IN THIS ISSUE: Message and Announcements from Rabbi David Torah Talk for your Table - Mishpatim - Just Do It Upcoming Events for the BEBY NEXTgen Community (for all age groups): - THIS WEEK - Bnai Mitzvah Experience - ALL NEW OPPORTUNITY for Bnai Mitzvah Families!
PURIM!!! - Kid's Purim Concert - Purim @ BEBY BEBY NEXTgen Community Connection - Kids Pre-Shabbat Party with Morah Debbie - EVERY FRIDAY! - Yachad - Boost Your Well-Being - Teen Community Service opportunity - NEW: Bialik Parent Speaker Series - Challenges Families Face During Covid
Shalom Everyone,
I hope you are all doing well and staying healthy.This has been an extremely busy week for me, and I know for others as well. Having the kids at home has not made it easier. With Family Day on Monday, let's make sure that we all take a minute to reflect on how luck we are to have our immediate families around us during this time, even if there are so many more people we would like to be seeing regularly.
Next week, our kids go back to school and I have my hesitations: on the one hand, get them out of my house already and back to school. On the other hand, are the schools really ready to keep all protocols in place, keeping our kids safe and healthy, while still ensuring a positive learning environment? Check out the TORAH TALK FOR THE TABLE section for a way to look at the situation.
As a community, our goal is to strive to support each other in every way. If you need an ear to listen, help finding resources or other support your family needs, please don't hesitate to reach out. It is so important that we take care of our mental and physical health and your Beth Emeth community is here for you.
Beyond that, we are working dilligently to provide as many social and educational opportunities as possible fo r the broadest demographic range possible.
FLYERS FOR ALL UPCOMING PROGRAMS BELOW! (For programs from the broader Beth Emeth Community, visit the Beth Emeth website: www.beby.org.)
THIS SUNDAY we conclude UNIT 2 of our all new BNAI MITZVAH EXPERIENCE!
THERE IS ALSO AN AMAZING OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR BNAI MITZVAH FAMILIES!!! Check out the Bnai Mitzvah section below!
PURIM IS COMING!!! CHECK OUT THE NEW SECTION BELOW FOR EVERYTHING PURIM!!!
We are also looking to create NEXTgen teams of volunteers who are looking to make things happen for the benefit of their friends, families, and our community in general. If you are interested in getting involved, pease let me know!
For more information about what is happening check out www.beby.org.
SHABBAT SHALOM!!!
Rabbi David, Director of Ritual and NEXTgen Community rabbidavid@beby.org
TORAH TALK FOR THE TABLE with Rabbi David
Mishpatim - Just Do It
Last week we received the Torah from HaShem at Mount Sinai. A lot of the time, when someone tells us to do something or creates a new rule, we will have a lot of follow-up questions: Why should I do that? How should I do that? When should I do it? Do I have to?
Asking is generally the right approach. It gives us more information, allows us to better understand all the different parts of what we are being expected to do, and gives us clarity on how to do our very best. When we hear the reason for doing something, we are more excited about doing it.
When HaShem offered us the Torah we said "Na'aseh v'nishma - we will do it and then we will hear all of the reasons". It was the opposite of asking questions. We were so excited about getting the Torah that we just jumped at the opportunty.
There is a deeper message here too. Sometimes, the only way to truly understand something is by experiencing it. We can learn from our mistakes, and that means that we did something and maybe didn't ask all of the questions, and maybe didn't do it the best way, but the experience itself will teach us so much, and may even help us understand what questions we should be asking.
Experiencing the value of accepting the Torah is the best way to understand what Torah is all about! The Jewish people 3300 years ago ultimately coined the Nike slogan: Just Do It!
Questions for Discussion:
How does this approach connect to my questions about school reopening that I wrote about above?
What is something that you did, WITHOUT asking questions?
What is something that you did where you asked questions first?
Describe an experience you had that taught you something new, that noone could have described to you in words?
UNIT ONE, Connecting to Israel and how that impacts Jewish Identity was amazing. You can watch the recorded programs here . UNIT TWO - Conclusion THIS WEEK!
January 24, 10am - Protecting Our World January 31, 10am - All about Shabbat February 7, 10am - Take a Trip Inside a Torah Scroll and Inside Tefillin Boxes February 14, 10am - Everything you need to know about Jewish History in 20 minutes and Becoming a Responsible
You can still register your kids for the rest of this year's Bnai Mitzvah Experience.
If you have a child who recently had, or is about to have their Bar or Bat Mitzvah, this program is for you. It will be fun, experiential, educational, engaging, thought provoking and will give your Bnai Mitzvah kids a real sense of connection to our local and broader Jewish community. Sign up here!
PURIM @ BETH EMETH
BEBY NEXTgen Community Connection
In this section we will be including programs, articles, links, and updates from our community members. It is one way we can all support each other - as a community!
Beth Emeth Bais Yehuda Synagogue 100 Elder Street Toronto, ON M3H 5G7
