lev. 19:2), which was followed by instructions on how to actually live “Holy” (among others: “do not put a stumbling block in front of the blind” and “love your neighbor as yourself”). The Torah also goes into great detail about how the Levites - the priests who were the community’s primary stewards of holiness - were mandated to act on behalf of themselves and the community. After studying with Rabbi Mark, I was reminded that the Hebrew word for holy means “to elevate,” “to separate,” and “to connect.” We’re given these instructions in order to guide us into making healthy/elevated decisions that honor ourselves, those around us, and G!D. Often times, making choices that reflect holiness requires a healthy sense of boundaries, and I believe one of the reasons the Torah goes into such great detail here is to send us the message: distinctions matter, and boundaries should be respected.
And the Torah spends several chapters specifying a range of different distinctions, but then switches gears and...click here to read more.
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Ben M. for 2 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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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.
Nardit & Ziggy Gilboa in honor of Annette Shapiro
Elliot Deal in honor of The 12 noon daily meditation group, and the saturday morning intro to spirituality/prayer meeting
Ann Keren-Zvi & Randy Cohlan in memory of Alice Cohlan
Marjorie Marantz in memory of Janet Kuris Doherty
Debra Cheney in memory of Muriel Cheney
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
Cantor Nate
By: Jesse Solomon
There is perhaps nothing more spiritual than music. That’s why, since the dawn of man, it has been used as a method of prayer. When the sun sets on the workweek, there is only one man Beit T'Shuvah trusts to sing to our souls. That man is Cantor Nathan Roth. But who is Cantor Nate? To understand where the power in Nate’s soulful voice comes from, we must first understand the winding road he took to get to the bima.
By all accounts, Nate had a good childhood. He was raised by a loving family in a beautiful middle-class suburb in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. For reasons that still escape him today, Nate felt like he was the outlier in his family. While they loved him deeply, his interest in music and goofing off set him apart from his three brothers and their academic excellence. It wasn’t until he started participating in his high school’s elaborate musicals that he realized his true calling.
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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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Our Spring Adult Education series continues Tuesday at 7pm with Chaplain Adam teaching Life Cycles: The Time of Our Lives.
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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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Connections: Lost & Found |
Please join us on May 13th and 14th for Connections: Lost and Found- an interactive conference hosted by the Elaine Breslow Institute at Beit T’Shuvah featuring key note sessions from Johann Hari, Harriet Rossetto, Dr. Timothy Fong, and more. Through Johann Hari’s two New York Times best-selling books and his viral Ted Talk, has taught the world that “the opposite of addiction is not sobriety, the opposite of addiction is connection.” We need connection. All of us.
As we aim to shift from role-based connections to soul-based connections, we are thrilled to host this event and explore the healing power of connection and the integration of science and the spirit. To register or for more information, please click here.
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Join our Beit T'Shuvah community on Sunday May 16th for our Shavuot all-nighter. We start with learning and stories at 8pm, and end with a dawn ritual at 5:30am. Throughout the night, as we listen and learn and share, we'll prepare ourselves and one another to receive the torah that helps us live in freedom and recovery.
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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!
There are 3 unique ways to participate this year:
5k, 10k, or Half Marathon.
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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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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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Tuesday 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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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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