Beit HaLev
The High Holy Days will begin one month from now. Beit HaLev is preparing for live, in-person services for the first time since before COVID-19. All services will be held for Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot and Shemini Atzeret/SimchatvTorah in Clubhouse 3, Room 4.
• Erev Rosh HaShanah: Sunday, Sept. 25, at 5 p.m.
• The First Day of Rosh Hashanah: Monday, Sept. 26, at 10 a.m.
• Kol Nidre: Tuesday, Oct. 4, at 5 p.m.
• Yom Kippur: Wednesday, Oct. 5, at 10 a.m.
• Erev Sukkot: Sunday, Oct. 9, at 5 p.m.
• First Day of Sukkot: Monday, Oct. 10, at 10 a.m.
• Erev Shemini Atzeret/Simchat Torah: Sunday, Oct. 16, at 5 p.m.
• Shemini Atzeret/Simchat Torah: Monday, Oct. 17, 10 a.m. Regular weekly, in-person Friday evening Shabbat services will return following the High Holy Day season; services will be held every Friday, beginning Nov. 4 at 5 p.m. in Clubhouse 3, Room 4.
The Second Days of Rosh Hashanah and Sukkot and the Neila (Closing) service for Yom Kippur will be live-streamed on Zoom, Facebook and YouTube only. Beit HaLev continues to Livestream all services on www.Facebook.com/galityomtov, YouTube.com (Beit HaLev LIVE! Channel) and Zoom.
Livestream services for the Friday Shabbat evening and Saturday morning service can be found at https://us02web. zoom.us/j/9152434704. The meeting ID is 915 243 4704, and the passcode is RavGalit.
This week’s Torah portion is “Re’eh,” (See) from Deuteronomy 15:1-16:17. Moses reiterates and clarifies the regulations concerning the remission of debts and the release of debt-servants after seven years; laws concerning the observance of the Three Festivals, Passover, Shavuot and Sukkot are given. The people are told they must now observe the rituals in a specific “Chosen Place” (the future Beit HaMikdash) rather than in their own communities. Women are excluded from the pilgrimage ceremonies, perhaps because of the difficulty of traveling with small children, or more likely because in an agrarian society, the flocks and the crops could not be left unattended for two weeks.
All Beit HaLev services use special prayerbooks, “Lev L’Lev,” which include excerpts from the Reform Siddur, “Mishkan HaT’filah.” Printed versions of the prayerbooks will be available for sale at in-person services.
Beit HaLev and Rabbi Galit-Shirah are part of the Union of Jewish Universalist Clergy and Communities. It is progressive in thought and traditional in liturgy. Everyone who seeks a path to the Divine is welcome, and Beit Halev doesn’t believe in labels.
To request a membership form, call Rabbi Galit-Shirah at (562) 715-0888 or email duets@icloud.com. Contributions to Beit HaLev are welcome and can be sent to Beit HaLev, P.O. Box 2279, Seal Beach, CA 90740.
