SULAM Beth El - Seek
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SULAM Beth El - Seek. Understand. Learn. Act. Marvel. Our Back to Beth El Carnival had to be meeting one day mid-week cancelled for weather, but we hope in lieu of Sunday. SULAM registration is you'll join us for our next big event open and ongoing. We are eager to return to celebrating the holiday of Sukkot: Our The first session is in-person classes. We are Sunday, October 3. Lulav Shake and Breakfast on most excited to be able to September 26 (see bottom right). sing and pray, create, and experience together! We As I write this, we are six weeks from have planned a year of interactive experiences and the start of SULAM, and the pandemic is ever- lessons in Jewish living, literacy, history, holidays, changing. We are planning an in-person start to social responsibility – and celebrating our return to Sunday SULAM, but please know that the health and onsite learning here at Beth El. safety of our learners and educators are of the utmost We enthusiastically welcome our returning learners importance. Beth El Temple continues to monitor and the families new to SULAM. We also welcome federal, state, and local guidance and consult with our Rabbi Zerin to our learning community. Rabbi Zerin medical advisors. We can and will adjust our plans, will regularly participate with SULAM learners and adapting to implement an online format, as necessary. their families. I know you will find her passion for Weekday Hebrew lessons (for learners in grades 3-6, people infectious. Our learning community continues with an option for grade 2) are already set to be to be enriched by the varied perspectives, experiences, delivered online, with opportunities for families to talents, and skills each of us brings. We look forward, select from day and time offerings that best meet their with eager anticipation, to learning and sharing with families’ schedules. All learners (with the exclusion of one another after such along hiatus, and being our Bogrim – 7th grade learners) attend on Sunday together at Beth El. mornings. Bogrim initiates a reimagined program, B’vracha, Michelle Engaging Generations - Family Programs Shanah tovah to our families with we hope that you will join us and a Havdalah program, or a holiday young children! make these special Shabbat celebration. Our first program will It is a delight to kick off the New gatherings a regular part of your be a Sukkah Stroll (see right) – an Year with all of opportunity to see old friends, you! Over the make new ones, and enjoy some summer, I have food and fresh air, all while enjoyed meeting celebrating Sukkot. Throughout many of you at the rest of the year, we have some Shabbat in the beloved classics such as Shababa Park, Mazel Tots, planned, as well as some exciting and Shabbat Club; new events (s'mores and Havdalah, and for those of you who were at movie after Shabbat, crafts for camp, on vacation, or wherever week. For those who want to come Pesach, and more). early or need a space to be more else your summer plans took you, I We hope these services and active, we have also re-opened am looking forward to meeting programs will help make Beth El a the playroom on Shabbat you soon! place you and your family can mornings. We hope this will be connect, celebrate, learn, and Jason Kay and I have a very a space to build community grow. Most importantly, we hope exciting year planned for our and have fun. Beth El families with babies, you will join us! In addition to our regular toddlers, and school age children. With blessings for health, joy, and Shabbat morning activities, we We are thrilled to offer Mazel Tots lots of fun with your Beth El family have also planned one other and Shabbat Club in the coming year, every week starting special program a month, ~ Rabbi Zerin September 25, and whether it be on a Friday night, 2 Beth El Temple West Hartford, CT www.bethelwesthartford.org 860.233.9696 Enjoying Beth El 10th Annual Sukkahfest: Distinguished Tequila & Tacos in the Sukkah Service Award: Honoring Barbara Thursday, September 23 and David Klau 6:00 - 8:30 PM Sunday, October 17 Eat, drink, and be merry! Enjoy 5:30 - 8:30 PM beef and vegetarian tacos, with non-dairy cheese, while a local expert Honorees: Barbara and discusses the various kosher tequila we’ll taste. David Klau, for their many years of devoted service to Beth El Temple, It’s a mitzvah to eat in the Sukkah! the Men’s Club, and the community. COST: $25 DETAILS: by 9/17, tinyurl/Sukkahfest2021 Keynote Speaker: CONTACT: Jacob Kovel, 860.651.9366, Pat Speer, Greater [email