Congegational Life

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MITZVAH OPPORTUNITY

Our Passover seder includes the famous invitation: Let all who are hungry, come and eat. As we are coping with the challenges presented by the coronavirus, let us keep in mind those who face (and will come to face) economic challenges every day.
We encourage you to make a tzedakah contribution to the SCAN Hunger Center, to help them support all those who are hungry.
Please make out your check to: SCAN Hunger Center
Send to: SCAN Hunger Center
c/o 11556 White Tail Run
Columbia Station, OH 44028

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March Madness

Beth Israel – The West Temple’s  Purim-style!Easy as 1-2-3! #1 — Sunday, March 8th Food!  Fun!  Frolic!  Felicitous flippancy!              
9:45-10:30 a.m. – High School Purim Schpiel & Costume Parade – fun for all!10:30-11:00 a.m. – Students & Teachers in their classroomsParents and Adults stay around to kibbitz 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. – Purim Carnival* and Queen Esther’s Café*& Hamentaschen galore! *Fund-raiser for community and social projects for WESTY and BIC, our Senior and Junior Youth Groups…  #2 – Monday, March 9th  6:30 p.m. – Monday Hebrew7:00 p.m. – Congregational Family Purim ServiceMegillah Reading, and Costume ParadeJoin Rabbi Lader and Rabbi Lettofsky and Sarah Bedrossian and our Hebrew Studentsfor fun and laughs  “A cast of thousands…” Hamentaschen to follow!  #3 – You are cordially invited to join Rabbi Lader and Friends for…           Lunch ‘n Learn with the RabbiTuesday, March 10th at Noonat Beth Israel – The West TempleCatered Luncheon from Aladdin’s with Hamentaschen DessertsA History of the Purim Schpiel AND “The Book of Purim” (Purim Parody of The Book of Mormon)
RSVP to the temple office – 216-941-8882

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Antisemitism

BI-TWT’s Antisemitism Conversation continues…NEXT Tuesday, February 25th – 7:00 p.m.Special Guest – Alana Bandos, Education Director for the Anti-Defamation League, Cleveland RegionMs. Bandos will join us and share the work of the ADL, listen to our concerns, and help us plan our next steps… If you cannot join us in person, you can join us through Zoom:Join Zoom Meetinghttps://zoom.us/j/585099073 Meeting ID: 585 099 073 Julian Ross, Chair, Lifelong Learningjross@bw.edu

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SOCIAL JUSTICE OPPORTUNITY

   We’re looking for a minyan (10) to join Rabbi Lader at the Criminal Justice Action on February 27th, 7:00 p.m.atOlivet Institutional Baptist Church8712 Quincy Ave, Cleveland, OH 44106 What is an Action? An Action brings together people – and their collective power – across lines of race, religion, neighborhoods and suburbs to make their self-interest on a specific issue known to public officials and others with the power to make sustainable change. What is happening at the February 27th Action? The past three years Greater Cleveland Congregations has been pushing for the creation of one or more offsite pre-booking mental health and addiction crisis centers in Cuyahoga County. These centers:* Keep people out of jail * Save lives * Save public money * It’s time to gather people in one place, including public officials, to focus on the work accomplished and the work that still needs to be done. Mark February 27th on your calendar and plan to attend the Action.Help recruit others to attend. Expect to have fun. Actions are exciting and inspiring! RSVP to Rabbi Lader – eclader@aol.comWe can meet at temple and carpool!Let’s make this happen and show our support of Cleveland & GCC!

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Lunch ‘n Learn with Rabbi Lader & Friends

                  Tu B’Shevat Seder & Potluck Lunch with Rabbi LaderTHIS Monday, February 10th at Noonat BI-TWT  Celebrate Tu B’Shevat with an exploration of the mystical side of nature… and the environment…Enjoy a variety of fruits and nuts from the land of Israel…Followed by a potluck lunch (dairy and/or parave) RSVP to the temple office 216-941-8882

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Casino Night!

BI-TWT’s Casino Night Fundraiser

Casino Night, February 22, 2020 from 6:30-10:00 p.m.BI-TWT’s new fundraiser for the General Fund. This is a great event to invite friends, families, and neighbors. Lots of fun… Over 30 different raffle prizes – from membership at the Maltz Museum, to tickets to the Beck Center, and many, many more. PLEASE purchase your tickets sooner rather than later. Thank you,Casino Night Committee Tickets, $45.00 each, can be purchased on line at https://bitwtcasinonight2020.eventbrite.com,Venmo@BITWT, or through the temple office (216-941-8882).  Sponsorships are also available by contacting Evan Fleisher at Evanfleisher@gmail.com                    

Rabbinic insights into the timing of our Casino Night Fundraiser

Our Casino Night Fundraiser will take place on the evening after Shabbat Shekalim… So what exactly does this mean?  Shekalim is the plural of the Hebrew word shekel, the currency used by the ancient Israelites as well as the currency of modern day Israel.  In biblical times, every male Israelite, age 20 years and older, had to contribute a half-shekel annually to the maintenance of the Temple in Jerusalem.  This is parallel to our modern day concept of maintaining our house of worship with dues.  This practice comes from Exodus 30:14-16: “Everyone who is entered in the records, from the age of twenty years up, shall give Adonai’s offering…”  The half-shekel was to be paid before the month of Nisan — the month of Passover, so that all the upkeep and day to day temple expenses could be ready in time for the big pilgrimage to the Temple for Passover. The Mishna, codified around 200 C.E. also speaks about this practice.  It says:  “On the first day of Adar they give warning of the Shekel dues.  On the 15th thereof, they read the Megilla (meaning the scroll of Esther) in walled cities; and repair the paths and roads and pools of water.” (Shekalim 1:1) The paths and roads needed to be repaired after the winter rains in readiness for the Passover pilgrimage to Jerusalem, and the pools of water, or mikvahs, needed to be equipped in a fashion that would make them kosher, or valid.  So again, even though the dues technically needed to be paid by the first of Nisan, the announcement began the month before. Temple dues is our way of supporting the financial health of our congregation… AND our Casino Night Fundraiser is our (much needed) additional way of supporting the financial health of our congregation. Everyone is encouraged to “shekel-up” – even if you cannot attend, please consider purchasing tickets or sending in a donation to help support our Beth Israel – The West Temple.