Try to get a copy of this week’s Mishpacha Family First which has a wonderful article by Azriela Jaffe, “It Takes a Village – Helping Baalei Teshuva Find a Foothold”. The piece discusses support for BTs.
The article has a great three paragraph sidebar praising Beyond BT and describing our goals.
We want to wish everybody who writes, comments or reads Beyond BT, a L’Shana Tova, a good year.
As BT’s we know that even the greeting on Rosh Hoshana can be a challenge. The Art Scroll Machzor lists 4 different depending on whether your greeting a man, woman, men or women and then they have an optional piece in parenthesis.
They are mostly variations on “may you have a good year and be written and sealed in the book of life”. The written and sealed part is a reference to the Gemora in Rosh Hoshana (16b) which says that there are three books open on Rosh Hoshana, the righteous are sealed immediately for life, the wicked are sealed immediately for death and the in-betweeners are not sealed until Yom Kippur.
So this year consider going with the Rosh Hoshana greeting of the Rema and the Vilna Gaon (Gra) who say L’Shana Tova Tikoseiv, may you be written for a good year, because most of us are in-betweeners, our judgment is not sealed on Rosh Hoshana, so we should omit the part of the greeting that references sealed. If someone corrects you, tell them you’re going with the Gra and Rema.
But beyond the pilpul, we wish the best for everybody in the upcoming year.
We started in December 2005 and today is our 1000th post. We want to thank all our contributors, commentors and readers for bringing us to this point.
What do we need to do to continue our forward progress?
– Widen the discussion to include more non-BT related topics.
– Be more provocative.
– Focus more on growth related subjects.
– Address topics currently being discussed on other blogs.
Or we can keep on doing what we’ve been doing. The only problem with that option is that it’s been hard to get new contributors and our existing contributors have become markedly less prolific in recent months. So if you think we should keep on truckin like we’ve been, then how can we get and motivate new contributors to write on a somewhat regular basis.
We want to continue serving the Beyond BT community, so please help us help you by sharing your thoughts on where Beyond BT should be heading.
9/11/08
11 Elul 5768
September 11, 2008
Dear Readers:
I respectfully ask you to kindly consider making a charitable contribution to Yeshiva Darchei Noam, a school that I founded 11 years ago and have served as Dean since, in order to help our devoted faculty members receive the outstanding portion of their summer payroll.
In the first 10½ years since Darchei Noam was founded, each and every one of our payrolls was disbursed on the first of every month. This summer, however, much to my dismay, we fell behind and were unable to meet our obligations for the first time in our history. The downturn in the economy deeply affected our tuition collections and negatively impacted our fundraising revenue – to the point where a few parents in our school who in previous years generously contributed to our scholarship fund were unable to pay the tuition of their children last year and requested scholarships themselves.
The late disbursement of payroll to our dedicated faculty members and office staff is causing terrible hardship to their families. I have been working feverishly all summer to get current with our commitments, and although I was able to make one of the payrolls, we are still intolerably behind in making the remainder of the payments.
We created a segregated account for those who may wish to contribute to this drive and it is being managed and overseen by two Darchei Noam parents; Gud Mayer Adler, madler@gficap.com, and David Koegel dkoegel@gmail.com. You can contribute online with our secure service, or make a check payable to Darchei Noam Payroll Drive and mail it to my attention at Yeshiva Darchei Noam, 257 Grandview Road, Suffern N.Y. 10901. (I will be glad to send a signed, complimentary copy of my parenting book to all donors who contribute $100 or more to this campaign.) 100% of the funds that you contribute will go directly to pay our rebbeim and teachers as these parents are volunteering their time and are underwriting any overhead costs.
Please feel free to email me at my personal address yhdarchei@aol.com should you have any questions or if you would like to become a partner in the work of our Yeshiva.
The non-payment of our employees over the summer weeks is a source of great pain to me, and I will be exceedingly grateful for anything you can do to resolve this. May Hashem repay you for this chesed with hatzlacha in your endeavors and nachas from your children.
Respectfully
Rabbi Yakov Horowitz
Dean, Yeshiva Darchei Noam
Kinus Teshuva
Featuring the Renowned Speaker
Rabbi Dovid Goldwasser shlita
Teshuva: The Power To Overcome Challenges
Followed by a Fleishig Melava Malka
Benefiting Kollel Toras Chaim
13 Elul, September 13, 2008
9:30 PM Motzei Shabbos – Ki Tetze
Khal Nachalas Yitzchak
Rabbi Oelbaum’s Shul
141-39 73rd Ave., Kew Gardens Hills
It’s been a busy week here at Beyond BT and Serandez as we prepare for the Shabbaton.
