president

Shalom Everyone!

We are now well into winter and the Bay will soon be drenched with back to back atmospheric rivers.  Considering how many years of drought we have had recently, it is truly remarkable and a relief how much rain California is receiving right now.  This is also the time of year when we can imagine an end to the cold and rain and a transition to sunshine and warmth.  This upcoming Shabbat represents a distinctly American version of this wish with the fun holiday of Groundhog Day.  Borrowed from German folklore, the story of a groundhog emerging from the ground to check his shadow for an early spring symbolizes a desire to get through hard times as quickly as possible.  In Jewish tradition, the exact opposite often occurs, including the story in Exodus when the Israelites waited centuries to be freed from bondage only to wander for decades before entering the promised land.  Rather than seek shortcuts, Jewish communities tell stories of prolonged challenges that still fulfil their promises in the end.  In our case, then, we would all be hoping the groundhog does not see his shadow and continue the six more weeks of winter so that spring will feel that much sweeter when it finally arrives.  As the famous saying goes, “Good Things Come To Those Who Wait”.

We are also pleased to announce that Rabbi Dean will be continuing as our rabbi until the summer of 2025.  The Rabbi Search Committee will therefore spend the next few months discussing the survey you all filled out and start submitting announcements later this year.  The Board now plans to have a new rabbi selected by the spring of 2025, just before Rabbi Dean’s retirement.  We will provide more updates in the coming weeks.

This is also the time of year to start thinking about the next few major holidays, especially Purim and Passover.  We will also be hosting a special Shabbat Service for the new members of our community next month on Friday, February 16.  We encourage all of our new families to attend and be honored as the future of our congregation.  You can also help make a difference by volunteering to help with the upcoming Purim Carnival, which will take place on March 24.  We will send out sign-up sheets shortly.  Assisting with these events allows us to connect with the community, perform a mitzvah, and make the Temple Beth Hillel experience even better.  And for those who wish to make a difference in our community, we highly encourage you to consider joining the Temple Beth Hillel Board of Directors next year. Our Board is always on the lookout for members who have ideas for the future of the temple and the ability to carry out that vision. Serving on the Board makes us appreciate how much Temple Beth Hillel means to us and our children. 

We also have the exciting news that one of our B’nai Mitzvah students, Scarlet, will be having her Bat Mitzvah next month on February 24.  It will be a special afternoon service and we encourage our congregation to come show their support for our newest B’nai Mitzvah.  Further details will be sent out shortly.

Finally, our next regular Shabbat Service will take place on Friday, February 2, at 7:30 p.m.  Torah Study will take place Saturdays at 10:15 a.m. on Zoom, and the next Adult Education class will be hosted by Rabbi Dean on Sunday, February 4.  And of course, we encourage everyone to come to our wonderful Tefillah services at Religious School each Sunday at 9:30 a.m.  Thank you everyone!  

If I am not for myself, who will be for me?

If I am not for others, what am I?

And if not now, when? -Rabbi Hillel

~ Anna B Stein and David Zimring, Co-Presidents, Temple Beth Hillel

From the Presidents

Shalom Everyone!

This week we celebrate the festive holiday of Tu B’shvat.  Originally a time for assessing tax revenues and tithes in ancient Israel, it has since morphed into a celebration of the first blooming of the trees for the season along with preserving the earth.  Several traditions have developed over the years to reflect this transformation.  This past Sunday, the Religious school families followed one of these traditions by sampling the 7 species (critical crops grown in Israel) and at least 15 different fruits.  Sampling all of these fruits made us appreciate the bounty that comes from the earth along with the variety of flavors available for our enjoyment.  The earth can provide so much for us as long we care for it.  In the spirit of Tu B’shvat, let us all take a moment this week to plant a new tree, plant a new vegetable in your backyard garden, volunteer to pick up trash in a neighborhood park, or some other activity that will demonstrate our community’s commitment to preserving our wonderful earth.  

And as we head toward the middle of winter, plenty of other major holidays are coming up, especially Purim and Passover.  We will also be hosting a special Shabbat Service for the new members of our community next month on Friday, February 16.  We encourage all of our new families to attend and be honored as the future of our congregation.  You can also help make a difference by volunteering to help with the upcoming Purim Carnival, which will take place on March 24.  We will send out sign-up sheets shortly.  Assisting with these events allows us to connect with the community, perform a mitzvah, and make the Temple Beth Hillel experience even better.  And for those who wish to make a difference in our community, we highly encourage you to consider joining the Temple Beth Hillel Board of Directors next year. Our Board is always on the lookout for members who have ideas for the future of the temple and the ability to carry out that vision. Serving on the Board makes us appreciate how much Temple Beth Hillel means to us and our children. 

