Congregation Beth Shalom

From the Rabbi

I am fond of the story of the man who came to his rabbi deeply concerned
over his failing business, failing finances, and uncertain economic future. The
rabbi advised him to go to the Western Wall, pray as intensely as he has ever
prayed, and await a response. He spent practically his last dollar on a ticket to
Israel and went straight to the Wall. After hours of fervent davening, he heard a
voice. It said to him, “Chapter 11″.
While not quite as humorous in these tenuous economic
markets, nonetheless the Chapter 11 provisions of the bankruptcy
laws provide an opportunity for a new start through
restructuring debt, preservation of assets, and just generally
the chance to do it right the next time.
In so many ways, the High Holy Days resemble Chapter
11. We approached Rosh HaShannah several days ago in
a state of almost spiritual bankruptcy. We spent (hopefully)
the month of Elul and the days between Rosh HaShannah
and Yom Kippur in serious restructuring talks with ourselves, our fellow human
beings, and our God. We and God seal the final decree on Yom Kippur.
Yet, there still is another chance. Tradition teaches us that the gates of
teshuvah might close at Neila, but they are not sealed until the end of Sukkot. In
other words, we have another chance at another chance.
May this penitential season be one of a successful emergence from our spiritual
insolvency allowing us to face the new year with a clean slate and renewed
hope.
– Rabbi Ned J. Soltz

Sept. 2008 Hashomer

Download the September issue of Ha Shomer sep08

Immediate Need For Hurricane Ike Volunteers-Sign Up Today!

WE NEED YOUR HELP

Alert: Service Time Change

With the probable approach of the remnants of “Ike” late Saturday morning and into the afternoon and evening hours, we are holding Saturday morning services earlier this Shabbat to enable congregants to be home before the worst of the wind and rain approaches.

Accordingly, this Saturday, Sept 13 there will be no Torah study at 9 am.

We will begin Shabbat morning services at 9 am promptly and do our best to conclude by 10:00 AM to allow everyone the opportunity for the mitzvah of prayer without the risks that might occur even later in the morning.

Free Sam Glaser Concert

Sam Glaser—Musician Extraordinaire to Headline Tarrant County Community Concert

Who: Entire Tarrant County Jewish community

What: Free Concert featuring Sam Glaser

When: Sun., Sept. 21, 2008 at 4:00 PM

Where: Beth-El Congregation, 4900 Briarhaven Rd.

Admission: One can of food for the Tarrant Area Food Bank

“Sam Glaser is a very talented guy. I have all his CDs and have enjoyed listening to them very much…he brings new life to Jewish music” ­Kirk Douglas

“Glaser touches the Jewish soul with his songs, motivating both children and adults to learn more about their heritage and imbuing them with a newfound enthusiasm about their religion.” ­National Jewish News

To learn more about Sam Glaser, check his website: www.samglaser.com. For more information about the concert, please call the Federation office at 817-569-0892.

Sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Fort Worth and Tarrant County with financial support from the Dan Danciger/Fort Worth Hebrew Day School Supporting Foundation

Bar Mitzvah Project

Sam Weiger’s Bar Mitzvah project involves collecting school supplies for Ethiopian Jewish kids in Israel to help with their educational needs. At the present time, 45% of Ethiopion Israeli children lack the basic school supplies essential to learning. Ethiopian familes can not afford them and Israeli schools don’t supply them.

Here is a list of the needed school supplies. Unopened packages rather than individual pens or markers are most appropriate for sending overseas. (if they are not on this list, please do not purchase them)

* Construction paper
* Calculators
* Post-it-Notes
* Crayons
* Pencil sharpeners
* Safety scissors
* backpacks
* Scotch Tape
* Metric rulers
* Glue Sticks
* Erasers
* Pencil Pouches
* Geometry Sets
* Jump Ropes
* Markers

Sam will hand deliver these supplies to the North American Conference on Ethiopian Jewry organization affiliate in Jerusalem in December 2008 when he goes to Israel to celebrate his Bar Mitzvah.

To help with this endeavor, and to perform Tikkin Olam (repairing the world), we would appreciate it very much if you or your kids could purchase one of the school supplies listed above by Yom Kippur. Please bring it to Sunday School during September or the sanctuary during the High Holy Days. Bags labeled for this project will be available at Sunday school (ask Danielle for details) and the sanctuary during High Holy Days.

Thank you (toda rabba) in advance for helping Sam with his Bar Mitzvah project, performing Tikkun Olam, and assisting Ethiopian Israeli kids with their education.
http://www.nacoej.org/pdf/School_Supplies.pdf

Discovering Beauty & Meaning behind the Days of Awe

Please join us for a very special and informal workshop entitled:

“High Holy Days: Discovering the Beauty & Meaning behind the Days of Awe”.

Thursday, September 4th - 7:00pm

Congregation Beth Shalom

Religious School Assembly Room

The informative, two-hour workshop led by Stuart Snow and written by Danielle Snailer will include:

• English translations and transliterations of the most important High Holy Days readings/prayers
• Easy to understand explanations of the meaning and historical traditions behind them
• A chance to ask questions in a relaxed setting
• An opportunity to mingle with others afterward while sampling a variety of desserts

This workshop is designed to help bring a sense of personal comfort and community feel to you

as these important holidays approach.

Please RSVP to:

Leslie Smith

Membership Chair

Congregation Beth Shalom

Rosh Chodesh Elul

Join us for Rosh Chodesh Elul minyan on Monday, September 1st at 9:00am.
Be a minyanaire!

Significance of the Month

The days of Elul are called the days of “Divine forgiveness and kindness”. This is embodied in the word Elul. It is written in the Song of Songs (6:3) Ani l’dod v’dodi li. (I am my beloved and my beloved is for me….)

The acrostic of the first letters of this phrase spells Elul. The last letters of the words of the phrase are all “Yud”. The numerical value of “Yud” is 10. 4×10=40, the number of days that Moses spent on Mt. Sinai when he revealed the second set of the Ten Commandments.

He went up on Rosh Chodesh Elul, as Hashem pardoned the people for the event of the Golden Calf. When he came down forty days later, it was Yom Kippur, the day of ultimate expression of the reunification of Hashem and His People. These days of Elul are therefore the beginning of a special time of favor and conciliation.

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Campus Mitzvah Day

On July 20, 2008, eleven members of our congregation participated in a Tikkun Olam event at Congregation Beth Shalom. Congregants removed screws from door hinges that were fastened to “soft” wood on the first and second floors of our religious school building. They also hammered dowels into the screw holes. A week later, David Markson and Larry Fleischer completed the project by re-assembling the doors. We now have classroom doors that securely fastened to the wood.

Congregants who participated included Ben and Sam Weiger, Larry Fleischer, David Markson, Jeff and Sarah Rothschild, Benji Cope, Josh and Ben Jessup, Adam and Madison Weiss, and Danielle Snailer.

A special thanks to Ben Weiger, Larry Fleischer, and David Markson, for planning and organizing this event and bringing the “extra tools”. Thanks to everyone who participated and helped make this Campus Mitzvah Day a success!!

Here some pictures from our campus Mitzvah Day event.

Jeff Rothschild, a power”ful” man

Madison Weiss and Sarah Rothschild

Adam Weiss, if I had a hammer…..

Ben Weiger

Social Action Chair