Join us in learning together during Elul, the month preceding the High Holidays. All sessions will be held in person and via Zoom here: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/7440314621.

Beth Emeth Selichot Program, Saturday, September 17, 7:00-9:00 PM
Join us on Saturday, September 17 at 7:00 PM. For Selichot. The evening will include Havdalah, dessert, a Selichot service and a program, The Power of Words: Jewish Ethics in Journalism, with special guest Emily Jaeger. The program and service will also be available on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/8fBstkXOQt8.

Program Description: Jewish tradition is deeply concerned with the ethics of interpersonal relationships. The Rabbis of the Talmud describe the act of embarrassing another person as equivalent to taking a life. What can Judaism teach us about using the power of words for the good in journalism and the fine line between honesty and exposure?

From the evening’s presenter: “In this session, I will be sharing some of the most influential Jewish texts on my journalistic practice. We will also explore 1-2 of my more challenging pieces where I’ve used Jewish ethics to craft my approach to challenging subjects: uncovering and preserving Gullah Geechee heritage, coming-out stories, anti-LGBTQ protests, and more.

Wednesday, August 31, 5:30-6:30 PM
Loving Rebuke and Hannah’s Story: In this season of selichah and teshuvah, of forgiveness and repentance, what can we learn from the story of Hannah—the traditional haftarah for Rosh Hashanah—about how we should respond to one another and correct behavior? We’ll explore the text together with an eye toward our own spiritual work in the high holidays.

Wednesday, September 7, 5:30-6:30 PM: The Music—and the Words—of The High Holidays
Join Cantor Pellen for a an exploration of the music of the High Holidays.

Wednesday, September 14, 5:30-6:30 PM: New Words: The Poetry of Mishkan HaNefesh
The Reform movement has adopted a new high holiday prayerbook, with new readings and a new approach to the holidays. Together we’ll explore some of the readings and themes and how they make old ideas new again!

Wednesday, September 21, 5:30-6:30 PM: 9/21 The Meaning of T’shuvah and Kapparah in a Time of Division
Today, our society feels more divided, angrier, more in conflict with one another than ever. Is there hope for forgiveness and return in today’s culture, or is it all ‘cancel culture’? We’ll explore that theme together and how we can get to a place of communal accountability and forgiveness.

Monday, September 26, Noon: Second Day Rosh Hashanah: Our Words, Our Promises
Presenting the Ethics Code for Beth Emeth: Join Rabbi Robinson, David Margolies and the members of the Beth Emeth Ethics Taskforce to explore why Beth Emeth is creating an Ethics Code for the congregation, and what it might mean for our community.