TYPES OF SERVICES:

The Jewish Sabbath begins at sunset each Friday and concludes at sunset each Saturday. Our Friday evening services begin at 7 pm and last approximately an hour. We try to have an “Oneg Shabbat” on a monthly basis.

We would love to have you join us in person, but if you are not able to get to us, most Fridays, you can find our service live streamed on Facebook Live! Look for us on our Facebook page, Congregation Beth Israel San Angelo.

WHAT IS THE PARSHA?

The Torah, also known as the Five Books of Moses or the Pentateuch, is divided into 54 separate portions, each one named for the first word or words of the passage — and each linked to a specific week. The weekly Torah portion, (also spelled parashat hashavuah) serves as the focal point for much Jewish learning, from individual study to informal discussion groups to rabbis’ sermons. You can find the parsha of the week here.

PRAYER SERVICES AND BOOKS:

As Jews, we pray directly to God, without an intermediary, such as a minister or priest. The rabbis, meaning “teacher,” and cantor lead the services, announce which prayers are being said, provide explanations, and tell the congregants which prayers should be said while standing.

At Beth Israel, we have lay leaders in the congregation who lead our services. We use the Mishkan T’filah as our siddur, prayer book. It is read right to left, written in Hebrew with transliterations (Hebrew written in Roman letters). They also have English translations for each prayer. Since Hebrew reads from right to left, the books will appear to open from the wrong direction, but the pages are numbered so you will be able to follow the services.

To learn more about the specific prayers, click here.

SPECIAL NOTE FOR CLASSES OR GROUPS:

If you’re interested in more information about Judaism, for a tour of the temple, or just wanting to know more, please contact our Temple President, Ami Mizell-Flint. She can be reached by phone/text: (325) 374-8940 or at congregationbethisrael.tx@gmail.com.