Join us for a week of programming, prayer, and Jewish learning.
MLK Day - Administrative Offices Closed MONDAY, JAN 17TH ALL DAY MLK Parade 2022 MONDAY, JAN 17TH 10:00A Houston's MLK Parade is celebrating its 28th anniversary. Join rabbis and lay leaders from Houston's Jewish community to march in the parade! MORE INFO
Meals on Wheels Doorbell Project MONDAY, JAN 17TH 10:00A Help our community's Meals on Wheels clients by installing doorbells for homebound seniors. Our goal is 150 doorbells!MORE INFO
Willow Water Hole Tu B'Shevat Service Project MONDAY, JAN 17TH 12:30P This year Tu B'Shevat and MLK Day fall on the same day! What better inspiration for a service project to help clean up one of our local green spots. MORE INFO
Wisdom of Torah (Breakfast Club) TUESDAY, JAN 18TH 7:00A Together, over breakfast with Rabbi Brian Strauss, come explore the ancient wisdom of Torah and how it can be applied in today's modern world. MORE INFO Jewish Literacy with Rabbi Danny Horwitz TUESDAY, JAN 18TH 7:30P Join Rabbi Horwitz for a year-long class on Jewish Literacy. He will use Rabbi Telushkin's book and explore themes of: general Jewish history; critical stories in the Tanakh; fundamental Jewish life behaviors, what they mean and what they teach; and Jewish theology.MORE INFO
Voices of Torah with Rabbi Steven Morgen (Breakfast Club) WEDNESDAY, JAN 19TH 7:00A Rabbi Morgen teaches Wednesday mornings as part of the Breakfast Club - learn Torah 5 days a week with our clergy! MORE INFO
Jewish Meditation Group - Virtual WEDNESDAY, JAN 19TH 7:00P Explore tools for mindfulness, find a different way to talk to God, and deepen your prayer with meditation and chanting.MORE INFO
ScholarStream: The Other Within - Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion in a Pluralistic Movement WEDNESDAY, JAN 19TH 7:00P Scholarstream 5782 features three distinct arcs of learning that stand-alone or flow into each other. Cultivating Our Relationships (series 1 & 2), Defining Our Sacred Spaces (series 3, 4, and 5), and Renewing Our Resilience (series 6, 7, and 8) will offer an exploration of who we are, where we are in relation to others, and how we move forward in this complicated world.MORE INFO
Jewish Mysticism & Ancient Cultural Beliefs with Rabbi Fort THURSDAY, JAN 20TH 7:00A Rabbi Fortteaches Thursday mornings as part of the Breakfast Club - learn Torah 5 days a week with our clergy! MORE INFO Kids Meals/SEARCH Bags Assembly THURSDAY, JAN 20TH 9:00A TO 10:00A Join Sisterhood and our Social Action team to assemble snack bags for Kids Meals and SEARCH. Space is limited so you must register to join. MORE INFO
Talking to God with Rabbi Steven Morgen THURSDAY, JAN 20TH 7:00P TO 8:00P Join Rabbi Morgen for a monthly Zoom program to think about how and why we talk to God and deep dive into our Jewish prayers. This month Rev. Greg Han, the Director of Interfaith Relations and Education at Interfaith Ministries, joins Rabbi Morgen for a discussion on Psalms 121 and 126. MORE INFO
Story Time with Rabbi Fort FRIDAY, JAN 21ST 5:00P Join us virtually once a month as Rabbi Fort reads our kids a story, then shares the blessing over challah and grape juice, plus a blessing for all of our children. MORE INFO
J.B. Greenfield Chapel Shabbat Evening Service FRIDAY, JAN 21ST 5:30P MORE INFO
Shabbat Renewal with the Kalmin Family Special Guest: Cantor Rachel Goldman FRIDAY, JAN 21ST 6:00P Join us for our Main Sanctuary Shabbat Service. Our Cantor search has already drawn much interest as we will be welcoming our first candidate – Cantor Rachel Goldman of Congregation Ner Tamid in Los Angeles. MORE INFO
J.B. Greenfield Chapel Shabbat Morning Service SHABBAT, JAN 22ND 8:30A MORE INFO Museum Minyan Shabbat Morning Service - Outdoors SHABBAT, JAN 22ND 9:15AMORE INFO
Shabbat Morning Service - Shabbat Refreshed Bar Mitzvah: Nathan Kalmin Special Guest: Cantor Rachel Goldman Sermon by Rabbi Brian Strauss SHABBAT, JAN 22ND 9:30A Join for an uplifting and upbeat Shabbat morning service. Our Friday night band joins us for some new melodies as we celebrate Shabbat together. MORE INFO
