The TBE Blog is the space where Temple Beth El’s Leadership Team members reflect on relevant topics that are most meaningful to us. Here you will find musings on everything from prayer to politics, music to mysticism and history to current day life. From our iPads, smartphones, and laptops to yours, these are the things that inspire us, keep us up at night, and fuel our own Jewish journeys.
Sometimes, the Person Who Most Needs My Love is Me by Rachel Campbell
Temple Beth El
08/25/2017
I have a blessed life. I have a wonderful and supportive family, a secure job, a great dog, a comfortable home, sweet friends and a ...
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Ahavah/Love by Frances Liss
Temple Beth El
08/24/2017
Webster’s definition of Love is: “a deep and tender feeling of fondness and devotion, such as a parent’s love for their child.” And this is ...
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Ahavah/Love by Rabbi Ana Bonnheim
Temple Beth El
08/24/2017
It doesn’t seem like it would be intuitively true, but love features prominently in Jewish tradition. There are different kinds of love, all with the ...
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Ahavah/Love by Amanda Zaidman
Temple Beth El
08/24/2017
I love Judaism. It has grounded my family in traditions that make us feel like we are a part of something bigger, part of a ...
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We Begin Elul with Love by Rabbi Asher Knight
Rabbi Asher Knight
08/23/2017
This week we enter the Jewish month of Elul, the four weeks preceding the High Holy Days. For millennia, our rabbis have taught that the ...
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We are the Light by Dr. Laura Bernstein, Executive Director
Temple Beth El
08/17/2017
In the words of Rabbi Jonah Pesner, Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, “The Torah teaches that God created a world capable ...
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Prayer is a Time Machine by Cantor Mary Rebecca Thomas
Cantor Mary Thomas
08/08/2017
Cantor Jamie Marx is a classmate of Cantor Thomas. In advance of the upcoming release of his Jewish rock album, In Pursuit, Cantor Marx has ...
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Tikkun Olam: Youth Experiences at TBE by Sam Swire, Director of Youth Engagement
Temple Beth El
08/02/2017
In this week’s Torah portion Va’etchanan, Moses tells the Israelites that he will not be joining them in crossing the Jordan River into the land ...
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The Elul Experiment by Rabbi Dusty Klass
Rabbi Dusty Klass
07/26/2017
“The human heart is the tablet on which God writes. Each of us has the word life engraved in our hearts by God’s own hand. ...
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Not Your Same Old Religious School by Susan Jacobs, Director of Education
Susan Jacobs
07/26/2017
Sometimes it’s hard to be a kid! Sometimes it’s even harder to be a Jewish kid! Attending religious school is a vital part of growing ...
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God Goes to Camp by Rabbi Dusty Klass
Rabbi Dusty Klass
07/19/2017
In the summer between 4th and 5th grade, my parents sent my sister and me to Camp Swig in Saratoga, CA. I retain a few ...
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Call for Donations: Compassion in the Midst of Destruction by Rabbi Dusty Klass
Rabbi Dusty Klass
07/19/2017
Imagine, after going to bed for the night, waking up to the sound of screaming and yelling, the smell of smoke, and the sight of ...
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The Kindness Game by Dr. Laura Bernstein
Temple Beth El
07/06/2017
This week’s Torah portion, Parashat Balak, allows us to consider the power of words – both positive and negative. A Moabite King named Balak hires a non-Israelite prophet named Balaam ...
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Israel Statement by Temple Beth El Clergy
Rabbi Asher Knight
06/27/2017
For many years, Temple Beth El has endeavored to establish a love for Israel in the hearts and minds of our members. We have done ...
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Strengthening the Pillars of our Congregation by Rabbi Asher Knight
Rabbi Asher Knight
06/27/2017
In late April, Laura Bernstein and I sent a note to the congregation explaining that we were undertaking a reorganization of our systems, procedures and ...
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