6:30-9:30 pm: Shabbat Afternoon & Evening Services immediately followed by our Pre-Selichot Discussion (approximately 8:30 pm) with our Klei Kodesh in the Guller Chapel In-Person, Livestreamand FB Live Individuals joining us virtually are welcome to download and print our Selichot text sheets by clicking HERE.
9:30-9:55 pm: Selichot Snacks in the Community Room
10:00-11:00 pm: Selichot Service in the Main Sanctuary In-Person, Livestreamand FB Live
Streaming Selichot on our website? Here are some things to keep in mind:
BA Livestream Viewing: Our BA Livestream link can be found at THIS LINK. From 6:30 - 9:30 pm, you will be able to view our Shabbat Afternoon and Pre-Selichot Discussion on our Guller Chapel viewing screen. At 10:00 pm, you will need to scroll up to view our Selichot Service using the Main Sanctuary viewing screen.
If you do not see anyone in the Guller Chapel or Main Sanctuary, it is because we are having either our Seudah Shelishit or Pre-Selichot snacks in the Community Room. The Services will begin shortly after.
Selichot Continues with Selichot Night Live
After our BA Selichot Service has ended, we invite you to join the Nationwide Conservative Movement Selichot virtual experience. Click HEREto view the schedule and use one of the links below to join live.
Our indoor and outdoor High Holy Day Services will be: Socially Distanced Limited Capacity Face Masks Required Proof of Vaccination For safety and security reasons, we are also requiring online registration. To register for our in-person Services, please clickHERE.
Virtual High Holy Day Services
All are invited to join us for our moving virtual High Holy Day Services. We welcome you to Borrow a Machzor or
Download our Online Machzor
Click HERE for Tips on Creating Sacred Spaces at Home Reach out to us for tech help and securing a reliable viewing device (limited quantity available).
This Shabbat, we welcome Alia Rose & Aiden DeMichael Cooke to the Bimah for their B'nai Mitzvah. Alia and Aiden are the children of Rolf and Shelby Cooke and siblings of Amanda Trujillo, Rachyl Cooke (Z”L), Philip Cooke, Katlyne Brezee, Tisya Cooke, Julia Tucker, Hannah Grimm, Nathan Cooke and Joseph Cooke. Their grandparents are Doyce and Shirley Cooke, Jim and Audrey Melvin, Gene and Ruby (Z”L) Weaver, and Albert Zaharia.
To read more about Alia, please click HERE. To read more about Adin, please click HERE.
Friday, August 27 Pre-Shabbat Family Get-Together on the BA Playground: 4:45 pm Join us on the BA playground, see your friends and then at 5:15 pm, Rabbi Jeffrey Abraham and Morah Brandi Roach will lead a pre-Kabbalat Shabbat get together geared towards children in second grade and younger! You may stay and play as long as you like and leave with a Shabbat take-home box.
Please be sure to RSVP to Pam Appelman at 314-576-3688 or email pam@bnaiamoona.com.
In-Person
Friday Evening Services with Cantor Sharon Nathanson in the Guller Chapel: 6:00 pm
Pre-B'nai Mitzvah Participation of Alia Rose Cooke and Aiden DeMichael Cooke
Virtual Selichot Night Live: After our Selichot Service has ended, we invite you to join the Nationwide Conservative Movement Selichot virtual experience. Click HERE to view the schedule and use one of the links below to join live.
D'var Torah From Rabbi Carnie Shalom Rose - Kee Tavo-
Each year, as we reread the powerful words of the Book of Deuteronomy in our synagogues, I can’t help but notice how germane its wise teachings are to the season in which we find ourselves – the Days of Awe, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, which we will soon celebrate. After all, the High Holy Days are a time specifically set aside by Jewish Tradition for soul-searching – serious introspection and necessary recalibration. And not coincidentally, the entirety of Sefer Devarim, in three long, impassioned and content-filled orations, serve as Moses’ final attempt to instruct the Ancient Israelites – and we, their fortunate heirs – in Derech Hashem, the sacred ways of the Almighty.
This year, as I reviewed the Parashah of Kee Tavo, I could not help but be drawn to the closing verse of our weekly selection: “Therefore, observe faithfully all the terms of this Covenant that you may succeed in all that you undertake.” It all seems so very simple. Follow the Brit – God’s Covenant with Am Yisrael - and our lives will be filled to overflowing with joy and beneficence. And yet, our lives are far from simple and straightforward. Our lived experience teaches us that despite our best efforts, tragedies, reversals, and failures are built-in components of the human experience.