J.B. Greenfield Chapel Mincha/Ma’ariv SHABBAT, JAN 22ND 5:15PMORE INFO
Museum Minyan Havdalah SATURDAY, JAN 22ND 5:40P Join for the conclusion of Shabbat with virtual Havdalah and a short study session via Zoom.MORE INFO
Jewish Learning Project SUNDAY, JAN 23RD 9:00A TO 12:00P The Jewish Learning Project (JLP) is Congregation Beth Yeshurun's Adult Learning Program. Our JLP sessions offer a variety of spiritual, intellectual, and stimulating topics for you to choose from. Sessions are held Sunday mornings and are open to the public and free of charge. MORE INFO
Parallel Stories in the Bible with Gabi Gelman MONDAY, JAN 24TH 7:00P What do the stories of Noah and Jonah have in common? What about Joseph and Esther? Or Hannah and Ruth? Join Gabi Gelman for a 4-part series exploring how some stories in the bible seem to echo earlier stories and discuss what these parallels teach can teach us.MORE INFO A full list of upcoming events can be found here
Once content has been recorded live, it will be saved on our social media platforms for future access. This means that if you cannot make the time slots noted above, you can still join us to learn and pray.
Please know that your clergy is here for you. To reach out, please e-mail them directly or connect with info@bethyeshurun.org and we will direct you to a member of our team.
Due to increasing number of positive Covid cases not just in our city, but in our Beth Yeshurun community, as well as the latest news from the CDC, local and state officials, and our medical advisors, the following COVID-related protocols are now in effect:
All main sanctuary services will be in Barg Sanctuary. Shabbat Morning Chapel services will be moved to the Freedman Levit Sanctuary. Weekday Chapel services will remain in the J.B. Greenfield Chapel. All Chapel Breakfasts will be moved outdoors. All employees, members, and visitors must wear masks when inside our building.
These changes will remain in effect through the end of the year. We will reevaluate after February 1st.
Our search has already drawn much interest as we will be interviewing our first candidate – Cantor Rachel Goldman of Congregation Ner Tamid in Los Angeles California, who will be visiting us January 21st and 22nd!
Cantor Rachel Goldman has proudly served for the past six years as Hazzan at Congregation Ner Tamid (CNT) of South Bay of Los Angeles, where she infuses community members of all ages with song. In addition to guiding the music of their worship services, Cantor Goldman runs CNT’s B’nai Mitzvah program, produces show-stopping community concerts, and teaches Hebrew and Jewish music to adults and children alike. An enthusiast of traditional nusach, but not afraid of attempting to set liturgy to the music of Journey or The Beatles, Cantor Goldman keeps worship services varied and exciting with the CNT Rhythm n’ Jews Band at special Erev Shabbat musical services throughout the year.
Cantor Goldman is a sought-after concert soloist and guest Cantor. She has performed with the Houston Philharmonic, the Los Angeles Jewish Symphony, the Houston Opera Chorus, and many other ensembles. She is also the co-founder of two successful cantorial collaborative groups: Shul Sisters, and all-female cantor trio consisting of Cantors from New York and Chicago, and Guys & Meidels, a Los-Angeles based quartet which infuses classic Jewish and cantorial music with millennial energy. Click here to read Cantor Goldman's full biography and hear her music
Meals on Wheels - Doorbell Project with Beth Yeshurun We invite you to give back to our house bound seniors with an easy-to-install doorbell project this MLK Day, Monday, January 17th at 10:00am
Many of our Meals on Wheels seniors do not have a working doorbell and are unable to get one installed themselves. These seniors rely on Meals on Wheels for their daily hot meal, and for those who are hard of hearing, it can be especially difficult for them to know we are there, delivering their meal.
