Thursday, May 31, 2012

Shabbat at CBS:Tot Shabbat to Queen's Diamond Jubliee


Dear Chaverim

      I cannot believe another week has gone.  Well it’s the 1st of the month, so it’s time for…

*FFFF Shabbat, that’s First Friday Family Friendly Shabbat, 6:30 p.m. tonight, featuring a surprise selection from the PJ Library, a joint effort with our Jewish Federation of Delaware. (preceded by a kiddy-friendly Kiddush – and something for the grownups, too), plus me on the guitar, playing your ECC classics, from Bim Bam to I’ve Got that Shabbat Feeling, plus Marc Epstein’s bar mitzvah.

*Saturday, June 2, 9:30 a.m., Shabbat services featuring the bar mitzvah of Marc Epstein. His sermon topic: Parshat Naso: BUILDING an Ideal Society by Accountability.   I will be offering a Prayer for the Queen on the Occasion of Her Diamond Jubilee, written by the Chief Rabbi of England.

      Be royal. Be moved. Be at Shabbat Services at Congregation Beth Shalom.

        Rabbi Michael

Wed.,June 6, 6:30 pm, CBS-You're invited to AEA Graduation

Dear Congregation Family,

We have been in this community for eight years now and we have arrived at our first large milestone: our eldest daughter, Ariella’s, graduation from the Albert Einstein Academy. Our family is 3,000 miles away and will not be able to attend this important event in our lives.

We would like to reach out to each of you and ask you to attend as our family, as we celebrate Ariella’s AEA graduation this coming Wednesday, June 6, six-thirty in the evening, at Congregation Beth Shalom. A dessert reception will follow.

Thank you for being a part of our lives, and allowing us into yours. Please hold the date of May 17-18, 2013, next year, for Ariella’s bat mitzvah. May we celebrate many more simchas together in good health.

Warmly,

Rabbi Michael and the entire Beals family






Attachment: AEA Graduation Invitation

Friday, May 25, 2012

Romney Rejects Character Assassination,Laurel Sigman's March of the Living, Cheesecake, Yizkor, read on

Dear Chaverim,
There is SO much to share in this edition of Rabbi Michael’s WeekEND Notes – Herman Cohen’s 90th birthday celebration, Laurel
Sigman’s March of the Living talk, Shavuot – from study sessions & cheese cake to Yizkor, and of course my Shabbat Sermon topics … read on.
*Friday (tonight!), May 25, 6:30 p.m., Kabbalat Shabbat services, Herman Cohen's Gala 90th Birthday Celebration with AWESOME
Kitchen Klub oneg to follow. Sermon Topic:
Mitt Romney REJECTS Commit Character Assassination: The Power of Speech Found in the Book of Numbers
*Saturday, May 26, 9:30 a.m., Shabbat sermon topic:
Sometimes it IS all about the Journey: Was 40 Years Just a Waste of Time?
8:45 pm, Tikkun Leil Shavuot & Cheesecake Eating Fest, SHAVUOT
We will begin with a quick Ma’ariv service then three presentations:
a. Rabbi Jeremy Winaker, UD Hillel Outreach Rabbi (health permitting) on Life Cycles and Holiday Cycles
b. Professor Tom Tolin, Economic Professor at Westchester University on A Biblical Take on Poverty for Modern Times
c. Rabbi Michael Beals, on 3800 Years of Jewish History in 45 minutes
Following our study sessions, at around midnight, we will travel to AKSE to join a community study experience to conclude our evening.
*Sunday, May 27, 9 a.m., 1st Day Shavuot. Featuring guest student speaker Laurel Sigman, recently returned from Poland and Israel,
speaking on The March of the Living.
*Monday, May 28, 9 a.m., 2nd Day Shavuot. Yizkor in the morning and appropriate Memorial Day Readings and Commemoration.
….looking ahead in June: Marc Epstein’s Bar Mitzvah June1-2, Albert Einstein Academy Graduation at CBS, Wed., June 6, 6:30 pm (Ariella Beals among the graduates), Samantha Hughes’ Bat Mitzvah June 8-9, CBS Shabbat in the Woods Camping Adventure, June 15-17 – contact Dina Lipschultz ASAP if you want in!,
JFD Israel Film Fest at CBS, I Love You Airport, Monday, June 18, 7 p.m.
Be relevant, Stay informed, Be Moved.
Attend Shabbat and Festival services & programs at Congregation Beth Shalom!
Shabbat shalom and hag sameah!
Rabbi Michael

