When Leigh Miller became our temple president two years ago, he was looking forward to helping us continue to grow as a temple family in important and meaningful ways, building on the strength of the leadership that preceded him. In his first holy day address, Leigh urged us to embrace one another and TBE more Continue Reading »
I’m standing in a mixed and colorful crowd, electric with excitement in the Castro District of San Francisco. The street is filled with people as far as the eye can see heading eastward. There is a chill in the air from a fog just rolling in, with heat still coming up from the pavement. We Continue Reading »
We are truly living through history. I suppose that may be true each day, but the events of the last 14 months are ones we will reflect upon for the rest of our lives and will surely retell to future generations of our families. I’m sure it is now obvious to all of us, that Continue Reading »
We are pleased to announce that we will begin welcoming congregants to in-person worship beginning June 11. Our re-opening task force has been monitoring Federal, State and County COVID data and guidelines, and work in close consultation with our medical professionals actively involved in the task force. Our objective is to come back together safely, Continue Reading »
Touched by an Angel Back in the cold winter months of 2021, a new day was just dawning in the fight against COVID, with the advent of the long-awaited COVID vaccines. But as we all know, it quickly became a huge exercise in frustration to get those elusive vaccine appointments. Enter the Vaccine Angels. The Continue Reading »
New members Kara and Jamie Sobin, who live in Hillsborough, are thrilled to have found a spiritual home at Temple Beth-El, along with their children, Celia and Jonah. Kara grew up in Somerville, where she was very involved in her family’s Baptist church as a child and young adult. In recent years, Kara had found Continue Reading »
Business is booming for one of Temple Beth-El’s community partners, but its uptick in clients is bittersweet. In the past year, at least 100 additional families have come to rely on the Food Bank Network of Somerset County warehouse in Bridgewater each month for food, raising to 317 the number of families that depend upon Continue Reading »
After a year of many deprivations, and much fear and anxiety, we come to a teaching in the Torah that prescribes a practice of self-denial. It is the path of the Nazirite, described in Parashat Naso, and it involves a spiritual exercise based in abstinence. Any Israelite could choose to embark on this practice by Continue Reading »
When children begin to study Talmud in a traditional yeshivah, it is customary for them to start with Tractate Bava Metzia, which opens with this teaching: “Two people have taken hold of a garment… this one says, ‘It is all mine,’ and this one says, ‘It is all mine.’…” The halacha (the law) is that Continue Reading »
This Shabbat TBE officially says goodbye to Hannah Lafargue, who will be leaving us to pursue her dream of attending law school. In Hebrew when we part company from a friend we say “shalom u’l’hitraot.” “Peace to you, until we meet again.” This is a way of acknowledging that significant relationships don’t end upon separating Continue Reading »