We also have the exciting news that one of our B’nai Mitzvah students, Scarlet, will be having her Bat Mitzvah next month on February 24.  It will be a special afternoon service and we encourage our congregation to come show their support for our newest B’nai Mitzvah.  Further details will be sent out shortly.

Finally, our next regular Shabbat Service will take place on Friday, February 2, at 7:30 p.m.   Torah Study will take place Saturdays at 10:15 a.m. on Zoom, and the next Adult Education class will be hosted by Rabbi Dean on Sunday, February 3.  And of course, we encourage everyone to come to our wonderful Tefillah services at Religious School each Sunday at 9:30 a.m.  Thank you everyone!  

If I am not for myself, who will be for me?

If I am not for others, what am I?

And if not now, when? -Rabbi Hillel

~ Anna B Stein and David Zimring, Co-Presidents, Temple Beth Hillel

Hello Everyone!

We hope all of you had a relaxing and/or fulfilling long weekend honoring Martin Luther King Jr.  As a tribute to the legacy of Dr. King, we can acknowledge not only what he accomplished for civil rights in the United States but also his promotion of Jewish values.  Along with working with several prominent Jewish religious figures in his campaigns and marches on behalf of civil rights (Rabbi Abraham Heschel, Jack Greenberg, nearly half of the civil rights attorneys in the South, etc), Dr. King also spoke about community service, assisting the poor, promoting non-violence to achieve goals, and displaying an optimism about the future in the face of injustice.  All of these endeavors relate to Jewish values as well, including Tzedakah, Tikun Olam, Tu’Bshvat, etc.  Jewish communities around the world constantly strive to live up to the promise of a better life in the future, to fulfill our obligations to the earth, to improve the world for those who live in it, and to nurture harmony and cooperation among communities across the world.  In order to fully honor the legacy of Dr. King, we must remember the values he espoused and how closely they are related to what we wish to achieve for Jewish values and communities for a long time to come.   

And as we head toward the middle of winter, plenty of other major holidays are coming up, including Tu B’shvat, Purim and Passover.  We will also be hosting a special Shabbat Service for the new members of our community next month on Friday, February 16.  We encourage all of our new families to attend as the future of our congregation.  You can also help make a difference by volunteering to help with the Purim Carnival and Passover Seder.  Assisting with any of these events allows us to connect with the community, perform a mitzvah, and make the Temple Beth Hillel experience even better.  We will be sending out dates and opportunities for volunteering shortly.  And for those who wish to make a difference in our community, we highly encourage you to consider joining the Temple Beth Hillel Board of Directors next year. Our Board is always on the lookout for members who have ideas for the future of the temple and the ability to carry out that vision. Serving on the Board makes us appreciate how much Temple Beth Hillel means to us and our children. 

Finally, our next regular Shabbat Service will take place this Friday, January 19, at 7:30 p.m.   Our co-president David Zimring and his family will be hosting Oneg so please come and join us.  Earlier in the evening, we will also have Family Shabbat at 6:15 p.m., with our theme of Tu B’shvat.  Torah Study will take place Saturdays at 10:15 a.m. on Zoom, and the Adult Education class will be hosted by Rabbi Dean on Sundays (see calendar for dates).  And of course, we encourage everyone to come to our wonderful Tefillah services at Religious School each Sunday at 9:30 a.m.  Thank you everyone!  

If I am not for myself, who will be for me?

If I am not for others, what am I?

And if not now, when? -Rabbi Hillel

~ Anna B Stein and David Zimring, Co-Presidents, Temple Beth Hillel

Hello Everyone!

Now that the new secular year is upon us, we wanted to take a moment again to contemplate the creativity of humanity when it comes to keeping time.  Specifically, as even ancient societies knew, the length of the solar year is not exact and so over time both holidays and seasons can start creeping up the calendar.  In order to deal with the problem, governments and timekeepers often had to add or subtract units of time for no other reason than to make the calendars line up.  For the secular year, our modern calendar dates back to 1582, when Pope Gregory XIII declared that ten days would be eliminated from the calendar that year and in the future required to have a leap year every four years, with 366 days rather than 365.  In contrast, when the Jewish calendar needs to be realigned, we add not just an extra day but an entire extra month, where the month of Adar becomes Adar II and the extra month becomes Adar I.  Incredibly, we will witness both the leap year of 2024 with 29 days in February and the two Adar months of 5784 within the next few months.  Two vastly different solutions to the same general problem occurring at the same time.  Taken together, they represent yet another example of the ingenuity of humankind.       