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Interfaith Partnership with DE Government to help Foster Children

Download Audio File »
Lt. Gov. Denn, Rabbi Beals, and Rev. John Moore talk about the need to help Delaware's foster kids.
Delaware church leaders will soon be encouraging their congregations to consider opening their homes to foster children in need.
The number of foster children in Delaware outpaces the number of available foster homes by a 2-to-1 margin. That means there are only 400 foster families statewide to offer housing to the 850 children in need of foster care. "These are kids who have been dealt some of the toughest hands of any kids in our state," says Lt. Gov. Matt Denn. "Many of them are in foster care because they were abused, because they were neglected, because they were abandoned by the people who were supposed to take care of them.”
He's reaching out to churches in Delaware in hopes of finding just one family in each congregation to consider opening their home to one of these foster kids. "We have a moral obligation to make things okay for them. To give them a stable and a loving environment in which to live.”
Denn unveiled the plan surrounded by both Christian and Jewish church leaders at Word of Life Church in Newark. “Most, if not all, of our religious denominations in Delaware have as a central tenet of what they stand for the care of the most vulnerable among us."
Rabbi Michael Beals of Congregation Beth Shalom in Wilmington said he'll bring the message to his congregation from the Torah teaching about what he called the 'original trinity', the widow, the orphan and the stranger in your midst. "I’ll be preaching that we’ll be judged on how we treat them, so that will be my motivational text to go forward."
The message will be the same for Rev. John Moore of Calvary Baptist Church in Dover, except his text comes from the New Testament parable of the Good Samaritan. "Will we stop and help somebody because we're concerned about them? In doing so, we can impact lives tremendously."
The churches will also use a video presentation featuring some Delaware foster children and foster parents to encourage their congregations to consider getting involved.

Saturday, May 19, 2012

Spiritual Guide to Counting the Omer:Malchut/Sovereignty-last posting


SPIRITUAL GUIDE TO COUNTING THE OMER

A practical guide to becoming great in 49 days.

With the mitzvah of counting the 49 days, known as Sefirat Ha'Omer, the Torah invites us on a journey into the human psyche, into the soul. There are seven basic emotions that make up the spectrum of human experience. At the root of all forms of enslavement, is a distortion of these emotions. Each of the seven weeks between Passover and Shavuot is dedicated to examining and refining one of them.

The seven emotional attributes are:






6.     Yesod Bonding


The seven weeks, which represent these emotional attributes, further divide into seven days making up the 49 days of the counting. Since a fully functional emotion is multidimensional, it includes within itself a blend of all seven attributes. Thus, the counting of the first week, which begins on the second night of Pesach, as well as consisting of the actual counting ("Today is day one of the Omer...") would consist of the following structure with suggested meditations:

Upon conclusion of the 49 days we arrive at the 50th day ― Mattan Torah. After we have achieved all we can accomplish through our own initiative, traversing and refining every emotional corner of our psyche, we then receive a gift ('mattan' in Hebrew) from above. We receive that which we could not achieve with our own limited faculties. We receive the gift of true freedom ― the ability to transcend our human limitations and touch the divine.


During the seventh and final week of counting the Omer, we examine and refine the attribute of Malchut ― nobility, sovereignty and leadership. Sovereignty is a state of being rather than an activity. Nobility is a passive expression of human dignity that has nothing of its own except that which it receives from the other six emotions. True leadership is the art of selflessness; it is only a reflection of a Higher will. On the other hand, Malchut manifests and actualizes the character and majesty of the human spirit. It is the very fiber of what makes us human.

Malchut is a sense of belonging. Knowing that you matter and that you make a difference. That you have the ability to be a proficient leader in your own right. It gives you independence and confidence. A feeling of certainty and authority. When a mother lovingly cradles her child in her arms and the child's eyes meet the mother's affectionate eyes, the child receives the message: "I am wanted and needed in this world. I have a comfortable place where I will always be loved. I have nothing to fear. I feel like royalty in my heart." This is Malchut, kingship.


