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Passover Greetings 2022
Worship
Hanukkah 2019
Community Hanukkah Party
12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 22, 2019
751 San Juan Boulevard
Celebrate with yummy food, Hanukkah-themed crafts for kids, the annual Dreidel Spin-off, Kesher class performances, music and singing, and by lighting the Hanukkah candles together.
Candle fundraiser
Boxes of Israeli-made candles are $5 and 100 percent of proceeds support our community party. Purchase here.
4th Night for Others
5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 25, 2019
Consider a break from presents in your house and instead shop for winter clothes for homeless youths, served by Northwest Youth Services. Bring the unwrapped items, plus your menorah (if possible), and dinner to share to our 4th Night celebration on Dec. 25, 2019. We will light candles as a community. Donated items (most needed are all-genders underwear, socks, winter shoes, coats) go to the nonprofit Northwest Youth Services, which serves homeless, runaway, and at-risk youth ages 13 to 25 in Whatcom and Skagit Counties. You can also shop on their Amazon Wish List, www.nwys.org/get-involved and ship items directly to the Northwest Youth Services office, 1155 N. State St., Suite 700, Bellingham WA 98225. Or consider donating Fred Meyer Scrip purchased through Beth Israel. We hope you’ll join us in this mitzvah.
Photos from Hanukkah’s past
Shavuot – history and meaning
Shavuot is a Hebrew word meaning ‘weeks’ and refers to the Jewish festival marking the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. Shavuot, like so many other Jewish holidays began as an ancient agricultural festival, marking the end of the spring barley harvest and the beginning of the summer wheat harvest. Shavuot was distinguished in ancient times by bringing crop offerings to the Temple in Jerusalem.
The Torah tells us it took precisely forty-nine days for our ancestors to travel from Egypt to the foot of Mount Sinai (the same number of days as the Counting of the Omer ) where they were to receive the Torah. Thus, Leviticus 23:21 commands: ‘And you shall proclaim that day (the fiftieth day) to be a holy convocation…’ The name Shavuot, ‘Weeks,’ then symbolizes the completion of a seven-week journey.
Special customs on Shavuot are the reading of the Book of Ruth, which reminds us that we too can find a continual source of blessing in our tradition. Another tradition includes staying up all night to study Torah and Mishnah, a custom called Tikkun Leil Shavuot, which symbolizes our commitment to the Torah, and that we are always ready and awake to receive the Torah. Traditionally, dairy dishes are served on this holiday to symbolize the sweetness of the Torah, as well as the ‘land of milk and honey’.
Shavuot is celebrated seven weeks after Passover (when the barley harvest begins). These seven weeks are called the Omer and are counted ceremonially. This counting, called s’firat ha-omer, begins on the second day of Passover.The source for this practice is found in the book of Deuteronomy, “You shall count off seven weeks…then you shall observe the Feast of Weeks to Adonai your God” (Deuteronomy 16:9-10).The counting of the Omer takes place daily after the evening service.
Once the Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed and the mitzvah of bringing the first fruits of the harvest was lost, the Rabbis were concerned that the observance of Shavuot might disappear. It was during this time period (2nd century C.E.) when the Rabbis determined that the revelation of Torah at Sinai coincided with Shavuot.
Recognizing that Shavuot has both agricultural and religious roots, the holiday is known by several different names: Shavuot, Z’man Matan Torateinu and Chag HaBikkurim.
Z’man Matan Torateinu translates as “the season of the giving of our Torah”; and Chag HaBikkurim means “the festival of first fruits”.
Content provided by URJ
Hanukkah 2017
Community Hanukkah Party
4 to 6 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 17
Bloedel Donovan Pavillion
Celebrate with yummy food, Hanukkah-themed crafts, a Dreidel Spin-off and Dreidel “drop,” Kesher class performances, music and singing, and lighting the Hanukkah candles.
Purchase Hanukkah candles online — 100 percent of proceeds go toward the Hanukkah party!
