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Where will you be for the High Holy Days?
Spend them with Congregation Beth El. See below for more information.
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From our New Executive Director:
High Holy Days with Congregation Beth El
It has been an exciting and busy first week for me as your new Executive Director. Some of you I have already had the chance to meet and with the High Holy Days rapidly approaching, I’m sure that I will have the opportunity to meet many more of you. Please feel free to come in and introduce yourself. I won’t promise to remember your name but I do look forward to meeting you and celebrating the holidays with the entire Beth El community.
I would like to take a moment to remind you of a few details regarding the holidays. We plan to mail High Holy Day tickets some time next week. If you have not yet returned your membership renewal forms or your ticket requests, please do so ASAP so we can get your tickets to you. If you need to discuss your membership renewal, please e-mail me by clicking here. If you are interested in childcare during the holidays, registration forms must be returned to the office by Friday, September 4.
Also please take a moment to review our parking procedures. Congregation Beth El is a very busy place during the High Holy Days and it is very important that we respect our neighborhood. This will help make everyone’s holidays a little smoother.
L’Shana Tovah,
Norm Frankel
Please join us for the High Holy Days this year!
Rosh Hashanah begins on the evening of Friday, September 18.
You may download your High Holy Day brochure and ticket order/request forms here:
Beth El Members Forms
Guest/Visitors Forms
Please email Lenora O'Keith in the Main Office or call 510-848-3988 for information about attending services with our community. Members are reminded to return their Annual Tzedakah/Membership Renewal and Ticket Request forms ASAP.
For those who have already returned their forms or called for reservations, your tickets will be mailed shortly.
Building a Sukkah This Year?
Make sure your Sukkah is on the 2009 Tour!
It may still be August, but we're already starting to plan Beth El's Secret Sukkah 2009 Tour. The tour includes about 15 East Bay sukkahs open to Beth El visitors. You'll get a map and directions so you can wander from sukkah to sukkah.
If you're thinking about building a sukkah this year, (now's the year to do it...) then we'd love to include your sukkah on the tour on Saturday afternoon, October 3rd or Sunday, October 4th. If you are interested, please email Dianna Dar with the dates (Saturday afternoon, Oct 3 or Sunday Oct 4) your sukkah will be available.
 Get the grounds ready
for the New Year!
Beth El Landscape
Tending Day
Sunday, August 30
9:30 am - 1:00 pm
Please help us beautify Beth El for the New Year by participating in our garden tending day on Sunday, August 30 from 9:30 to 1:00 pm (rain cancels). Please bring gloves and tools.
It is helpful if you RSVP to Susan Frankel, but you may also just show up. Please invite your friends and forward this on to others that might be interested. Hope to see you there. We really need your help!
Everyone is invited...
Shabbat Unplugged
Friday, September 11
Potluck Dinner - 6:00 pm • Services - 7:00 pm
Join us for the first of our monthly Shabbat 'unplugged' services where you unplug from your busy life and plug into spirituality, ruach and community. Shabbat Unplugged is a family-friendly service featuring Rabbi Kahn and songleader Josh Miller. We begin the evening with a potluck dinner at 6:00 pm, followed by ruach-filled services at 7:00 pm. An ice cream oneg will follow services. Services are geared to families, but everyone in the congregation is welcome to join.
Please bring the following for our dairy/vegetarian potluck dinner:
A-L: Salads, sides, vegetables / M-S: Main Dish / T-Z: Fruit
We look forward to seeing you there! Questions? Please contact the Religious School office at 510-848-2122, or email Debra Massey.
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Shabbat This Week:
August 28 & 29, 2009
8 Elul 5769
Parashat Ki Tetze
Friday, August 28
-Shabbat Evening Service 6:15pm
Saturday, August 29
-Minyan Service 8:30am
-Torah Study 9:15am
led by Moshe Maler
-Shabbat Morning Service 10:15am
led by Rabbi Yoel Kahn and Rabbinic Intern Reuben Zellman
B'nai Mitzvah - Rose & Gabrielle Rokeach
Shabbat Next Week:
Friday, September 4
-Shabbat Evening Service 6:15pm
Saturday, September 5
-Minyan Service 8:30am
-Torah Study 9:15am
led by Jeff Brand
-Shabbat Morning Service 10:15am
led by Rabbi Yoel Kahn and Rabbinic Intern Reuben Zellman
Bar Mitzvah - Shane Schiff
Help Usher in Shabbat
with your Smile!
