Albert Divack*
Frances Egalka*
Brendon Elbaz
Julienne Anker Falk
Joseph Feist*
Babette Fleischmann*
Ron Frankel
Jerry Horwitz
Audrey Kaminsky*
Benjamin Katon
Matthew Katz
Yahrzeits Shabbat Spotlight the
Shirley Konigsberg
Rachel Layton*
Janice Leibowitz*
Alice Lunsk
Louise McInnis
Gyula Moses*
Janet Newman*
Anna Rosenberg*
Abner Rosenblum*
Lilie Schuman*
Anne Shamroth
Anita Sher
Martha Louise Starks
Bernice Susskind*
Arthur Trock*
Valerie Weinberg*
Isidore White*
*Denotes plaque in Memorial Alcove
Reach out to us with any questions.
Amy L. Morrison - Rabbi
727-347-6136 - RabbiMorrison@TempleBeth-El.com
Tara O’Donnell - Director of Finance & Operations 727-347-6136 - Tara@TempleBeth-El.com
Jennifer Hannon - Director of Early Childhood Center 727-350-5885 - JennHannon@TempleBeth-El.com
Tracy Nash - Bookkeeper
727-347-6136 - Bookkeeper@TempleBeth-El.com
Tovah Feld - Communications & Engagement Coordinator 727-347-6136 - Tovah@TempleBeth-El.com
Allison Fowler - Office Administrative Assistant 727-347-6136 - Allison@TempleBeth-El.com
Mike Shapiro - Temple President 727-347-6136 - President@TempleBeth-El.com
Rabbi Amy L. Morrison, Joyce Liu, & Cantor Pamela Siskin Memorial Choir
Rabbi Amy L. Morrison
Parashat Vayeilech, Shabbat Shuvah, and the liminal days between Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur all speak to a deep, tender place in the soul—the space of transition, of not knowing, of standing on the edge of what was and what might still be.
In Vayeilech, Moshe stands before the people and says goodbye. He knows his time is ending. He’s led with strength and vulnerability, and now, he must let go. That moment—the ache of letting go, the courage it takes to bless the future you won’t be part of—is heartbreakingly human. I feel that in my own life too, in all the places where I’ve had to release something I loved: a season, a relationship, a version of myself.
Shabbat Shuvah, the Shabbat of Return, holds us gently in this in-between space. It’s not yet Yom Kippur, but we’ve already been cracked open by Rosh HaShanah. It’s a time to ask: Who am I becoming? What have I left behind that I want to return to? What have I outgrown, even if I’m scared to admit it?
This week, I feel suspended—between the person I’ve been and the one I’m trying to become. It’s uncomfortable. It’s also sacred. Vayeilech reminds me that walking forward, even when the path is uncertain, is a holy act. Shabbat Shuvah reminds me that return is always possible. And the days between invite me to sit in the quiet, to feel it all, and to trust that something new is being born. What will you do with this time?
We Return
By Elana Arian & Noah Aronson
We return, we return, we return, return again.
We return, we return, return, return again and again … to Love / Truth / You.
Torah Portion Announcements
Saturday, September 27
10am-11:30am - Music of the High Holidays with Joyce Liu
Sunday, September 28
Kever Avot - Cemetery Services - TBE Section 10am - Chapel Hill Memorial Park 11am - Royal Palm Cemetery South
Wednesday, October 1
7pm - Erev Yom Kippur/Kol Nidre Services
Thursday, October 2
9am - Yom Kippur “Mini Minyan” Service
9:30am - Youth Programming
(Ages Infant-3 Grade - Must Pre-Register) rd 10am -Yom Kippur Service
1pm - Social Justice Forum
2:15pm - Personal Prayer & Meditation
3:30pm - Yom Kippur Afternoon & Yizkor Services
6pm - Break-the-Fast
If you are new to Temple Beth-El, welcome!
OPEN COMMUNITY CREATES ENGAGING & DIVERSE
JEWISH PATHWAYS
Located in St. Petersburg on Florida's beautiful west coast, Temple Beth-El is a Reform Jewish congregation that has served this area since 1928 and is focused on strengthening relationships and making connections. We are a welcoming Reform community for Jewish and interfaith households to experience an uplifting and joyful sense of belonging as we seek to connect our members with each other and the greater community and world around us.
Enjoy and have a Shabbat Shalom!
Parashat Vayeilech: Deuteronomy 31:1-30
Saturday, September 27, 2025 / 5 Tishri 5786
Moses prepares the people for his death and announces that Joshua will succeed him. (31:1–8) Moses instructs the priests and the elders regarding the importance of reading the Torah. (31:9–13) God informs Moses that upon his death, the people will commit idolatry and "many evils and troubles shall befall them." God tells Moses to teach the people a poem that will "be My witness." (31:14–30)
Suggestions for parents of our youngest congregants
Relax! God put the wiggle in children. Don’t feel you have to suppress it in our sanctuary or chapel. Sit towards the front where it is easier for your little ones to see and hear what is happening on the Bima. They tire of seeing the backs of other’s heads.
Quietly explain our rituals and sing or clap when appropriate. Children learn liturgical behavior by copying you.
If you need to leave services with your child, do so, but please come back. Remember that the way we welcome children in synagogue directly affects the way they respond to coming to synagogue, to God, to one another. Let them know that they are welcome in this house of worship, here, at Temple Beth-El.
