Upcoming Bar/Bat Mitzvah Celebrations

1/23/16

Maxx Smith-Rapaport

 

1/30/16

Jessica Berman

 

2/6/16

Noah Yontef Mathog

Parking Lot Duty
This Week
 
No School This Sunday
We hope to see you at "Shabbat Spectacular" on Shabbat morning.
Service Times

Weekdays

7:00 a.m. & 7:30 p.m.

 

This Friday Night

5:45 p.m.

PJ Shabbat

Kids' "ClubShabbat"

6:00 p.m.

Kabbalat Shabbat

 

This Shabbat

9:30 a.m.

Sanctuary Service

10:00 a.m.

Shabbat Spectacular

including

Tumbling with Torah

Shabbat Experience

Shabbat Zone

12:30 p.m.

Mincha

 

Sundays
8:45 a.m. & 7:30 p.m.

 

We are in need of help to make a minyan on Sundays and weekdays, morning and evening. Your attendance will be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Coming Events

         

Friday, January 15

5:45 PM

PJ Shabbat

Kids' "ClubShabbat"

 

Shabbat, January 16

10:00 AM

Shabbat Spectacular

Including:

Tumbling with Torah

Shabbat Experience

Shabbat Zone

 

Sunday, January 17

No Religious School Classes

 

Sunday, January 24

10:00 AM

Daled Class Tallit Workshop

10:30 AM

Hai Class JCL Program

 

Shabbat, January 30

11:00 a.m.

Tumbling with Torah

Shabbat Experience

Shabbat Zone

 

Friday, February 5

5:45 p.m.

Family Service

 

Sunday, February 7

9:15 a.m.

World Wide Wrap

10:00 a.m.

 Aleph Class

Siddur Decoration

12:00 p.m.

PAG

"Mitzvot & Munchies" 
Religious School Happenings
Shabbat Newsletter
Weekend of January 15-17, 2016

If you have questions about any of the programs described
 here, please call the Religious School office at 860-233-9891 
or email Rabbi Rosenbaum. 
We hope to see all of our school families this Shabbat, January 16th, for "Shabbat Spectacular". Please note that there are no classes on Sunday, January 17th.
"Shabbat Spectacular" This Shabbat
NO CLASSES ON SUNDAY, JANUARY 17TH
This Shabbat morning, January 16th, Religious School comes on Saturday in our second "Shabbat Spectacular" program for students of all grades. Rabbinic Intern David Winship, "Mr. D", Morah Barbara and many of your favorite teachers will lead special Shabbat appropriate activities. The program will feature special raffle prizes and a study session with Rabbi Rosen for parents. There will also be special programming for students of the Daled (6) and Hai (7) classes. The program will conclude with all of the students on the bimah in the Sanctuary leading Ein Keloheynu, Aleynu and Adon Olam and getting a special treat! A Kiddush luncheon follows for all. To assist us in our planning, families are asked to please RSVP to hrosenbaum@bethelwh.org, (860) 233-9891 or reply to the Evite which you received at http://evite.me/YdJ7qXZexe. Click here for details. Students attending Solomon Schechter Day School, or other programs, are welcome to join in.
Mishloach Manot Info Sent Out
 Purim begins this year on Wednesday evening, March 23rd, and, believe it or not, it's time to begin planning for Mishloach Manot! Mishloach Manot is once again a synagogue-wide project, so we need lots of help to assemble and deliver packages. Information has been sent out, both by e-mail and snail mail. We hope you will choose to participate. You can send Mishloach Manot to your child's entire class and to teachers for a nominal amount. Volunteers are needed to bake hamantashen (on January 24th) as well as to assemble and deliver the baskets. Please contact either Amy Goldman (860-232-0790 or amygoldman@comcast.net) or Marci Alter (860-676-2248 or mbajba1@gmail.com) if you are able to help with the baskets.  
Bakers Needed On January 24th!
TO BAKE OVER 3000 HAMANTASHEN
On Sunday, January 24th, from 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM, volunteers will bake over 3000 hamantashen for this year's Mishloach Manot packages, which every Religious School family will receive. As you might imagine, that requires a lot of bakers! If you are available, for even an hour, while your children are in Religious School, your help will be greatly appreciated. Please contact Debbi Reiss at (860) 523-9470 or d.reiss@comcast.net.

Tu Bishvat is Coming!

PLANT A TREE IN ISRAEL

Tu Bishvat, the "New Year of the Trees," will be celebrated this year on Monday, January 25th. As we mark the beginning of spring in Israel, it is customary to help build up the land by planting trees through the Jewish National Fund (JNF) in honor or in memory of loved ones. Trees are just $18 each. A personalized tree certificate will be prepared for you by JNF to give to the 'honoree' of your choice. Planting information is in the process of being distributed to all students in the Religious School and will continue to be available in the School office. Please fill it out, providing all the information requested, and return it to the school office with a check for the appropriate amount, made payable to 'Jewish National Fund', no later than March 1st. We hope that every school family will participate by planting at least one tree. 

 

Essay Contest on American Jewish Life and Culture 
Announcing the fifth annual essay contest on American Jewish Life and Culture sponsored by the Fishman Family Fund for American Jewish History at the Maurice Greenberg Center for Judaic Studies, University of Hartford on the theme "Immigration and the American Jewish Experience." Students are  encouraged to submit either an essay or a creative work reflecting on some aspect of the Jewish immigrant experience to America and how this experience has played a role in the evolving definition of what it means to be an "American.". Submissions will be judged based on creativity, content, quality of writing, clarity of argument, and originality. Awards will be granted at five levels: elementary school (grades 1-2 for class projects and 3-5), middle school (grades 6-8), high school (grades 9-12), and college (open to all University of Hartford undergraduates). The deadline is Wednesday, April 1, 2016. Awards will be granted at the University of Hartford on Monday, May 2, 2016. For additional information please contact Prof. Avinoam Patt at patt@hartford.edu or 860-768-4963.
A Special Emissaries Project
HELP TURN USED HALLOWEEN COSTUMES INTO
PURIM COSTUMES FOR ISRAELI CHILDREN IN NEED
There are many ways for our children to personally make a difference in the life of an Israeli child. Our Young Emissaries, Edo and Donna, are collecting used Halloween costumes to bring to Israel for Israeli children who cannot afford Purim costumes. They will personally take them to Israel when they go home to visit in February. If you have costumes you wish to donate, please bring them to the Religious School office by January 31st. If you have any questions, please contact Donna at Donacohen1@gmail.com.
In Case of Inclement Weather...
Whenever the West Hartford Public Schools are closed or dismissed early due to inclement weather, the Beth El Temple Religious School will be closed for the day. At other times, please listen to radio stations WTIC (1080 AM/96.5 FM) or WDRC (1360 AM/102.9 FM) or watch TV stations WVIT-30 or WFSB-3 for announcements of school closing. If in doubt, call the school office. When school is to be cancelled on Sunday mornings, every effort will also be made to contact you by e-mail. 
Beth El Temple Religious School

2626 Albany Ave ◦ West Hartford, CT 06117 ◦ 860-233-9891 phone ◦  860-233-9892 fax

http://www.bethelwesthartford.org