Come join your rabbi on the bima or volunteer to help greet at a Friday night or Saturday morning service. Help us create a warm atmosphere by clicking on this link, entering SHABBAT as your password and volunteering! Any questions?
Please email Robinn Magid.
Hope to see you in shul!
Interested in environmental activism on a community level?
Beth El has been approached to be part of an East Bay interfaith environmental working group. The group would act as an initial steering committee to explore strategies for developing a faith-based, grass roots movement to meet the challenges of climate change and eco-justice. For more information, please email Debbie Leon.
Upcoming Committee Meetings
*Social Action Committee
Wednesday, September 9
7:30 pm in the Library
Beth El Classifieds
Click here to view.
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Baby Playgroup for Infants and Parents
Monday mornings • 9:30-11:00 am
Calling all parents of tots...come join us every Monday morning for Beth El's Playgroup! We meet from 9:30-11:00 am in the Children's Library (next to the sanctuary) for a drop-in play time. This group is geared to children infant to 2 1/2, but all youngsters all welcome. Its a great way to start your week by getting together and meeting new friends. We always conclude each session with the Havdalah ceremony- the separation between Shabbat and the rest of the week. This is a free program for Beth El members; non-members are also welcome at $5/session. Please bring a friend! For more information, call Director of Education, Debra Sagan Massey at 510-848-2122 x213 or click here to email Debra.
The Ruach Brigade Needs You -- on Sunday, September 13!
Do you like to hang out in the sun? Meet new people? Schmooze with your friends? Here's a chance to do all that and do a mitzvah for Beth El at the same time!
On Sunday, September 13 there are two major opportunities for us to tell new people about our terrific Beth El community - Solano Stroll and the Jewish Federation's PicnicFest in Oakland's Joaquin MIller Park. Both of these will run most of the day. We need a bunch of friendly, enthusiastic folks to come, hang out at our table and talk about what ties you to Beth El. Maybe you'd like to come with another family, or your chavurah? Teens are especially welcome!
If you're interested, please click here, enter BE as your password, and volunteer. Todah rabah!
Also, a huge todah rabah to those of you who've returned the yellow Ruach Brigade form that was sent out with the High Holiday ticket mailing. It's wonderful that so many members are seeking to become more involved in the Beth El community. If you haven't already returned your form, please send it in - we'd love to find ways for you to further your connection to Beth El in the coming year!
 Religious School is Accepting Applications!
Congregation Beth El Religious School is accepting student registrations for the 5770/2009-10 School Year! Register ASAP so your family doesn't miss out! We have exciting new programming and enhanced educational experiences planned for the whole family. You may view and download registration materials online by clicking here. For more information or if you have any questions, please email Rebecca DePalma or call 510-848-2122 x214. We look forward to seeing you this fall!
The community is invited...
BOCA Action Day
Sunday, August 30 • 1:30 pm
BOCA will have a City-wide Healthcare & Immigration Action at 1:30 pm hosted by St. Joseph the Worker Church. We are expecting national, state and local elected officials to be in attendance. Have your voice be heard. For more information, please click here.
The community is invited...
JVS|Jewish Employment Network invite you to
Online Networking for Jobs and Careers
Wednesday, September 2 • 7:00 pm at Temple Isaiah • 3800 Mt. Diablo Blvd., Lafayette
For more information, please click here.
The community is invited...
6th Annual
PicnicFest - A Gathering of East Bay Jewish Friends & Family
Sunday, September 13 • Joaquin Miller Park, Oakland
PicnicFest is a FREE community event with live music, beer, ice cream, and activities for children and adults. It's a great way to build community by connecting singles, couples and families to the greater Jewish community.
For more information, please click here.
The community is invited...
Lehrhaus Judaica's Back-to-School Night
Thursday, September 24 • 6:30 pm at 2736 Bancroft Way, Berkeley
Come for a preview of some of the courses, enjoy wine and hors d'oeuvres, chat with some of the teachers, and kick off the new school year in style! Everyone who attends the event will receive a coupon good for $10 off of their next Lehrhaus course. Lehrhaus and Beth El will be continuing their long-standing partnership this fall. A variety of Lehrhaus classes will be offered at Beth El, including Introduction to the Jewish Experience, Jews in the Hood: Spatial Planning in Jewish Communities, Unraveling the Mystery of Sendak, Beginning, Intermediate, and Advanced Modern Hebrew, and Diving into the Talmud. For more information, please click here.
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