So what are we to make of the Divine promise that following in the ways of Holy One will obviate suffering and misery and catalyze blessing and triumph? Many years ago, I had the privilege of hearing Rabbi Jack Riemer (May the Almighty grant him continued vigor of mind and body!) share an insightful tale of a young boy who returned home with his annual report card. Sadly, the young man had not done well and his parents were understandably disappointed and upset. After absorbing a deserved tongue lashing, the lad turned to his parents and seemingly earnestly asked: “Mom and dad, what do you think…Is my poor academic performance genetic or environmental?”
It seems to me, that all too often we are like the young boy in the tale. We know that we have trespassed and yet, we are not willing to take full responsibility for our trespasses. We know that living a life that is in consonance with the ways of the Holy One of Blessing “stacks the deck in our favor”, and yet we nonetheless ascribe our shortcomings to something or someone else. We externalize rather internalize. We deflect rather than take personal responsibility.
Our Holy Torah, over and over again, reminds us that it is only through owning our missteps that we have an opportunity to better ourselves and our lot. It is only by living in Godly Ways, ways filed with compassion, empathy and love, ways that are articulated succinctly in the sacred cannon of our insightful Mesorah, that we will merit to live lives that are transformative - successful, meaningful and worthwhile.
As the Yamim Noraim draw near, let us thank the Source of All Life for the profound gift of choice. And let us choose to take control of our lives and attune them to the Ways of the Most High so that we may be worthy of success in all that we undertake.
Brooke Lashley and Kevin William Kyle on their recent marriage.
Ilana Boyer, Aydan Bricker, Lily Rosenzweig, Alyssa Smith, Mitchell Smith and Halle Wasserman who were recently nominated to this year's USY EMTZA Regional General Board & Convention Committees.
WE MOURN THE PASSING OF...
Isaac Moises Perez; beloved son of Edward Perez and Myriam Milgrom; loving husband of Nicole; father of Leah and Eli; brother of Debbie (Zamir) Eidelman and Sandra Perez (Z"L); uncle of Alan and Jeffrey Eidelman; and half brother to Jessica, David, Johny, Ricky, Josh and Mike (Z"L) Perez.
Weekday Minyan Information Join us In-Person or on Zoom, BA Livestream or Facebook Live
Morning Minyanim Sunday Morning Minyan: 9:00 am Monday - Friday Morning Minyan: 7:00 am In-Person, Zoom, Livestream, and FB Live Zoom Link: https://zoom.us/j/97189645201 Meeting ID: 971 8964 5201 This Zoom link is for all morning Minyan Services
Evening Minyanim
Sunday - Thursday Evening Minyan: 6:15 pm via Zoom, Livestream, and FB Live Zoom Link:https://zoom.us/j/97924715014 Meeting ID: 979 2471 5014 This Zoom link is for all evening Minyan Services
Operation Isaiah & Support for Recent Refugees from Afghanistan
Operation Isaiah Food Drive for Yom Kippur The cart is ready for you to drop off your "no contact" donations! If you need help bringing food from your car, between 9:00 am and 4:00 pm, please ring the doorbell and someone will come out to help you. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Liessa Alperin at 314-576-9990 ext 116 or liessa@bnaiamoona.com.
If you would like to contribute to Congregation B’nai Amoona’s HaMakolet - B’nai Amoona’s Free Food Pantry, please contact Gail Armstrong at 314-576-9990 X126 or gail@bnaiamoona.com.
Donations for Recent Immigrants from Afghanistan “When a stranger resides with you in your land, you shall not do them wrong. The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as one of your citizens; you shall love them as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.” Leviticus 19:33-34
Please participate in the Mitzvah of helping those in need who are new to our community!
B’nai Amoona is partnering with The International Institute of St. Louisto help with settling immigrants who are arriving quickly in our area from Afghanistan. Please help by dropping off donations at B’nai Amoona! ClickHERE for their list of needs.
Todah Rabbah To The Jewish Federation of St. Louis
Grants from the St. Louis Jewish Federation have helped Congregation B'nai Amoona in a wide variety of ways. In 2020-21, we received grant funding for the Chesed Fund, support from the Staenberg Family Foundation for both our Seder and necessary technology, support for older adults, closed captioning from the Joslin Fund, and COVID assistance including technology, two food investments, and additional Chesed Funds. We are deeply appreciative of the support and necessary assistance these Grants provided. Todah Rabbah!
Jewish tradition teaches “Kol Yisrael Arevim Zeh Bazeh,” meaning that we are all responsible for each other (B.Talmud Shevuot 39a).
Our B'nai Amoona Klei Kodesh is proud to join other local Jewish spiritual leaders in issuingTHIS STATEMENTin favor of receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, continuing to wear a mask and practice social distancing as recommended by the CDC and other medical and other public health authorities.
As more people receive the Covid-19 vaccine, we encourage you to download and print the prayers below. We recommend you say them when you receive your vaccination.
