Mike Shapiro - Temple President 727-347-6136 - President@TempleBeth-El.com October 31, 2025
Rabbi Amy L. Morrison & Joyce Liu
Rabbi Amy L. Morrison
In Lech-L’cha, God tells Abram, “Go forth from your land, from your birthplace, and from your father’s house to the land that I will show you. ” It is a call to leave behind comfort and familiarity, to step into the unknown with faith. Abram’s journey is not only physical but spiritual he must discover who he is and what his purpose will be. Each step away from what he knows becomes a step toward becoming Abraham, the father of a people.
Halloween, though rooted in very different origins, also invites a kind of journey of transformation. On this night, people put on costumes and masks, exploring new identities, facing fears, and playing with the boundary between what is seen and unseen. Beneath the playful surface lies a deeper human impulse: curiosity about the unknown and the courage to confront it.
When we place Lech-L’cha beside Halloween, a shared theme emerges the courage to cross thresholds. Abram crosses from one world into another, just as on Halloween we symbolically cross between the ordinary and the mysterious Both moments ask: who are you willing to become when you leave behind what is familiar?
In that sense, the words Lech-L’cha “ go to yourself” become an invitation not just for Abram, but for each of us Whether through faith or imagination, we are always being asked to step forward into the unknown, and discover who we truly are.
Torah Portion Announcements
Saturday, November 1
10am - Shabbat Morning Services & B’Mitzvah of Riven Joslyn
Sunday, November 2
8:45am - Brotherhood Schmooze 9:30am - Sunday School
Wednesday, November 5 5pm - Hebrew School
5:15pm - Sisterhood Meet & Mingle
Friday, November 7
5:30pm - Early Oneg 6pm - 6 & 7 Grade Erev Shabbat Service th th
Parashat Lech-L’cha: Genesis 12:1-17:27
Saturday, November 1, 2025 / 10 Chesvan 5786
Abram, Sarai, and Lot go to Canaan. (12:1-9)
Famine takes them to Egypt, where Abram identifies Sarai as his sister in order to save his life. (12:10-20) Abram and Lot separate. Lot is taken captive, and Abram rescues him. (13:1-14:24)
Abram has a son, Ishmael, with his Egyptian maidservant, Hagar. (16:1-16)
God establishes a covenant with Abram. The sign of this covenant is circumcision on the eighth day following a male baby's birth. (17:1-27)
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!
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
