June 18 2021 l 8 Tamuz 5781
CONGREGATION BEIT T'SHUVAH WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR UPDATE |
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Dear Community,
As Beit T’Shuvah ends its fiscal year, we enter a season of change. Last week was Rabbi Micha’el Akiba’s final time leading Shabbat services. Those of you who attended the services witnessed the well-deserved outpouring of love and gratitude as we bade him, and his wife, Tala, farewell and best wishes on their journey to Turkey. I remain immensely grateful to Rabbi Micha’el for his unwavering commitment to our residents and community and for his leadership of the Congregation this past year as our Community Rabbi. We are stronger as an organization because of Rabbi Micha’el, and our focus now is to continue to sustain and grow our thriving and welcoming spiritual community.
During the last several weeks, I worked with members of the Board of Directors to develop a strategic transition plan for Beit T’Shuvah’s Congregation and Spiritual Department that is now in effect. Beit T’Shuvah is fortunate to have three dynamic and talented associate rabbis: Rabbi Kerry Chaplin, Rabbi Joseph Shamash, and Rabbi Miriam Green Potok (pictured below). Through this next year, the Congregation, including Shabbat services, High Holidays, and Adult Education, will be a shared responsibility among the clergy on a rotating schedule. I am also happy to announce that Chaplain Adam Siegel is the new Director of Spiritual Care and Programming and will oversee this rotation as well as lead the spiritual counseling department for the treatment program. Chaplain Adam has been a dedicated employee at Beit T’Shuvah for over 10 years as a spiritual counselor and community engagement leader, and I am fully confident in his leadership of the department. We remain in good hands with our skilled and dedicated clergy team.
Lastly, while the COVID-19 guidelines have recently changed for the majority of LA County, Beit T’Shuvah is classified specifically as a congregant living facility by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LACDPH). This classification requires BTS to adhere to a stricter set of guidelines and protocols as established by the Public Health Officer for the LACDPH. Because of this classification, Beit T’Shuvah will not yet return to in-person services and the congregation will remain virtual for the time being. (more info available here.)
Change is a constant, and Beit T’Shuvah continues to move forward while upholding its principles and mission.
Shabbat Shalom,
Sergio Rizzo-Fontanesi, Ph.D.
Executive Director
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THIS WEEK'S TORAH PORTION
By: Rabbi Kerry Chaplin
I remember sitting in a hotel lobby with a group of rabbis who had founded their own spiritual communities. It was, for all its importance, impromptu - an unscheduled gathering of people breaking barriers of welcoming and prayer and relevance in American Judaism. Generally, this was not a quiet group and, while not necessarily arrogant, not so humble either. But in this particular moment, all of them were listening very closely to one older rabbi who had mentored many of them. He said, “I’m leaving. Now it’s your turn.”
In that one moment - unplanned, unbidden - time made itself very clear: one era was over and another beginning. A profound holy responsibility shifted shifted and spread to everyone gathered.
The Israelites, too, experience this shift. They’ve been following Moses through the desert, been guided by Aaron the High Priest, and been led by Miriam in song and spirit. And then in this parashah, all of that changes. First, Miriam dies...click here to read more.
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Finn G. for one year of sobriety.
Seth B. for 3 years of sobriety.
Rachel B. for 8 years of sobriety.
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We are still celebrating birthdays each week on Zoom!
To sign up to take a Sober Birthday cake at Beit T'Shuvah, click here.
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Dearest Finn,
We are so proud of you. You have acted with courage, strength, and compassion during your first year of sobriety. We know it hasn't been easy and we are in awe of your commitment to sobriety and living life with integrity. Our family is grateful to everyone at BTS and a special shout out to the Wednesday night family group for their wisdom, vulnerability, and support.
Keep on going, Finn!
Love Mum, Barklie, Daisy, Wilbur, and your entire family! xxx
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If you would like to sponsor shabbat at
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Shop, donate and share with your friends.
*Shipping available upon request*
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Baked T'Shuvah's Founder, Jackie Elkins, is licensed by the state and you can order the Baked T'Shuvah challah you know and love!
Pick up ONLY at BTS Fridays after 11AM. Must prepay.
Available flavors: Plain, Chocolate Chip, Salted Caramel or Raisin.
Orders need to be placed by Wednesday!
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OUR SINCEREST CONDOLENCES |
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...to the family and friends of Faina Geller-Lite...
If you are interested in sending a beautiful tribute, please contact Development . You can also send a tribute online by Clicking Here. Beit T'Shuvah will promptly send a card to the family or friend you are recognizing.
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Tribute donations are a wonderful way of marking life cycle events for your loved ones and friends and supporting Beit T'Shuvah.