4th Night for Others
Consider a break from presents in your house and instead shop for a new toy or book for a child of any age to be given to the nonprofit PLLAY (Programs to Lighten the Lives of Adults and Youths — pllay.org). They provide women in need the opportunity to “shop” for their children this holiday season. Bring it to our Shabbat/Hanukkah service Dec 15. We hope you’ll join us in this mitzvah.
Questions? meredithattar@yahoo.com
Music for Family Services
Here are recordings by Cantorial Soloist Andrea Shupack for Family Services:
FAMILY SERVICES
L’shana Tova
Shofar Blast
Tapuchim Udvash / Apples And Honey
These Are The Days We Say We’re Sorry
May You Be Sealed
Music for Yom Kippur
Here are recordings by Cantorial Soloist Andrea Shupack for Yom Kippur services. Items with an * are found in the Rosh Hashanah category
YOM KIPPUR
Or Zarua
Kol Nidre
*Bar’chu (in Rosh Hashanah))
*Ma’ariv Aravim
*Shema
*Mi Chamocha
*Hashkiveinu
*Chatzi Kaddish
*Amidah
*R’tzei
*Yihiyu L’ratzon
V’al Kulam:
Shema Koleinu
Ilu Finu (different melody than Rosh Hashanah)
*Adonai Adonai
*Avinu Malkeinu
*Hayom
B’yado by Craig Taubman:
Oseh Shalom
Nachamu Nachamu
Mi Ma’amakim
Teach us to Treasure Each Day
Pitchu Li:
Music for Rosh Hashanah
Here are recordings by Cantorial Soloist Andrea Shupack for Rosh Hashanah Services:
ROSH HASHANAH
Uv’chein
Esa Einai
Bar’chu:
Ma’ariv Aravim:
Shema:
Mi Chamocha:
Hashkiveinu:
Chatzi Kaddish:
Evening Amidah:
Avot:
Zochreinu:
G’vurot:
Kedushat Hashem
R’tzei
Y’hiyu L’ratzon:
Morning Amidah:
Avot (see above)
Zochreinu
G’vurot (see above)
Unetaneh Tokef:
B’rosh Hashanah
Kedushah:
Sim Shalom 1st version:
Sim Shalom by Julie Silver:
Y’hiyu L’ratzon
Avinu Malkeinu
Hayom
Ilu Finu
Adonai Adonai:
Areshet S’fateinu
L’shana Tova:
TASHLICH
L’man Achai V’reai
Hashiveinu / Return Again:
M’kor Nefesh
Shabbat Morning Music
Modeh Ani
Mah Gadlu
Mah Tovu
Elohai Neshama
N’sim B’chol Yom
Baruch She’amar
Mizmor Shir L’yom HaShabbat
Ashrei
Psalm 150
Nishmat Kol Chai
Ahavah Rabbah
Shema
V’ahavtah
Mi Chamocha
Amidah
Kedushah
Yismechu
Sim Shalom
Friday Night Music
Yedid Nefesh
Candle lighting
Mizmor L’David
Shalom Aleichem
L’cha Dodi
Mizmor Shir
Ahavat Olam
V’shamru
Amidah
Shalom Rav
Shabbat Dinner Crowd
Beth Israel has formed its own Shabbat Dinner Crowd — a flash mob Shabbat dinner experience — based on a successful format operating in Seattle.
How it works:
You’ll get an email the Sunday before the fifth Friday of the month, seeking a dinner host. Someone volunteers a location and guests supply the food (a main dish or a side, enough to feed your family). The dinner is casual — buffet style, paper plates and jeans are fine. Just come and enjoy. Dinners can be meat, dairy, or vegetarian. Hosts, please let everyone know what the kashrut status of the meal is.
It’s simple — if you can host, post a note to the e-mail list for your community. If you can attend, then reply to the dinner post so everyone knows.
Want to be part of the dinner crowd, but didn’t receive an email? Sign up here. Have friends who aren’t Beth Israel members, who want to participate? Invite them (and let webmaster@bethisraelbellingham.org know)! They can signup online.
Any other questions? Call Melissa Schapiro, (360) 738-7182, or email webmaster@bethisraelbellingham.org
Let’s keep this rolling by having someone host every time!
