April 16 2021 l 4 Iyaar 5781
CONGREGATION BEIT T'SHUVAH WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
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Dear Congregants,
It's just been a little over a week that we've been away, but it seems like forever. We have met so many wonderful people here in Turkey. The hospitality is amazing. Even more special is that we are, literally, staying in the shadow of the tomb of Jalaluddin Rumi. We are just a small handful of minutes waking distance to the tomb which is the spiritual hub of this city. We also arrived to an old-fashioned snow storm with snow still on the mountain surrounding the town of Konya as the weather begins to warm up.
However, we are also in the middle of a two-week national partial lockdown that just began in hopes of curbing the recent rise in Corona virus cases here. There is a weekday curfew that starts at 7:00PM with restaurants only able to be open for deliveries. This is on top of a recently re-instated weekend lockdown that was already in place. President Erdogan stated that more rigid measures could be imposed if progress was not made in the first two weeks of the partial lockdown.
In spite of this, the holy month of Ramazan began Monday night and people all around us are so excited because this is a very spiritual month for everyone. It's amazing to me how many people wake up at 3am for the suhur, the daily meal before the fast begins, and even though the big iftar meals, the evening meals that break the fast, are now forbidden, the television is full of spiritual programming and music especially for this month. People here are more than coping, they are still celebrating in spite of all of the challenges.
I am reminded of Israel during Yom Kippur when the whole nation comes together for prayer and you can, literally, feel the change on the streets all around the country.
May we, this Shabbat, be grateful for what we have...because it's not really that bad compared to other places in the world. May we, also, bring a spirituality to our lives that will effect a change that can be felt in everyone around us.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Micha'el Akiba
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THIS WEEK'S TORAH PORTION
By: Rabbi Kerry Chaplin
When I was 18 months old, my mom took me to a dermatologist because I had rashes everywhere. The creams and lotions only worked so well, and she wanted to relieve my discomfort. She wanted an answer, an easy solution, but the doctor said: “Maybe it’s stress?”
Whatever is going on inside our bodies shows up on our skin. Whatever we can no longer contain, hide, repress, restrain, pushes itself out into the world even when we might not want it to: stress, emotions, addiction. Suddenly, we can no longer control or manage what we thought we could. And the question is: now what?
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Katie V. for one year 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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OUR SINCEREST CONDOLENCES |
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to the family and friends of Jamie Mackta on the loss of her mother, Sylvia Mackta
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.
Chaya Rothenberg in honor of Beit T'Shuvah
Brenda & Richard Goldman in honor of Cantor Barry Reich
Caryl McCall in honor of Jamie Mackta
The Morgans in honor of Travis & Katie Anderson
Roberta Tankanow in memory of Irwin Alpern
Nancy & Jerry Lahman in memory of Noah Lahman
Judith James in memory of Paul Appelbaum
Caryl McCall in memory of Sylvia Mackta
Debra Fox in memory of Sylvia Mackta
Gloria Zuccarelli in memory of Sylvia Mackta
Jana Lubert in memory of Sylvia Mackta
Marla Lubert in memory of Sylvia Mackta
Andrea Provenzale in memory of Sylvia Mackta
Booey Blue Eyes, Annie Rosy Posie, and Hoolie in memory of Sylvia Mackta
Elizabeth & Edward Keating in memory of Zachary Wohlman
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
Life in my Car by Jeanene Barnett
More than 9,500 people live in cars, vans, or RVs throughout Los Angeles, according to the latest count. This is one of their stories.
We had lived together for ten years, and our families had known each other since I was 13. “Stunned” is a word that doesn’t quite describe what I felt when I learned that instead of paying our rent with the money I made, my boyfriend was using it to buy drugs for months on end. He hid his habit from me, and I never saw the eviction notices—he was always sure to tear them off the door right after they went up. By the time I realized what was going on, it was too late. We were evicted.
My 18-year-old son and I were homeless.
It was a long, difficult two years. We slept from pillar to post, taking refuge wherever we could. Shelters weren’t an option for us—the waitlists were endless and there was always the risk of being separated.
After crashing in my sister’s back-house, I saved up enough money for a car—a brand new Kia Soul. We rented a room in Santa Clarita from...click here to continue reading.
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Our Spring Adult Education series begins Tuesday April 6th at 7pm with Rabbi Micha'el teaching THIS IS OUR SHABBAT: Learning Jewish Liturgy.
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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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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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