protected] Hartford Interfaith SPONSOR: Men’s Club Action Alliance MC: Naomi Cohen Book Discussion & Dinner in the Sukkah: COST: $54/person; $75/patrons; $100/sponsors Eva and Eve: A Search for My Mother's Lost $1,800 Platinum includes table of 12, full page ad Childhood and What a War Left RSVP: by 10/1, using reply card in the invitation, or tinyurl/DSAKlau Behind, with Author Julie Metz CONTACT: Jacob Kovel, 860.651.9366, [email protected] Sunday, September 26 DETAILS: invitation and ad/tribute information has 5:00 - 8:00 PM been mailed to all Beth El members SPONSOR: Men’s Club After a social hour with wine and appetizers, the author will share this unforgettable memoir of her late mother's harrowing childhood in Nazi-occupied Austria and the parallels Dessert and a Movie she sees in present-day America. Thursday, October 21 For more details about the book, see the Book Review 2:00 pm on page 11. Watch for the blue card in the mail for details REFRESHMENTS: catered dinner about the movie and registration information. COST: $36/50 (member/non-member) REGISTER: by 9/19, tinyurl/MetzintheSukkah NOTE: socially distanced seating CONTACT: Michelle Kunzman, 860-729-4201, SPONSOR: Chai Society [email protected] CO-SPONSORS: Women’s Network and Voices of Hope Sukkah Stroll Lulav Shake and Breakfast SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 25 SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 26 4:00 – 6:00 PM 9:00 – 11:00 AM REGISTER: by 9/22, tinyurl/StrollwithBET REGISTER: by 9/22, tinyurl/BETLulavShake AGES: families with children ages 0-12 COST: no charge NOTE: will be cancelled in case of rain AGES: families with children in grades 7 and younger Join us as we stroll from Sukkah to Sukkah for a Come shake the lulav in our Sukkah. Enjoy a light progressive Se’udah Shlishit – third meal of Shabbat. breakfast, Sukkot crafts, and songs. Greet clergy and All kosher and within walking distance. educators. Entertainment by The Amazing Andy. Temple Topics Vol. LVII, No. 1 September-October 2021 Elul 5781 - Tishrei-Cheshvan 5782 3 From the Rabbi’s Desk Shanah Tovah! It gives me such pleasure to extend the coming year. I pray that we will see good changes this greeting to you, for three reasons. in the pandemic, and that those changes will allow First, in the traditional sense: I want for new and renewed ways of interacting and to wish each and every one of you a building community. As I become more integrated shanah tovah, a good New Year. I into the community, I look forward to shifting from pray this will be a year of joy, health, being the newcomer to being a familiar face. As we and blessing for us all, and look eventually emerge from the pandemic, I hope that the forward to celebrating many good things with you in crisis of the past year and a half will give way to a the year to come. clarity of priorities and purpose, and I look forward While shanah tovah is most often understood as to a year of personal and communal transformation “have a good New Year,” that isn’t the only possible in light of that clarity. In all these ways and more, I shanah tovah – a year of good meaning of the phrase. The word shanah can mean look forward to a changes. “year,” but it can also mean “change.” And so, as I wish you a shanah tovah, I also want to wish you good Finally, shanah tovah can also mean to change for the changes as we begin the year 5782. good. The High Holiday season is meant to be a time This year is certainly beginning with good changes of introspection and personal growth, and so I wish for me and mine. Even in the few short months since for all of us that these holidays – wherever we may my arrival, you have been so warm and welcoming. I be, however we may connect – will inspire us to knew Beth El Temple was a special place when I change for the better. interviewed here. Over the past few months, you have And so, shanah tovah, shanah tovah, and shanah gone above and beyond my expectations, proving to tovah: may we all change for the better, may we have be a wonderful new home for me and my family, and a year of good changes, and may we have a good New we are delighted to call West Hartford and Beth El Year. Temple our new home. ~ Rachel Zerin As I reflect on the good changes that have occurred in my life, I also hope for good changes for all of us in Coronavirus Beth El and Torah Values As you are aware, our building is open In Leviticus 19:14, the Torah states: for all services (except Havdalah) and "You shall not curse the deaf nor place a the office is staffed during daily office stumbling block before the blind..." This hours.