If you can’t make it for Shabbos, try to stop by for the Melava Malka.
Here’s the schedule: All activities are at Congregation Ahavas Yisroel (CAY)
Friday
7:05 – Mincha/Maariv
8:00 – Friday Night Meal
~3 People speaking (7-10 minutes each)
10:00 – Oneg
Shabbos Day
7:25 – Daf Yomi
8:30 – Davening at CAY or other local Shuls
11:00 – Light Kiddush
12:00 – Lunch
~3 People speaking (7-10 minutes each)
Afternoon – Rest, Walk, Shmooze
5:00 – Gemora Shiur at CAY
6:00 – Mincha
6:45 – Shalosh Seudos
~3 People speaking (7-10 minutes each)
8:20 – Pikei Avos Shiur at CAY
Motza’ei Shabbos
8:51 – Maariv
9:05 – Havdalah
9:30-11:30 – Melave Malka
Featuring Beyond BT Jam Band in Formation
We do want to mention that due to logistic considerations we’re having salad instead of soup on Friday night.
You are cordially invited to the Beyond BT/SerandEz Shabbaton in Kew Gardens Hills on Shabbos Nachamu, August 15-16, 2008. Please join us for a full Shabbos program including relaxed, catered meals and personal thoughts on the themes of Integration, Inspiration and Individuality. There will also be a melave malka with the BBT Jam Band (in its newest incarnation).
Pricing to follow. We will find accommodations for those residing outside of Kew Gardens Hills on a first request – first serve basis. Please e-mail us at beyondbt@gmail.com with questions, comments, or to rsvp. We look forward to seeing you all there.
Observing that picking a new community comes up often on Beyond BT, Charnie emailed us this upcoming OU event.
Thinking of relocating?
Looking for an affordable Jewish community?
On Sunday, April 6, 2008, at New York’s Grand Hyatt Hotel, 12-6 pm, the OU will showcase fourteen growing Jewish communities from around North America where you could relocate. You will meet community representatives and learn directly from them about:
* synagogues, day schools and yeshivot
* kosher stores and other Jewish communal resources
* exciting and lucrative job opportunities
* affordable housing
* close-knit and warm communities
* Torah atmosphere in which to raise children
* rewarding retirement opportunities
Register online!
Meet these communities face to face!
* Bay Area: Oakland
and San Francisco, CA
* Charleston, SC
* Columbus, OH
* Dallas, TX
* Denver, CO
* Edmonton, AB, Canada
* Houston, TX
* Indianapolis, IN
* Memphis, TN
* New Orleans, LA
* Omaha, NE
* San Diego, CA
* Seattle, WA
* Vancouver, BC, Canada
More info here at the OU Events:Emerging Jewish Communities
Just a reminder that the accomplished talmid chachim and co-founder of the popular Cross-Currents web site, Rabbi Yitzchok Adlerstein will be the
Scholar in Residence at
Congregation Ahavas Yisroel 147-02 73rd Avenue in Kew Gardens Hills
this Shabbos, Parshas P’kudei, March 7th-8th.
Rabbi Alderstein will be speaking three times and we invite everybody to please come and listen. Here is the schedule:
“Orthodoxy and Orthodopraxy – Deed and Creed in the Light of the Rambam’s Ikarie Emunahâ€
Friday Night, March 7th, 2008 – 9:00 PM
Shabbos Morning Drasha (Shacharis begins at 8:30 AM)
“Maharal and Rav Kook’s Views on Aggadahâ€
Shalosh Seudos – (Mincha begins at 5:10 PM)
In the over 2 years since we’ve started Beyond BT we’ve had hundreds of great posts, thousands of great comments and hundreds of thousands of reads. We want to take this opportunity to thank everybody who visits these pages for helping making this project a success. One of the greatest successes is found in the sharing of our struggles with others in similar situations. It is a comforting feeling knowing that you’re not alone.
One of the issues we face is that many of our contributors only participate for a limited time period, which is fine with us. However, that means we are always looking for fresh voices. So, if you are willing to write something about once a month, please contact us. You can do it anonymously, if you prefer. We usually send out suggested topics every 2 weeks or so, but you can post on whatever topic you want. We also accept guest contributions, so when the spirit strikes, type it up and send it in.
We would also be interested in suggested topics that you would like to see and we’re always looking for a good question of the week. Thanks again and please consider taking your participation to the next level. Our email is beyondbt@gmail.com and we’re hoping to hear from you.
