Take this Tallit Quiz!!

In researching materials for our upcoming program on tallit, I found this little four question quiz. There are no right or wrong answers and it will get us thinking about what the tallit is for and why we use it. It would be great for parents and students to do this quiz together! Click here to get to Rabbi Scheinerman's home page. Click "Tallit" on the side menu bar. On the Tallit page, scroll to the bottom and click on "Would you like to take the Tallit Exploratory Quiz?"

Let us know what you think!

Beth El Temple Bar/Bat Mitzvah Student's Mitzvah Projects

Here is a mitzvah project from the heart!

Jacob Cantor was born with complex congenital heart disease. He has had multiple open heart surgeries and many procedures. Because of this, he has become committed to the cause of research and the treatment of heart disease. He has participated in many medical studies for the benefit of other patients. He has been a volunteer with the Connecticut Chapter of the American Heart Association. His story was featured at the American Heart Association's CT fundraiser at Mohegan Sun last May. He is planning a team for the AHA's Hartford walk - a- thon in the fall. He also has been in discussions with the Foundation of the Connecticut Children's Medical Center to tell his story and inspire support for the Cardiology unit at the Center. Jacob doesn't view his involvement and his volunteer activities as a one time or even once a year event. He will continue to be involved in helping the Heart Assoc, other families with congenital heart disease and the CT Children's Medical Center and the Children's Hospital in Boston.

If you would like to get involved in this work too, you can contact Jacob and his family at shaboyz@comcast.net

Click for American Heart Association website.

Click for Connecticut Children's Medical Center website

What's your Parasha??

After the program on Sunday, all of the students that were there can now tell you what their bar/bat mitzvah parasha is and what book of the Torah it is from. I told them that they will OWN it and it will become part of how they will always remember this time in their lives. We photographed the students in groups based where their parasha was in the Torah! Click on the picture below to see photos from the program!

Dvar Torah Program

Special Guest Blogger – Rabbi Jim Rosen

Shalom everyone! I am really looking forward to being with you on Sunday. I always find it exciting to gather with families and try to "de-mystify" the process of writing a D'var Torah-at least a little bit. This is a very exciting part of the Bar/Bat Mitzvah process and one that will hopefully add to your family's appreciation of the Jewish idea of life-long learning.

I will wait for Sunday for the details but for now can say that much of what we already do in life involves the act of interpretation. It is not so different than what a student of Torah does when preparing to teach something new. It really involves asking some very key questions of who, what, when, where and why and one that is not so appreciated all the time - how. We do that in assessing current events and family decisions. The challenge is to apply this to Torah and to understand where a text and life might meet and be enriched by the encounter. That will be our goal. I always find that task exciting and hope you will too.

All the best, Rabbi Jim Rosen