Healthy sovereignty is always kind and loving. An effective leader needs to be warm and considerate. Does my sovereignty make me more loving? Do I exercise my authority and leadership in a caring manner? Do I impose my authority on others?

Exercise for the day: Do something kind for your subordinates


Although sovereignty is loving, it needs to be balanced with discipline. Effective leadership is built on authority and discipline. There is another factor in the discipline of sovereignty: determining the area in which you have jurisdiction and authority.

Do I recognize when I am not an authority? Do I exercise authority in unwarranted situations? Am I aware of my limitations as well as my strengths? Do I respect the authority of others?

Exercise for the day: Before taking an authoritative position on any given issue, pause and reflect if you have the right and the ability to exercise authority in this situation.


A good leader is a compassionate one. Is my compassion compromised because of my authority? Do I realize that an integral part of dignity is compassion? Tiferet ― harmony ― is critical for successful leadership. Do I manage a smooth-running operation? Am I organized? Do I give clear instructions to my subordinates? Do I have difficulty delegating power? Do we have frequent staff meetings to coordinate our goals and efforts?

Exercise for the day: Review an area where you wield authority and see if you can polish it up and increase its effectiveness by curtailing excesses and consolidating forces.


A person's dignity and a leader's success are tested by his endurance level. Will and determination reflect the power and majesty of the human spirit. How determined am I in reaching my goals? How strong is my conviction to fight for a dignified cause? How confident am I in myself? Is my lack of endurance a result of my low self-esteem? Do I mask my insecurities by finding other excuses for my low endurance level?

Exercise for the day: Act on something that you believe in but have until now been tentative about. Take the leap and just do it!


Sovereignty is God's gift to each individual. Hod of Malchut is the humble appreciation of this exceptional gift. Does my sovereignty and independence humble me? Am I an arrogant leader? Do I appreciate the special qualities I was blessed with?

Exercise for the day: Acknowledge God for creating you with personal dignity


Examine the bonding aspect of your sovereignty. Healthy independence should not prevent you from bonding with another person. On the contrary: self-confidence allows you to respect and trust another's sovereignty and ultimately bond with him. That bond will strengthen your own sovereignty, rather than sacrifice it.

Does my sovereignty prevent me from bonding? Could that be because of deeper insecurities of which I am unaware? Do I recognize the fact that a fear of bonding reflects a lack of self-confidence in my own sovereignty?

Exercise for the day: Actualize your sovereignty by intensifying your bond with a close one.


Examine the sovereignty of your sovereignty. Does it come from deep-rooted inner confidence in myself? Or is it just a put-on to mask my insecurities? Does that cause my sovereignty to be excessive? Am I aware of my uniqueness as a person? Of my personal contribution?

Exercise for the day: Take a moment and concentrate on yourself, on your true inner self, not on your performance and how you project to others; and be at peace with yourself knowing that God created a very special person which is you.

After the 49 days of Counting the Omer, after having fully achieved inner renewal by merit of having assessed and developed each of our 49 attributes, we arrive at the fiftieth day. On this day we celebrate the Festival of Shavuot, the giving of the Torah (Matan Torah). After we have accomplished all we can through our own initiative, then we are worthy to receive a gift (matan) from Above which we could not have achieved with our own limited faculties. We receive the ability to reach and touch the Divine; not only to be cultivated human beings who have refined all of our personal characteristics, but divine human beings who are capable of expressing ourselves above and beyond the definitions and limitations of our beings.

Excerpted from "A Spiritual Guide to Counting the Omer" from Aish Ha Torah

Join Me for a Mitzvah Day Sing-along at the Kutz Home

Dear Chaverim,

Please consider joining me at the KUTZ HOME, tomorrow, SUNDAY, from 10:30 - 11:30 a.m., for a Mitzvah Day Sing-Along. I will provide the songbooks and guitar accompaniment. All you need to do is show up. You are welcome to first attend the Mitzvah Day Kick Off event, including breakfast at 9 a.m., or just report at 10:30 a.m. at the Kutz Home. 704 River Road Wilmington, DE 19809. At the JCC you will find other projects listed as well, including grounds work right back home at Congregation Beth Shalom. No matter what you do, you can't go wrong when you are performing acts of tikkun olam.

Hope to see you tomorrow for Mitzvah Day!

