Click Here to become a Fan of Congregation Beth El on Facebook
(You must be signed on to your Facebook account before clicking the above link!)
Featured Speaker ABRAHAM H. FOXMAN, National Director, Anti-Defamation League
Tuesday, February 23, 2010 @ 7:15 pm (reception follows)
Congregation Beth Israel, 5600 North Braeswood Blvd., Houston, TX 77096
The event is free, but space is limited. Reservations are required. Register online at:
www.adl.org/houstonbriefing
FRIDAY SERVICES AT CONGREGATION BETH EL BEGIN AT 7:00 P.M. (except when indicated below).
***Febuary CALENDAR OF EVENTS -- Click Here To Download & Print Calendar***
2009-2010 Preschool registration is now open!
Contact Debbie Schwartz at 281-499-5066 or via email (debbie@cbepreschool.com)
Click here to visit our Preschool website . . .
2009-2010 Religious School enrollment forms are now online!
2009-2010 Religious Enrollment Forms
Please return the completed forms to the front office; thank you!
"CBE at a Glance" (for more information, please scroll down the page, consult our temple bulletin or review our weekly "blast" email):
Tuesday, February 9, 1:30 Senior Group "current events" discussion.
Wednesday, February 10, 5:00 Hebrew school; 7:00 religious school (NO Confirmation class; NO post-Confirmation class); 7:00 Board of Directors meeting; 7:00 Purim Shpiel rehearsal.
Friday, February 12, **8:00** Shabbat evening service (Joshua Garfield Bar Mitzvah).
Saturday, February 13, 9:15 Shabbat Torah study; 10:30 Shabbat morning service (Joshua Garfield Bar Mitzvah).
Sunday, February 14, NO religious school/Hebrew school; 9:00 Yom Limmud (Congregation Beth Israel).
Wednesday, February 17, 5:00 Hebrew school; BEFTY meeting; 7:00 religious school (YES Confirmation class; YES post-Confirmation class); 7:00 Purim Shpiel rehearsal.
Thursday, February 18, 11:30 Hadassah "Lunch and Learn" (at the home of Shelly Cyprus).
Friday, February 19, 7:00 Shabbat evening service (Alexandria Brewer-Ramsey Bat Mitzvah).
Saturday, February 20, 9:15 Shabbat Torah study; 10:00 Gesher Shabbaton (Temple Sinai); 10:30 Shabbat morning service (Alexandria Brewer-Ramsey Bat Mitzvah).
Sunday, February 21, 9:00 religious school/Hebrew school; 9:45 "Aleph Isn't Tough" class; 12:00 Purim Shpiel rehearsal.
Tuesday, February 23, 1:30 Senior Group "current events" discussion.
Wednesday, February 24, 5:00 Hebrew school; 7:00 religious school (YES Confirmation class; NO post-Confirmation class).
Thursday, February 25, 7:00 Purim Shpiel dress rehearsal.
Friday, February 26, 11:30 Preschool "all-school" Purim Shabbat; 7:00 Shabbat evening service.
Saturday, February 27, 9:15 Shabbat Torah study; **7:00 Purim Shpiel**.
Sunday, February 28, 9:00 religious school/Hebrew school; 9:45 "Aleph Isn't Tough" class; Preschool/Religious School Purim carnival + silent auction.
2010/5770 Purim Shpiel -- please join us on February 27!
Our ever-popular Purim Shpiel returns to CBE on Saturday, February 27!
Starting at 7:00, our evening includes festival "warm up" tunes with Cantor Katz, a BEFTY-led Purim musical (this year's theme: Purim according to the Beach Boys!), the presentation of CBE Sisterhood's "Queen Esther" award, the parades of our youngest Esthers (and other Purim characters), and lots and lots of hamentaschen!
No RSVP is needed; just come to CBE on February 27 prepared to cheer on Esther and Mordecai, laugh at Achashverosh and Vashti, and drown out the name of wicked Haman (BOO!).
We look forward to celebrating the festival with you!
St. Laurence Catholic Church and CBE invite you to a special event March 1
On Monday, March 1 (5:00-7:00), students and adults from St. Laurence will be carpooling to Holocaust Museum Houston for a private tour of A Blessing to One Another: Pope John Paul II and the Jewish People.