Lori Cardille in honor of Rabbi Kerry Chaplin
Terry & Adam Nimoy in honor of Rabbi Micha'el Akiba
Michele & Mario Tamayo in honor of Rabbi Micha'el Akiba
Adena Cohen-Bearak in honor of Rabbi Micha'el Akiba
Rabbi Mark Borovitz & Harriet Rossetto in honor of Rabbi Micha'el Akiba
Janis Black-Warner & Douglas Warner in honor of The Continuing Success of Beit T'Shuvah; Much Appreciation Rabbi & Harriet!!!
Susan Schaefer Albert & Carl Albert in honor of the Sossin-Bergman Externship Program
Susan & Neal Epstein in memory of Rosalyn Perci Scharf
Lillian Mizrahi in memory of Shelly Balloon
If you are interested in sending a beautiful tribute, please contact Development . You can also send a tribute online by Clicking Here. Beit T'Shuvah will promptly send a card to the family or friend you are recognizing.
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THIS WEEK'S SPOTLIGHT
Written by: Daniel K.
Gavy S.
“I often hear people say that this rehab thing is ‘do or die’—for me, it really is. My heart is only functioning at 24% from an almost fatal overdose, if I use again I will die,” says 24-year-old Gavy S., a former fentanyl addict and current resident at Beit T'Shuvah. “I’ve literally overdosed twenty times now; I always say that if I were a cat, all 9 of my lives would be gone. Honestly, if it weren’t for Beit T Shuvah I wouldn’t be alive right now.”
A blue belt in Jiu-Jitsu and an avid lacrosse player with what looked to be a bright future, Gavy eventually had to quit sports because of a fractured spine. Oddly enough, this was not the beginning of his drug use; he had already begun using at a much younger age. Gavy’s father left when he was six years old, leaving his mother to raise him by herself. The only father figure he had was his older brother, who was battling his own addictions. “I started using drugs by the time I was 12, mostly Vicodin, Norcos, even some benzos, but so as to not fully follow in...click here to continue reading.
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Lessons from Recovery for Navigating a New World |
Please join us and JCS Baltimore on Tuesday, June 22nd at 4pm (PST) for an online panel discussion about how recovery tools and principles can help anyone enhance and bring peace to their life during challenging times. This will be moderated by Howard Reznick and will include panelists Marla Kaufman, Sharon Burns Carter, and BTS Founder and Clinical Director, Harriet Rossetto.
This event is free and open to the public.
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The Beit T’Shuvah Magazine is now live! Produced by the brilliant minds at Creative Matters, our first-ever digital magazine features stories on the most important issues of our day, and answers questions like what it’s like to lose $125 million, how it feels to be handed a life sentence, and do you have to believe in God to get sober.
Read the magazine by clicking here and follow Creative Matters on IG @creativematters.agency
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Beit T’Shuvah has raised nearly 3,000 through the Amazon Smile program to help save the lives of those suffering from addiction. Be a part of the movement and choose Beit T’Shuvah as your set featured charity on Amazon Smile by clicking the link below for all of your amazon purchases! Click here to shop through amazon smile.
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Friday night services held via zoom at 6:30pm PT.
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Beit T’Shuvah Sisterhood T-shirts $30.
Multiple Colors Available!
Contact Dana Gache:
Phone: 3103516408
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Beit T’Shuvah Custom Masks |
Stay safe while supporting Beit T’Shuvah with masks custom made by Creative Matters. Perfect gifts for alumni, staff, residents, people in recovery or community members!
$10 per mask
Designs:
One Day At A Time
In This Together
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Alumni Process group for residents who have left BTS during the pandemic.
Wednesdays at 12pm.
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Whether your loved one is still in treatment or they have already moved on to the next chapter of their journey, we would like to provide a platform in which families get to talk about their shared experiences and wisdom.
This group is for families of our current and former residents.
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Saturday Morning Services |
Saturday morning Prayer and Meditation at 10:30am PT.
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Come learn on Saturday mornings at 9:30am PT with Rabbi Micha'el Akiba.
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We are still celebrating birthdays each week on our Shabbat Zoom.
To sign up to take a cake, please contact Jillian.
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Life in Uncertain Times: Coping Strategies Before, During, and After Corona. With Rabbi Joseph. Mondays from 12-1pm PT/3-4pm ET.
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Wednesday through Friday at 9am PT. Join the Facebook group:
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BTS community AA meeting: Thursdays at 7pm.
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Past newsletters are now available online. Please click here to view.
For anyone that shops at Ralphs, please consider registering your phone with their community care program and select Beit T'Shuvah as your charity.
For anyone that shops on Amazon, go to Amazon Smile and choose Beit T'Shuvah as your charity and a percentage of each purchase will be given back to us.
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