Shavua tov,

Rabbi Michael

Sunday, May 13, 2012

Spiritual Guide to Omer Count:Week 6-Bonding/Yesod


SPIRITUAL GUIDE TO COUNTING THE OMER

A practical guide to becoming great in 49 days.

With the mitzvah of counting the 49 days, known as Sefirat Ha'Omer, the Torah invites us on a journey into the human psyche, into the soul. There are seven basic emotions that make up the spectrum of human experience. At the root of all forms of enslavement, is a distortion of these emotions. Each of the seven weeks between Passover and Shavuot is dedicated to examining and refining one of them.

The seven emotional attributes are:








The seven weeks, which represent these emotional attributes, further divide into seven days making up the 49 days of the counting. Since a fully functional emotion is multidimensional, it includes within itself a blend of all seven attributes. Thus, the counting of the first week, which begins on the second night of Pesach, as well as consisting of the actual counting ("Today is day one of the Omer...") would consist of the following structure with suggested meditations:

Upon conclusion of the 49 days we arrive at the 50th day ― Mattan Torah. After we have achieved all we can accomplish through our own initiative, traversing and refining every emotional corner of our psyche, we then receive a gift ('mattan' in Hebrew) from above. We receive that which we could not achieve with our own limited faculties. We receive the gift of true freedom ― the ability to transcend our human limitations and touch the divine.


During the sixth week of counting the Omer, we examine and refine the emotional attribute of Yesod or bonding. Bonding means connecting; not only feeling for another, but being attached to him. Not just a token commitment, but total devotion. It creates a channel between giver and receiver. Bonding is eternal. It develops an everlasting union that lives on forever through the perpetual fruit it bears.

Bonding is the foundation of life. The emotional spine of the human psyche. Every person needs bonding to flourish and grow. The bonding between mother and child; between husband and wife; between brothers and sisters; between close friends. Bonding is affirmation; it gives one the sense of belonging; that "I matter", "I am significant and important". It establishes trust ― trust in yourself and trust in others. It instills confidence. Without bonding and nurturing we cannot realize and be ourselves.


Love is the heart of bonding. You cannot bond without love. Love establishes a reliable base on which bonding can build. If you have a problem bonding, examine how much you love the one (or the experience) with which you wish to bond. Do I try to bond without first fostering a loving attitude? Is my bonding expressed in a loving manner?

Exercise for the day: Demonstrate the bond you have with your child or friend through an act of love.


Bonding must be done with discretion and careful consideration with whom and with what you bond. Even the healthiest and closest bonding needs "time out", a respect for each individual's space. Do I overbond? Am I too dependent on the one I bond with? Is he too dependent on me? Do I bond out of desperation? Do I bond with healthy, wholesome people?

Exercise for the day: Review the discipline in your bonding experiences to see if it needs adjustment.


Bonding needs to be not only loving but also compassionate, feeling your friend's pain and empathizing with him. Is my bonding conditional? Do I withdraw when I am uncomfortable with my friend's troubles?

Exercise for the day: Offer help and support in dealing with an ordeal of someone with whom you have bonded.


An essential component of bonding is its endurance; its ability to withstand challenges and setbacks. Without endurance there is no chance to develop true bonding. Am I totally committed to the one with whom I bond? How much will I endure and how ready am I to fight to maintain this bond? Is the person I bond with aware of my devotion?

Exercise for the day: Demonstrate the endurance level of your bonding by confronting a challenge that obstructs the bond.


Humility is crucial in healthy bonding. Arrogance divides people. Preoccupation with your own desires and needs separates you from others. Humility allows you to appreciate another person and bond with him. Healthy bonding is the union of two distinct people, with independent personalities, who join for a higher purpose than satisfying their own needs. True humility comes from recognizing and acknowledging God in your life. Am I aware of the third partner ― God ― in bonding? And that this partner gives me the capacity to unite with another, despite our distinctions.

Exercise for the day: When praying acknowledge God specifically for helping you bond with others.


Every person needs and has the capacity to bond with other people, with significant undertakings and with meaningful experiences. Do I have difficulty bonding? Is the difficulty in all areas or only in certain ones? Do I bond easily with my job, but have trouble bonding with people? Or vice versa?

Examine the reasons for not bonding. Is it because I am too critical and find fault in everything as an excuse for not bonding? Am I too locked in my own ways? Is my not bonding a result of discomfort with vulnerability? Have I been hurt in my past bonding experiences? Has my trust been abused? Is my fear of bonding a result of the deficient bonding I experienced as a child?