They would love to have members of our Ft. Bend Jewish community join them for jointly guided tours of the exhibit. In order to have docents available, please let us know if you’ll be coming by letting Sandy Lessig know at: lessigsv@aol.com. Donations are accepted; admission to the museum if free.
You may be asking yourself why Holocaust Museum Houston would host this exhibit.
In the course of his papacy, John Paul II shattered the chain of 2,000 years of painful history between Catholics and Jews.
This exhibit draws its name from the pope's 1993 appeal marking the 50th anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising: "As Christians and Jews, following the example of the faith of Abraham, we are called to be a blessing to the world. This is the common task awaiting us. It is therefore necessary for us, Christians and Jews, to first be a blessing to one another."
The exhibit includes photographs, video footage, documents and artifacts recording the extraordinary contributions of Pope John Paul II to relations between the Catholic and Jewish faiths.
Pope John Paul II was the first pope to enter a synagogue, officially visit and recognize the State of Israel and formally express regret for the Catholic Church's past treatment of Jewish People.
In all, the exhibit includes about 70 artifacts on loan from 10 museums and private collections that help illustrate the pope's association with the Jewish community from the time of his childhood and how these life-long associations shaped his papacy, the church and Jewish-Catholic relations.
The exhibit was created and produced by Xavier University of Cincinnati, Hillel Jewish Student Center of Cincinnati, and The Shtetl Foundation of New York. The Jewish Foundation of Cincinnati served as lead financial sponsor with major underwriting by Xavier University.
Directions to Houston Holocaust Museum (www.hmh.org) from Sugar Land (approx. 30-40 minute drive time): take US 59 North toward Downtown/Museum District; take the Main Street exit; at the traffic lights, take a right onto Main; continue south to Binz and turn left; go 3 blocks and take a left at Caroline; the next stop is at Calumet; the museum is on the corner of Calumet and Caroline, on the right hand side.
ADL Coalition for Mutual Respect and Understanding Pulpit Exchange March 12 & March 14!
Please join us at CBE and St. Martin’s Lutheran Church (Sugar Land) on March 12 & March 14!
During our 7:00 Shabbat evening service March 12, Rev. Stephen Kelly will be our special guest speaker at CBE.
And at 10:30 on March 14, Rabbi Stander will speak at St. Martin’s Lutheran Church.
The common topic shared by Rabbi Stander and Rev. Kelly is: “Hillel & Jesus: the Golden Rule in Judaism and Christianity”.
As in previous years, our 2010 pulpit exchange is made possible by the ADL, sponsor of the Coalition for Mutual Respect and Understanding.
We look forward to seeing you at CBE and St. Martin’s!
Community-wide Yom HaShoah service on April 11
You are invited to attend a community-wide Yom HaShoah service at 3:00, Sunday, April 11.
The service will be held at Congregation Beth Yeshurun (4525 Beechnut Street, Houston, TX 77096).
Yom Hashoah is a day of remembrance for the 6,000,000 Jewish people who lost their lives during the Holocaust.
During this annual commemoration, we will pay our respects to those who perished, honor those who survived and pray for a future free of hatred and prejudice.
The event is coordinated by the Yom HaShoah Steering Committee and Holocaust Museum Houston.
2010 Shabbat Torah Study: Parashat HaShavuah + YOUR choice of discussion topics!
Friends, please join us in the temple library Saturday mornings from 9:15-10:15 a.m. as we study Parashat HaShavuah (the weekly Torah portion) + YOUR choice of discussion topics!
[Our linear study group -- which just completed the Book of 1st Samuel -- will now meet on select Sunday mornings, 9:45-10:45 (dates TBA).]
If the study group wishes, we'll be happy to add other features beyond the above (e.g., food, drink, babysitting, . . .); again, it's up to YOU!
As always, no RSVP is necessary; just "come as you are" to CBE Saturday mornings!
Let’s make the mitzvah of Shabbat Torah study a habit year-round!
Come Celebrate Your Birthdays and Anniversaries at CBE's “First Friday Services”!
We’d love to help you celebrate your birthdays and anniversaries here at CBE!