We also wanted to let everyone know that the El Cerrito City Council will be holding a meeting next Tuesday, January 16, at 6:00 p.m. to discuss adopting a resolution on the Israel/Hamas War.  Considering what happened at the Richmond City Council a couple months ago, our community can make an impact by having temple members attend the meeting and expressing our opinions.  We invite anyone who would like to come to attend the meeting and make our voices heard to the leaders of El Cerrito. 

In addition, plenty of other major holidays are coming up in the near future, including Tu B’shvat, Purim and Passover.  We will also be hosting a special Shabbat Service for the new members of our community next month on Friday, February 16.  We encourage all of our new families to attend as the future of our congregation.  You can also help make a difference by volunteering to help with the Purim Carnival and Passover Seder.  Assisting with any of these events allows us to connect with the community, perform a mitzvah, and make the Temple Beth Hillel experience even better. And for those who wish to make a difference in our community, we highly encourage you to consider joining the Temple Beth Hillel Board of Directors next year. Our Board is always on the lookout for members who have ideas for the future of the temple and the ability to carry out that vision. Serving on the Board makes us appreciate how much Temple Beth Hillel means to us and our children. 

Finally, our next regular Shabbat Service will take place on Friday, January 19, at 7:30 p.m.   Earlier in the evening, we will have our first Family Shabbat of the year at 6:15 p.m., with our theme of Tu B’shvat.  Torah Study will take place Saturday at 10:15 a.m. on Zoom, and the Adult Education class will be hosted by Rabbi Dean on Sundays (see calendar for dates).  And of course, we encourage everyone to come to our wonderful Tefillah services at Religious School each Sunday at 9:30 a.m. (except for this Sunday because of the MLK holiday).  Thank you everyone!  

If I am not for myself, who will be for me?

If I am not for others, what am I?

And if not now, when? -Rabbi Hillel

~ Anna B Stein and David Zimring, Co-Presidents, Temple Beth Hillel

Shalom Everyone!

And Happy Secular New Year!  We hope everyone had a wonderful New Year’s celebration as we look ahead to an eventful year in 2024.  And in the spirit of the season, we can take a moment to observe the unusual nature and tradition of the timing of both the secular and Jewish new year.  In ancient times, the new year generally fell in the spring, coinciding with the start of the harvest and the emergence from winter.  The Jewish new year, however, in the observance of Rosh Hashanah, happens in the seventh month of Tishrei, at the end of the harvest.  The secular new year, in an even more bizarre twist, occurs right at the beginning of winter, when the harvest is over but the new one has not yet begun.  Regardless of the reason for these traditions, they both demonstrate that calendars can be manipulated by individuals and societies to their whim.  As a result, people can attempt to bend nature and even time itself for our own purposes, giving us a vast amount of symbolic if not practical power.  That kind of power can give us hope for the future, especially in the midst of uncertainty.             

We also wanted to express our deepest thanks for all our members who are assisting in helping us find TBH’s next rabbi. We will all miss Dean very much after his retirement in 2025 but this also marks the next chapter in the story of TBH.  As a reminder, please fill out the survey the Rabbi Search Committee sent out detailing what qualities you would like to see in our future Rabbi.  We look forward to hearing from all of you and welcome your input.

We also have plenty of other major holidays to celebrate in the near future, including Tu B’shvat, Purim and Passover.  You can help make a difference by volunteering to help with the Purim Carnival and Passover Seder.  Assisting with any of these events allows us to connect with the community, perform a mitzvah, and make the Temple Beth Hillel experience even better. And for those who wish to make a difference in our community, we highly encourage you to consider joining the Temple Beth Hillel Board of Directors next year. Our Board is always on the lookout for members who have ideas for the future of the temple and the ability to carry out that vision. Serving on the Board makes us appreciate how much Temple Beth Hillel means to us and our children. 

Finally, our next regular Shabbat Service will take place on Friday, January 5, at 7:30 p.m.  And for our new members, we will be holding a special Shabbat service for all of you in the second week of February so please come join us.  Torah Study will take place Saturday at 10:15 a.m. on Zoom, and the Adult Education class will be hosted by Rabbi Dean (see calendar for dates).  And of course, we encourage everyone to come to our wonderful Tefillah services at Religious School when we return on Sunday, January 7, at 9:30 a.m. Thank you everyone!  