To cultivate your capacity to bond, even if you have valid reasons to distrust, you must remember that God gave you a Divine soul that is nurturing and loving and you must learn to recognize the voice within, which will allow you to experience other people's souls and hearts. Then you can slowly drop your defenses when you recognize someone or something you can truly trust.

One additional point: Bonding breeds bonding. When you bond in one area of your life, it helps you bond in other areas.

Exercise for the day: Begin bonding with a new person or experience you love by committing designated time each day or week to spend together constructively.


Bonding must enhance a person's sovereignty. It should nurture and strengthen your own dignity and the dignity of the one you bond with. Does my bonding inhibit the expression of my personality and qualities? Does it overwhelm the one I bond with?

Exercise for the day: Emphasize and highlight the strengths of the one with whom you bond.


Friday, May 11, 2012

Obama on Gay Marriages-A Jewish Perspective:Rabbi Michael's WeekEND Notes

Shalom Chaverim!

*Tonight, Friday, May 11, 8 p.m. (note later start time), please join us for Shabbat services. My sermon topic will be: President Obama's "Evolutionary" Bombshell on Gay Marriage: A Jewish Perspective. I have a lot to share from the Torah and I do NOT like the idea that one has to turn one's back on the Bible to take an ethical stand on this issue, which has been suggested by the liberal commentaries I have heard.

*Tomorrow, Saturday, May 12, 9:30 a.m., please join us again for Shabbat services. My sermon topic will be "Iran 360: From VP Joe Biden to the AJC Global Forum." From my recent encounter with Vice President Biden at the Rabbinical Assembly in Atlanta to my attendance with top experts at the recent American Jewish Committee Global Forum in Washington, DC, I have much to share...and of course I'll work in the Parasha Ha Shevua: Emor.

Be relevant. Stay informed. Attend Shabbat services at Congregation Beth Shalom.

Shabbat shalom,

Rabbi Michael

Friday, May 4, 2012

Iran 360 & Celebrating Cinco de Mayo Jewish Style-Jewish of Mexico

Dear Chaverim,

First of all, I have been remiss this week, in sending out my Omer Count Spiritual Guide. In a separate email, I will give you the guided Kabbalah-inspired spiritual exercises for NEXT week. But here, find the Spiritual Guide for Shabbat, which you can begin to implement at sundown tonight:

Sovereignty is the cornerstone of endurance. Endurance that encompasses the previous six qualities is indeed a tribute and testimony to the majesty of the human spirit. Is my endurance dignified? Does it bring out the best in me? When faced with hardships do I behave like a king or queen, walking proudly with my head up, confident in my God-given strengths, or do I cower and shrivel up in fear? Exercise for the day: Fight for a dignified cause.
Second, TONIGHT, Friday, May 4, is FFFF - Firststate Family Friendly Friday night, (kid-friendly Happy Hour, 6 p.m., Shabbat services
6:30 p.m.) We will be featuring a Shavuot-friendly PJ Library classic for the dvar Torah. Joining me will be Cantorial Candidate Elisa Abrams, orginally from California -- CALIFORNIA CLERGY, it does have a nice ring to it! We might call this service "California Dreaming" -- but no Beach Boys ... yet. Please make Elisa feel welcome, and we will welcome your feedback in a computer-based congregation survey at the end of her visit.
Third, TOMORROW, Saturday, May 5, Cinco de Mayo, services begin at 9:30 a.m. This will be another opportunity to see Cantor Elisa in action. But it is also a wonderful opportunity to see our Fifth and Sixth Grade Hebrew School Student in action, as they a. lead prayers, b. chant Torah and c. chant Haftarah. Please come and support them as they climb their ladders to bar/bat mitzvah...and beyond! My sermon topics:
IRAN 360 - WHAT I LEARNED AT THE AJC GLOBAL FORUM IN DC
&
JEWS OF MEXIC0 - CELEBRATING CINCO DE MAYO JEWISH STYLE
Alas, I could not find a connection between these two topics, but I wanted to cover them both!!!
Be relevant! Stay informed! Attend Shabbat services at Congregation Beth Shalom.
Shabbat shalom,
Rabbi Michael