Many people have asked us for an email version of Beyond BT. Well, now you can enter your Email address on the box on the right and press the “Subscribe Me” button. Respond to the verification email and you’re all set.
A paraphrased comment from out there in the blogosphere:
I’d love to see the perspective of someone like “Esther” at Beyond BT, but I personally would hate to see someone who is more of a moderate be vilified and maligned.
Based on some of the more vocal and vehemently opinionated comments I’ve read on the (otherwise enjoyable and interesting) BBT blog, that is what would likely happen.
A friend of mine tragically lost his son in September 2005 and started an organization in his memory. Here is the mission statement for Avigdor’s Helping Hand:
Avigdor’s Helping Hand seeks to provide (i) immediate, emergency and short term relief, both financial and non-financial, to families in our communities who have sustained the recent loss of the primary breadwinner and (ii) financial assistance to orphans who are getting married in the near future.
Here is some information from their home page:
Each and every one of us knows of families that have sustained the tragic loss of the wage-earning husband or wife leaving the surviving spouse and their children in unimaginable pain.What can be done for these families? These are people, just like you, who led normal lives until tragedy indiscriminately struck and instantly turned their lives upside down.How can we ease their pain and suffering? The effects of such a loss are monumental. Children without their parents, wives without their beloved husbands and husbands without their cherished wives. Their suffering is too great to bear even before the economic impact begins to engulf them.
How will these families survive financially? Even in cases where benefits, such as insurance or governmental assistance, are available, it often takes weeks or months for those benefits to be processed and made accessible to the family.
Additionally, Avigdor’s Helping Hand provides financial assistance to orphans who are facing the positive major life event of getting married. Unfortunately, this happiest of times is often marred by poverty. With the absence of one or both parents, this poverty is even more evident.
If you know of anybody in need of this type of assistance please have them contact Avigdor’s Helping Hand.
R’ Gil Student at Hirhurim is taking his site to the next level with some nice new features like Frum News Roundups and Parsha Links.
The parsha link section is being written by Beyond BT contributor, Steve Brizel, so go check out Steve’s picks of the week.
The Jewish Heritage Center invites you to join its Directors, Rabbi Naftali Portnoy, Rabbi Moshe Turk & Rabbi Dovid Schwartz at an inspirational Rosh Hashana & Shabbos Shuva.
Spend this three day Yom Tov (and/or Yom Kippur) in a place where you can learn and grow with a great lineup of speakers:
-Rabbi Ronnie Greenwald
-Rabbi Label Lam
-Dr. Gila Schwerd
-Rabbi Moshe Schwerd.
-Incredible Yeshiva style davening and ruach led by Rabbi Yossi Singer.
-Concurrent beginners services and a dynamic array of basic workshops.
-Full range of lectures and shiurim geared for singles, couples and families of all levels of learning
-Original singles programming in a dignified Torah environment.
-Sumptuous world class meals in a luxurious and spacious hotel.
Both of us (David and Mark) have been going to this event for many years and it is truly amazing. If you can make it, we highly recommend it.
Call 718 575-3100 or email events@thejhc.org or visit http://jhcevents.com/ for more information.
Former Beyond BT contributor Michoel is organizing a concert by
– Simply Tsfat (Music of Breslev Chassidim and Other Niggunim)
– Liberty Jewish Center, 7000 Rockland Hills Dr.
– Sunday September 2nd at 6:30 (Doors open at 6:00 PM)
– $10 General Admission
Email: simplytsfatbalt@gmail.com or call 410-963-9018
We’ve emailed out the information packets for those registered and if you haven’t received it, please email us as soon as possible at beyondbt@gmail.com.
Here is the Eruv map for Passaic. Here’s the schedule for the Shabbaton
Friday night meal: at your home in Passaic or at the host family you are staying. If you are being hosted, please see the time that your host davens Mincha on the email you received.
Oneg Friday Night – 9:30 PM – (contact us for the address)
Shabbos Day: Davening and Meals at Ahavas Israel – 181 Van Houten Ave.
Shacharis – 8:30 AM
Kiddush – 11:30 AM
Shabbos Day Seudah – 12:30 PM
Special Shiur
Integrating into the Frum Community – 5:00 PM – Sharp
Rabbi Yitz Greenman – Executive Director of Aish NY and Producer of Inspired Films (contact us for the address)
Mincha – 6:15 PM OR 6:45 PM
Shalosh Seudos – 7:15 PM
Maariv – 9:18 PM OR 9:40 PM
We recommend that people leave as early as possible (by 3:00) as the traffic can be pretty bad. Please note that Google and Map Quest will probably take you through the city, which is not a good idea, but you can use them for the directions in Passaic. Here is one set of recommended directions (thanks Tzvi Noach) for those coming from Queens or Long Island.