If I am not for myself, who will be for me?

If I am not for others, what am I?

And if not now, when? -Rabbi Hillel

~ Anna B Stein and David Zimring, Co-Presidents, Temple Beth Hillel

Hello Everyone!

First of all, we wanted to express our immense gratitude to all the volunteers who are currently making Food for Thought a reality.  Over the last few days they have put together hundreds of boxes to send out to hundreds of families and will help feed thousands of people for the end of the year.  Thanks to all of your hard work, we will have another incredible year for this important program.

As we near the end of Hanukkah, we wanted to share an illuminating lesson our students learned in Religious School this past week.  While looking at various songs celebrating the season, the older students discussed the deeper meaning of “Light One Candle,” a classic by Peter, Paul and Mary.  Over the course of the song, eight key themes about Hanukkah emerge: Children, Pain, Sacrifice, Wisdom, Strength, Suffering, Belief, and Togetherness.  Taken together, these themes highlight both the struggle of the Israelites in ancient times and the unbreakable bonds forged in Jewish communities today.  Along with lighting candles and enjoying dreidel games and opening presents, we encourage everyone at TBH to reflect on at least one of these themes each of the remaining nights of Hanukkah.  Doing so gives us the opportunity for deeper contemplation on the message and meaning of this holiday of miracles as the secular year comes to an end.           

Also, we wanted to express our deepest gratitude for all our members who volunteered to serve on the newly created search committee to look for TBH’s next rabbi. We will all miss Dean very much after his retirement next year but this also marks the next chapter in the story of TBH.  We and the members of the committee will be working hard to find a worthy successor for our beloved Rabbi Dean. As part of this effort, the committee recently sent out a survey for members to fill out indicating what qualities you would like to see in our future Rabbi.  We look forward to hearing from all of you and welcome your input.

And for those who wish to make a difference in our community, we highly encourage you to consider joining the Temple Beth Hillel Board of Directors next year. Our Board is always on the lookout for members who have ideas for the future of the temple and the ability to carry out that vision. Serving on the Board makes us appreciate how much Temple Beth Hillel means to us and our children. 

   Finally, our next regular Shabbat Service will take place this Friday, December 15, at 7:30 p.m. The next Family Shabbat will occur on that same Friday at 6:15 p.m. so please help spread the word.  We will also be hosting the second annual TBH Dreidel Olympics, so be sure to come and show off your dreidel skills.  And for our new members, we will be holding a special Shabbat service for all of you in January.  Torah Study will take place every Saturday at 10:15 a.m. on Zoom, and the Adult Education class will be hosted by Rabbi Dean (see calendar for dates).  And of course, we encourage everyone to come to our wonderful Tefillah services at Religious School every Sunday at 9:30 a.m. Thank you everyone!  

If I am not for myself, who will be for me?

If I am not for others, what am I?

And if not now, when? -Rabbi Hillel

~ Anna B Stein and David Zimring, Co-Presidents, Temple Beth Hillel

Chag Hanukkah Sameach Everyone!

First of all, we wanted to say a huge thank you to everyone who helped to make our annual Hanukkah Fair such an extraordinary event.  Thanks to Jane, Wendy, and all the committee members for all their hard work putting the event together.  Thanks to all our volunteers for helping with the cooking, set up, clean up, cookie decorating, face painting, overseeing the bake sale, and all the other critical jobs.  We had such an amazing turnout, with our own members and those of the greater East Bay community coming to show their support. 

Starting Thursday we will all be celebrating the Festival of Lights, complete with latkes, sufganiyot, gelt, dreidels, menorahs, and of course family and presents!  Candles will be lit, prayers will be said, games will be played, and good times will be had by all.  At the same time, as with all our holidays, we must keep the deeper meaning of this wonderful time in mind.  The story of Hanukkah symbolizes the themes of Redemption, with the restoration of the Temple by the Maccabees; Faith, when the Maccabees lit the menorah with only one day’s worth of holy oil believing that God would provide a miracle; and Persistence, with the successful conclusion of a war against a mighty empire against the odds.  Just as importantly, the rituals of Hanukkah require us to reflect on holiness and life.  Before we enter the room where we celebrate, we must pass through a door flanked by a menorah and mezuzah to symbolize entering a holy space.  On the night of Shabbat, we wait 18 minutes after sunset before lighting candles to symbolize Chai (Life).  When we light the candles, we light the newest candle first to symbolize that no one is superior to others.  As this holiday is full of meaning, let us all reflect on the meaning of our own lives and how we live out that meaning everyday.   

