Hesed: Caring for Each Other
We are your Beth El family, from our rabbis to the congregants to the staff. When facing a life cycle event, whether illness of a loved one, death of a family member, personal issues or joyous celebrations of wedding and new babies, we all can use the support of our community. Beth El is here for you, just let us know.
Our mission is to enhance and nurture the spirit of community within our growing congregation by addressing the emotional and/or special needs of all our congregants throughout their individual life cycle events. Every Beth El member is a Hesed Haver and may be called upon to help celebrate, support and/or comfort others in need within our congregation. Our vision is to inspire and engage all Congregation Beth El households to participate in mitzvot of mutual support and loving kindness for the benefit of the entire congregation.
Our mission is to enhance and nurture the spirit of community within our growing congregation by addressing the emotional and/or special needs of all our congregants throughout their individual life cycle events. Every Beth El member is a Hesed Haver and may be called upon to help celebrate, support and/or comfort others in need within our congregation. Our vision is to inspire and engage all Congregation Beth El households to participate in mitzvot of mutual support and loving kindness for the benefit of the entire congregation.
Mitzvot and Food, Two Jewish Traditions
If you get an email that says, "Congregation Beth El has invited you to join a Meal Train," don't delete it! This website is a way to organize meals for families facing a medical situation and can use some meal support. Meal train enables everyone to have the opportunity to participate in this great mitzvah and provides all the necessary information for making and delivering the meal. Visit www.mealtrain.org for more information. We also have a separate program to welcome new babies. If a new baby is born in your neighborhood you may receive a call from a Hesed volunteer asking you to prepare and deliver a Shabbat mitzvah meal to the family. To learn more about it contact hesed@cbe.org.
Pastoral Counseling
If you are in need of personal support, spiritual guidance, comfort or healing, please contact our Rabbinic Office to make an appointment or call 858-452-1734.
Bereavement support
Congregation Beth El provides strong support at a time of bereavement. Rabbi Shulman and Rabbi Libman are available to officiate at Funeral Services and Unveilings for synagogue members and their families, to provide guidance regarding funeral arrangements and mourning traditions, and to offer personal assistance during a time of loss.
Our synagogue family compassionately embraces our bereaved families supporting Shiva observances, providing meals, and being present to the needs of our friends and neighbors experiencing grief. Jewish tradition teaches us to act out of respect for those who have died and with caring and comfort toward those who are bereaved.
For more information, please contact the Rabbinic Office.
prayer for healing
Here at Congregation Beth El, we maintain a communal list of members, loved ones, and friends who seek healing. We invite you to send us the name(s) of a loved one who is facing the challenge of illness, accident, surgery or other health or personal situations. We wish to support you and them by including their Hebrew or English name(s) in our prayers when we recite our communal Prayer for Healing. Please contact our Hesed Committee or Rabbinic Office with the name(s) and relevant information, including how we may contact you. In order to respect each individual's privacy, permission to recite a name is required from an immediate family member or the person himself or herself.
Bikkur Holim (outreach to the sick and homebound)
Please call on Rabbi Shulman and/or Rabbi Libman at a time of illness, for a hospital or home visit, or personal support.
If you or someone you know is ill, recovering from surgery, or homebound and would like a visitor, please let us know so we can help by contacting us at hesed@cbe.org.
Resources
Looking for a Job?
JFS can help! The Jewish Employment Network has resources to help you find a job.
Need a Ride to Services?
Email us at dvinick@cbe.org. Also check out On the Go , the JFS senior transportation program.
Cancer support
If you or someone you care about has cancer, visit our resource section in the library of the Beit Midrash. We have materials about resources in the community, books and information for someone facing cancer, and books and pamphlets to help adults and children cope after the diagnosis of a loved one. You can also click here for support through Jewish Family Service or click here for Sharsheret, which helps Jewish women facing breast or ovarian cancer.
Hesed Haver
Be a Hesed Haver and help us grow our Beth El community of lovingkindness. Hesed Haverim help congregants by visiting those who are ill or homebound, making Shiva calls, attending a Minyan, sending a card, preparing a meal and so much more. Whatever your talents, we always need more help. For more info contact Pam Amundson, Hesed Chair at Hesed@cbe.org or call Dvora Vinick, Coordinator of Community and Israel Affairs, at the synagogue’s office - 858-452-1734.
Wed, July 16 2025 20 Tammuz 5785