Temple Beth Am Podcasts

Elul Learning Series 2022: Back to Basics of Israel

September 19th, 2022  |  56 mins 3 secs

Go "back to the basics on Israel" with Rabbi Ephraim Pelcovits. It's a story we ALL know by heart. In this class we learn about the experiences of both Mizrachi immigrants to the state and of Palestinian Israeli citizens, to get a better understanding of what Israelis look like, where they come from, and how we can help build a more just tomorrow for all Israelis.

Rabbi Pelcovits is the Regional Director of the New Israel Fund’s LA/Southern California Region.

This class was conducted at Temple Beth Am and via Zoom on September 19, 2022.

Elul Learning Series 2022: The High Holy Days Themselves - Why and What

September 18th, 2022  |  1 hr 16 mins

"They are the days observed and attended by the highest percentage of Jews. Synagogues are full. Prayer books are in people’s hands and opened. And yet, numbers do not necessarily reflect knowledge. This is not a critique. Certainly not of you. If anything, it may be a critique on us, the clergy/teachers, who do an insufficient job while officiating at the High Holiday services of really explaining the truest origins and deepest meaning of these holidays. Clearly, in a single session, we will not get comprehensive. But I aim to go back in time, roll back the layers to uncover how the holidays came to be what they are. From Biblical texts to rabbinic/Talmudic texts to more modern observance. I hope for you to leave the class with a little more understanding of why our tradition presents us with these days, and what we should try to gain from them". -- Rabbi Adam Kligfeld.

This class was conducted at Temple Beth Am and via the internet on September 18, 2022.

Elul Learning Series 2022: Spiritual Poetic Expressions of the High Holiday Mahzor - Class 5

September 14th, 2022  |  1 hr 15 mins

Rabbi Joel Rembaum leads a class reading and reflecting upon the mystical spirituality of a selection of classical poems embedded in the liturgy of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. The text used is the Mahzor Lev Shalem, with its fine English translation and insightful commentary.

This is the fifth class in the series conducted via Zoom on September 14. 2022.

Elul Learning Series 2022: Always Be Humble And Kind

September 13th, 2022  |  48 mins 25 secs

Rabbinic Intern Ben Sigal leads a brief Mussar text study to recenter ourselves ahead of the new year.

This teaching took place via Zoom on September 13, 2022.

Elul Learning Series 2022: Storytelling, Friendship, and Bridge Building - Strengthening Our Diverse Community Within TBA

September 8th, 2022  |  52 mins 26 secs

Henei ma tov umanaim Shevet achim gam yachad…How good and how pleasant it is for us to dwell together. In this interactive Zoom members join across all of TBA’s social circles, political persuasions, regular minyans, whatever silos, and meet up with friendly open-minded people who are working collaboratively to talk about what concerns us, and what we can do about it, together.

This interactive program took place on September 8, 2021 and is hosted by One LA at TBA Core Team member Henry Morgen.

Elul Learning Series 2022: The Poetry of Grief - Finding Comfort and Healing Through Verse

September 8th, 2022  |  1 hr 1 min

Temple Beth Am member and poet Suzanne Weiss Morgen joins Rabbi Cantor Hillary Chorny for a literary and spiritual journey through the poetry of grief and loss. They explore through the lens of some of Suzanne’s original poems and some of the powerful poetry within our high holy day liturgy. As we prepare to enter the season of awe and culminate with the Yiskor service on Yom Kippur, may we find language to help provide comfort and healing.

This class took place at Temple Beth Am via Zoom on September 7, 2022.

Elul Learning Series 2022: Spiritual Poetic Expressions of the High Holiday Mahzor - Class 4

September 7th, 2022  |  1 hr 34 secs

Rabbi Joel Rembaum leads a class reading and reflecting upon the mystical spirituality of a selection of classical poems embedded in the liturgy of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. The text used is the Mahzor Lev Shalem, with its fine English translation and insightful commentary.

This is the fourth class in the series conducted via Zoom on September 7. 2022.

Elul Learning Series 2022: Back to Basics of Being a Gabbai Spotter - Class 2

September 6th, 2022  |  1 hr 9 mins

Rabbi Cantor Hillary Chorny leads a class on what goes into being a spotter at the Torah.

This class took place at Temple Beth Am and via Zoom on September 6, 2022

Elul Learning Series 2022: Personal Prep For The High Holy Days

September 5th, 2022  |  44 mins 54 secs

Elul is the month of reflection and preparation for Rosh HaShannah and Yom Kippur. Rabbi Mark Borovitz conducted this learning to help us enter the High Holidays with a sense of completeness for the year we are leaving and a plan/purpose for our year to come.

The class was conducted at Temple Beth Am via Zoom on September 5, 2022.

Elul Learning Series 2022: Back to Basics of Prayer

September 5th, 2022  |  1 hr 26 mins

Our tradition is full to the brim with prayers. We read them, sing them, study them, recite them - but do we ever think of praying as a skill? In this session we’ll go back to the basics of what it means to pray and explore together what some of our wise teachers - including our own souls - have to say about it.

This class took place at Temple Beth Am via Zoom on September 4, 2022.