At the start of every “First Friday” Shabbat evening service, we’ll recognize those of you celebrating birthdays and anniversaries that month with songs and blessings.
We hope that you are enjoying this new “tradition” in our temple family!
So please mark your calendars (March 3; April 2; and more dates to come!) ; and thank you in advance for allowing us to share in your Simcha!
CBE Women: Join Rabbi Stander and Mazal Hadassah for 2009-2010 “Lunch and Learn”
Women of Congregation Beth El:
Did you know that Rabbi Stander has been leading a monthly “lunch and learn” in Sugar Land with the Mazal chapter of Hadassah since 2008?
In 2009-2010, the rabbi will continue leading this lively program – primarily text-based; no previous knowledge is required -- and invites you to “join in”!
Women of CBE may join Hadassah members in study from 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. on the following Thursdays:
- February 18
- March 11
- April 29
All sessions will be held at the home of Shelly Cyprus (2306 Country Club Blvd. in Sugar Land; 281-491-2711 ).
Drinks and snacks are generously provided by Shelly; you will need to bring your own “main dish”.
No RSVP’s are necessary; we look forward to studying with you!
"Aleph Isn’t Tough" Continues!
“Aleph Isn’t Tough”, our adult beginner’s Hebrew class led by Rabbi Stander on Sunday mornings, continues!
Please mark the following dates in your calendars:
- February 21 & 28
- March 7
- April 11 & 25
All of our Sunday sessions run from 9:45-10:45 a.m.
There is no charge for the class; but we will collect from each student a fee to offset the purchase of the “Aleph Isn’t Tough” workbook (published by URJ Press).
Please note: this class is intended for adults who have little to no background in Hebrew study, or who wish to “refresh” their knowledge of Hebrew. If you have a child in need of Hebrew instruction, please contact our temple educator Steve Daum for information about our religious school.
We look forward to studying with you!
Rabbi Stander Continues Monthly Visits with Preschool Students in 2009-2010!
Rabbi Stander is continuing to hold monthly visits with Preschool students in 2009-2010!
The rabbi already loves the time he spends with our Preschool students and families during special events (religious and secular) held throughout the year.
But he also loves dedicating time for pre-Shabbat rituals, stories and songs with each of the Preschool classes!
So, please mark the following dates in your calendars:
- February 26
- March 26
- April 23
- May 21
The CBE Preschool is enjoying a wonderful year of fun and learning with our rabbi!
"Tot Shabbat" for 2009-2010 Continues!
Please mark the following dates in your calendars:
All of our Saturday sessions run from 10:15-11:00 a.m.
We’ll begin each Shabbat morning with a brief service/song session.
Then we’ll socialize over challah and juice, and send you on your way!
A friendly reminder: while children of all ages are always welcome, “Tot Shabbat” is geared for children of preschool age and younger.
No RSVP’s are necessary; we look forward to seeing you for another great year of fun and learning!
Temple Treasures continues its "BIG SALE!"
Shop for all of your Judaica at our temple's very own Sisterhood gift shop! Temple Treasures is continuing its "BIG SALE"! Everything in the gift shop is now AT LEAST 75% off!! Please contact the temple office ( 281-499-5066 ) for gift shop hours.
5770 Sisterhood Projects and Events
One of Sisterhood’s biggest projects this year is to collect items for The Rainbow Room. The Fort Bend Community Partners Rainbow Room is a charitable organization dedicated to helping children and families in CPS crisis by supporting the efforts of caseworkers. We want to collect as many items as possible to donate to this local charity. They need NEW pajamas, toothbrushes, stuffed animals, diapers and blankets and gently used car seats, cribs, high chairs, and baby beds. For more information, please contact Yaffa Steubinger at yaffatx@gmail.com.
CBE Scrip Program
Pick up an order form from the office or download one from the CBE website. Forms are available in the lobby or online at
http://cbefortbendtx.org/_kd/Items/actions.cfm?action="Show&item_id=1465&destination=ShowItem
Visit our Preschool: Website Registration Continues!
Here is the link to CBE's Boy Scout Troop 1282 website: www.troop1282.org . Check it out!
Please see our CBE download page to find any forms you may have "lost" . . . !
Congregation Beth El is located in Missouri City, Texas, less than 20 miles southwest of Houston.