Also, we wanted to express our deepest gratitude for all our members who volunteered to serve on the newly created search committee to look for TBH’s next rabbi. We will all miss Dean very much after his retirement next year but this also marks the next chapter in the story of TBH.  We and the members of the committee will be working hard to find a worthy successor for our beloved Rabbi Dean. As part of this effort, shortly we will be sending out a survey for members to fill out indicating what qualities you would like to see in our future Rabbi.  We look forward to hearing from all of you and welcome your input.

And for those who wish to make a difference in our community, we highly encourage you to consider joining the Temple Beth Hillel Board of Directors next year. Our Board is always on the lookout for members who have ideas for the future of the temple and the ability to carry out that vision. Serving on the Board makes us appreciate how much Temple Beth Hillel means to us and our children. And for those who wish to volunteer for Food for Thought this year, there is a sign up sheet in the main hallway. 

   Finally, our next regular Shabbat Service will take place on Friday, December 15, at 7:30 p.m. The next Family Shabbat will occur on that same Friday at 6:15 p.m. so please help spread the word.  We will be hosting the second annual TBH Dreidel Olympics, so be sure to come and show off your dreidel skills.  And for our new members, we will be holding a special Shabbat service for all of you in January.  Torah Study will take place every Saturday at 10:15 a.m. on Zoom and the Adult Education class will be hosted by Rabbi Dean (see calendar for dates).  And of course, we encourage everyone to come to our wonderful Tefillah services at Religious School every Sunday at 9:30 a.m. Thank you everyone!  

If I am not for myself, who will be for me?

If I am not for others, what am I?

And if not now, when? -Rabbi Hillel

~ Anna B Stein and David Zimring, Co-Presidents, Temple Beth Hillel

Shalom Everyone!

First of all, we wanted to thank everyone who came to our most recent Shabbat service.  We had a wonderful turnout thanks to our guests from the Beth Chaim congregation from Danville, who came to support us in solidarity.  This just goes to show how much the various Jewish communities in the East Bay can support each other amidst these turbulent times.  We will be working to arrange more of these kinds of events in the future.

We also wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving this week as you spend time with friends and family with turkey, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, and other traditional tasty treats.  Incredibly, this tradition of celebrating Thanksgiving during the last week of November is quite recent, only dating back to the Civil War.  Before then, families and communities could hold a thanksgiving whenever they had something for which they were thankful.  The concept of Thanksgiving itself is a deeply held Jewish value.  As stated in the 23rd chapter of Exodus, after working the fields for six years, the Israelites would leave the fields fallow so that the poor “may eat from the field”.  The ancient Israelites were thankful for the bounty the land provided and then expressed their thanks by providing charity for those who needed it.  So as we sit down to our Thanksgiving feasts, let us be reminded that thanksgiving should not be consigned to just a single day of the year.  Instead, we can celebrate thanksgiving at any time for those we are thankful for in our lives.   

When we all return from Thanksgiving, we have several fun events planned for the community.  Our annual Hanukkah Fair will take place on Sunday, December 3 from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m..  We are looking for volunteers to help out with set up, running games, helping out in the kitchen to make latkes, etc.  You can find the link for the sign-up sheet on the next page.  Thank you to everyone who will contribute their time and effort to make this event a joyous occasion for the end of the year.  And for our new members, we will be holding a special Shabbat service for our newest TBH members in January.  

Also, we wanted to express our deepest gratitude for all our members who volunteered to serve on the newly created search committee to look for TBH’s next rabbi. We will all miss Dean very much after his retirement next year but this also marks the next chapter in the story of TBH.  We and the members of the committee will be working hard to find a worthy successor for our beloved Rabbi Dean. As part of this effort, shortly we will be sending out a survey for members to fill out indicating what qualities you would like to see in our future Rabbi.  We look forward to hearing from all of you and welcome your input.

And for those who wish to make a difference in our own community, we highly encourage you to consider joining the Temple Beth Hillel Board of Directors next year. Our Board is always on the lookout for members who have ideas for the future of the temple and the ability to carry out that vision. Serving on the Board makes us appreciate how much Temple Beth Hillel means to us and our children. And for those who wish to volunteer for Food for Thought this year, there is a sign up sheet in the main hallway. 