Our goal is to provide 150 doorbells to homebound seniors. Ultimately, this project will improve the overall quality of life for our seniors by providing them with the ability to recognize visitor and meal arrivals. Each team will take and "install" a doorbell at 4 different senior's homes or apartments.
Join the Greater Houston Area Jewish Community for the sixth time, assembling as a group to march in downtown Houston Today, Monday, January 17, 2022.
Will you join us as we march to commemorate and celebrate our long history of Jewish solidarity with interfaith civil rights groups? Our parade group always has an amazing and genuinely fun time performing this fantastic community outreach mitzvah marching in the Houston MLK Grande Parade.
This is not only fun for the participants, especially our youth, it generates positive results in relations between the Jewish & African American communities as we march in solidarity. Our participation honors not just Martin Luther King Jr. Day, but rabbis like Abraham Heschel and Joachim Prinz who worked closely with Dr. King and the civil rights movement. We intend to not only talk the talk, we will walk the walk.
Rabbi Morgen is joined by Reverend Greg Han for Songs of Ascent: Psalms 121 and 126. Thursday, January 20th at 7:00pm on ZOOM
What words can you bring with you when you “go up the mountain of the House of God”? These two psalms have familiar phrases, and that is partly because they convey feelings that many people might have on such an occasion. Whether your “mountain of the House of God” is in Jerusalem, or at your local place of worship, these Psalms may speak to you, or give you words to offer in praise of our Creator. Explore these two psalms from both the Jewish and Christian perspectives with Rabbi Morgen and Reverend Han.
MAKE TIME - MAKE A DIFFERENCE NEW VOLUNTEER PROGRAM RECRUITING PARTICIPANTS
Do you consider Beth Yeshurun your home away from home? Are you looking for a new way to volunteer and make a contribution to synagogue life? COFI (Congregants of First Impressions) is looking for volunteers to donate their time to warmly welcome visitors and other congregants as they enter the Bender Levy Lobby during peak weekend and special event times. You’ll be the first point of contact with important information regarding general synagogue information, Shabbat service times and locations, and Sunday’s Jewish Learning Project. Click here for more information and to sign up
An Important Message from President David Stein, Senior Rabbi Brian Strauss, and Executive Director Andy Burger
It is with mixed emotions that we write to you. After more than eight years at Congregation Beth Yeshurun, Cantor Meir Finkelstein will be leaving us to pursue a new opportunity. We are incredibly thankful for his time with us and the numerous contributions he has made to Beth Yeshurun. Cantor Finkelstein has touched most of our lives in a special way through worship, lifecycle celebrations, counseling in troubled times, our B’nai Mitzvah program, and with his incredible music. We wish him the best and will support him as he and his family make the move to Florida. Cantor Finkelstein will remain with us through the spring.
As the largest Conservative synagogue in the United States, with a strong membership, staff, clergy team, and leadership, we are confident that we will find one of the best Conservative cantors in the United States. We have a rich and deep musical tradition at Beth Yeshurun and will continue that tradition for generations to come.
Honoring the Musical Legacy of Cantor Meir Finkelstein! March 31, 2022 at Congregation Beth Yeshurun
We look forward to our concert celebrating the music of Cantor Meir Finkelstein. Tickets for this incomparable musical experience have been in great demand as the evening will feature renowned cantors, including Cantors Azi Schwartz, Chayim Frenkel, Netanel Hershtik, and Rachel Goldman! Purchase Individual Tickets
Allen Parkway Cemetery Update
The main entrance to the Allen Parkway Cemetery will be closed Monday - Friday 1/17-21 for driveway improvements. Visitors can only enter through the East gates through the Lost Lake Park Visitor's Center (see map above). If you have questions please call Cemetery Manager Larry Caulfield at 281.728.3293
We invite you to share with us your simchas - births, engagement, weddings, or award and recognitions. Fill our Mazel Tov form with your information a picture and share your great news with the rest of the congregation. Click here to Submit your Simcha!