Take the Triboro Bridge to the GW Bridge to NJ. Take I-80 West to Exit 61 – Elmwood Park, make a left at the light, go about 1/2 mile and make a left onto Route 46 West, then stay to the right and then to the left to get on Route 21 South to Passaic. You can take exit 11 or exit 10, depending where you’re going in Passaic.
What are the main issues facing BTs and what small steps can we can take to help alleviate the problems. These are some of the things we’ll be shmoozing about at the Beyond BT Shabbaton in Passaic this coming Shabbos. We’re just about out of space for accommodations, but if you live in Passaic we’d really love for you to join us. Email us at beyondbt@gmail.com for reservations or additional information.
Here is the Eruv map for Passaic and the Davening Schedule for Ahavas Israel. We’ll be davening at the 6:37 or 7:00 minyan on Friday (depending on your host), the 8:30 Shacharis minyan on Shabbos and the 6:45 Mincha minyan on Shabbos afternoon.
The first issue we have is not so universal, but a number of us from KGH want to know how long do you think it will take to get to Passaic from Kew Gardens Hills if we leave around 4:00-4:30? Also, what route would you take?
Here are some of the other issues we’ll start to look at:
– Understanding the details of lifecycle events like, Bris, Pinyon Haben, getting into Yeshiva Ketana, Bar & Bat Mitzvos, getting into Yeshiva Gedolah, dealing with teenagers, dealing with school administrations, finding a Shidduch for your children, making a Wedding, taking care of with ederely parents.
– Finding a good Rav for Hadracha (life guidance). This is one of the biggest issues BTs face.
– Filling the gaps in our Torah knowledge.
– Finding a chevra in your community and integrating into the large community.
What are some of the other issues that you feel are pressing.
There have been many threads on integration here at Beyond BT. Next Shabbos, July 20-21 we’ll all pass the integration test as we join together for the first Passaic Shabbaton. If you live out of town, we’ll find you accomodations and if you live in the Passaic area, we’re hoping to see you there. For those of us who like to wait till the last minute, well the last minute has arrived, so please send in your reservations asap.
The Shabbaton is an excellent time to meet and create friendships with other Baalei Teshuva. We’ve avoided a lecture format so that all those attending can have time to talk to each other in a relaxed atmosphere. There will be plenty of D’vrei Torah, but primarily limited to 10 minute talks during the Friday Night Oneg , the Shabbos Day meal and Shalosh Seudos. If you’re planning on attending and would like to share your thoughts, experiences or words of Chizuk, please let us know.
The venue is Friday night meals at the host houses, an Oneg Shabbos on Friday night and catered meals together for Shabbos Lunch and Shalosh Seudos at Congregation Ahavas Israel -181 Van Houten Avenue, where we’ll also be davening.
The pricing per person is as follows:
$35 – Adults
$25 – 13-17
$20 – 6-12
$10 – 2-5
$0 – 0-1
Email us at beyondbt@gmail.com for reservations or more info.
If you see two guys on a street corner in Passaic with a sign proclaiming “The Shabbaton Is Coming”, you know who it is.
We’ve be getting some very good feedback recently on possible projects for Beyond BT. That’s extremely important to us because the only reason we’ve created Beyond BT is to provide chizuk, ideas, connection and support for those of us traveling along this path together.
The Shabbaton is an excellent time to share your thoughts and concerns face to face. We’ve avoided a lecture format so that all those attending can have time to talk to each other in a relaxed atmosphere. There will be plenty of D’vrei Torah, but primarily limited to 10 minute talks during the Friday Night Oneg , the Shabbos Day meal and Shalosh Seudos. If you’re planning on attending and would like to share your thoughts, experiences or words of Chizuk, please let us know.
The venue is Friday night meals at the host houses, an Oneg Shabbos on Friday night and catered meals together for Shabbos Lunch and Shalosh Seudos at Congregation Ahavas Israel -181 Van Houten Avenue, where we’ll also be davening.
The pricing per person is as follows:
$35 – Adults
$25 – 13-17
$20 – 6-12
$10 – 2-5
$0 – 0-1
We think it’s only appropriate at this point to pay tribute to that master Shabbaton publicist and kiruv maniac from NCSY – Reb Shmulky Gebrokts.
Read more The Shabbaton Is Coming!