   Finally, our next regular Shabbat Service will take place on Friday, December 1, at 7:30 p.m. The next Family Shabbat will occur on Friday, December 15, starting at 6:15 p.m. so please help spread the word.  We will be hosting the second annual Dreidel Olympics, so be sure to come and show off your dreidel skills.  Torah Study will resume every Saturday at 10:15 a.m. on Zoom and the Adult Education class will be hosted by Rabbi Dean (see calendar for dates).  And of course, we encourage everyone to come to our wonderful Tefillah services at Religious School every Sunday at 9:30 a.m. Thank you everyone!  

If I am not for myself, who will be for me?

If I am not for others, what am I?

And if not now, when? -Rabbi Hillel

~ Anna B Stein and David Zimring, Co-Presidents, Temple Beth Hillel

Hello Everyone!

As Rabbi Dean had mentioned, this past weekend, in addition to being Veteran’s Day, was also the anniversary of one of the most blatant and vicious acts of anti-semitism in European history: Kristallnacht.  Also known as the “Night of Broken Glass,” gangs of thugs, with the full backing of the Nazi government, sought out Jewish homes and businesses in Germany, Austria, and the Sudetenland, smashed windows, destroyed property, and assaulted Jewish individuals and families.  In addition, many synagogues were destroyed and thousands of Jewish men were rounded up and sent to concentration camps.  Then to add insult to injury, the Nazi government then blamed German Jews for the riots and imposed a fine of a billion marks.  The savagery showed the anti-semitic rage coursing through the heart of Europe at that time.  Nevertheless, a measure of hope came out of the disaster precisely because of its savagery.  For the previous five years, ever since the Nazis came to power, much of the rest of the world, including the United States, either looked with indifference upon the sufferings of Jews in Germany or believed reports of those sufferings were exaggerated.  Kristallnacht, which was carried on the front page of newspapers all over the United States, shocked Americans out of their complacency.  Public opinion shifted toward opposing Germany, Franklin Roosevelt gave a speech denouncing the violence, and efforts were made to modify immigration quotas to allow more Jewish refugees.  Though the modifications were not adopted, the American public was now fully aware of the extent of Nazi persecution and helped contribute to the support for war against Germany several years later.  Thus, even the worst kinds of darkness, beacons of light can still burst through.  

In other news, we are pleased to announce that we will have special guests for our upcoming Shabbat service on Friday, November 17.  Members of the Beth Chaim Congregation in Danville will be coming to our synagogue to worship beside us in a show of solidarity for our congregation in response to the measure passed by the Richmond City Council a couple weeks ago.  Let us all make them feel welcome.  And for our new members, we will be holding a special Shabbat service for TBH members in January.  

Our next major event will be the Hanukkah Party coming up on December 3 from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m..  We are looking for volunteers to help out with set up, running games, helping out in the kitchen to make latkes, etc.  Thank you to everyone who will contribute their time and effort to make this event a joyous occasion for the end of the year.

Also, we wanted to express our deepest gratitude for all our members who volunteered to serve on the newly created search committee to look for TBH’s next rabbi. We will all miss Dean very much after his retirement next year but this also marks the next chapter in the story of TBH.  We and the members of the committee will be working hard to find a worthy successor for our beloved Rabbi Dean. We will provide plenty of updates as the process unfolds. And for those who wish to make a difference in our own community, we highly encourage you to consider joining the Temple Beth Hillel Board of Directors next year. Our Board is always on the lookout for members who have ideas for the future of the temple and the ability to carry out that vision. Serving on the Board makes us appreciate how much Temple Beth Hillel means to us and our children. And for those who wish to volunteer for Food for Thought this year, there is a sign up sheet in the main hallway. 

   Finally, our next regular Shabbat Service will take place on Friday, November 17, at 7:30 p.m. The next Family Shabbat will occur on that same day, starting at 6:15 p.m. so please help spread the word.  Torah Study will resume every Saturday at 10:15 a.m. on Zoom. And of course, we encourage everyone to come to our wonderful Tefillah services at Religious School every Sunday at 9:30 a.m. Thank you everyone!      

If I am not for myself, who will be for me?

If I am not for others, what am I?

And if not now, when? -Rabbi Hillel

~ Anna B Stein and David Zimring, Co-Presidents, Temple Beth Hillel