NOVEMBER 2017 • Vol. 100, No. 4 HESHVAN ~ KISLEV 5778 WWW.BETHELNR.ORG
BETH EL TO LAUNCH COMMUNAL JEWISH LEARNING EXPERIENCE Rabbi and Scholar Led Beit Midrash, Free and Open to All
Non-judgmental communal learning— especially given the current political and social climate—is crucial. That’s why Beth El has created our Open Beit Midrash, a yearlong Jewish learning initiative that is free and open to the public, Tuesday, November 7th, at 8:00 pm. “This is not simply a class or a program. This is a unique experience,” Rabbi Zach Sitkin explained. “It’s an opportunity for the community to come together and learn in a way they never have before: to explore traditional texts in the hopes of finding answers to questions they didn’t even know they had. At Beth El, we believe that Limmud, or Jewish learning, can change lives and lead to renewal and transformation.” Each week (on alternating Tuesdays and Thursdays), Open Beit Midrash attendees will study Jewish texts, from Chassidic thought to Jewish law, with Beth El Rabbis Sitkin and David A. Schuck, as well as Rabbi Ethan Linden, the executive director of Ramah Berkshires. Scholars will teach once a month on topics related to their respective fields,
from prayer and ethics to contemporary Jewish issues. They include Rabbi Danny Nevins, the dean of the rabbinical school at the Jewish Theology Seminary; Rabbi Elie Kaunfer, Ph.D. of Mechon Hadar; and Rabbi Bronwen Mullin of Town & Village Congregation. (For full list of scholars, please visit bethelnr.org/openbeit.) Overall, the initiative expands on the traditional Beit Midrash or “House of Study” concept, which Rabbi Sitkin explains as, “the place where rabbis and scholars would congregate and pour over the Torah and other Jewish texts in order to better understand the essence of Judaism.” Rabbi Linden is thrilled to be involved with the Open Beit Midrash. “Part of our mission at Camp Ramah in the Berkshires is to partner with synagogues in our region to find ways to expand Jewish learning and community. Beth El is doing some of the most exciting work around on those issues,” he said. “It was thrilling to be asked to be part of such an inspiring effort to bring continued, page 7
Complete details on page 3! Turkey Drive...................................... page 2 Jerusalem with Schuck & Diament... page 4 HavDairy........................................... page 2 Mindfulness Parenting...................... page 7
What Keeps Your Rabbi Up ............. page 9 Scholar Dov Maisel to Visit ........... page 12