A Message from Rabbi Karol
A house of meeting.A house of study.
A house of prayer.
Like any Jewish congregation, Temple Beth-El of Las Cruces offers many opportunities to fulfill these traditional roles and goals of the synagogue.
There is a unique quality to this center of Jewish community in southern New Mexico, at this congregation that affiliates with the Union for Reform Judaism.
Members come from many different places and backgrounds.There is a "big tent" approach to bringing congregants of all ages together, taking each person at his or her level of Jewish knowledge and involvement and providing avenues for everyone to grow in learning.
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Temple Beth-El is a welcoming and vibrant congregation, where you will find:
- Worship that encompasses the vast experiences of our members, featuring the best of tradition as well as new approaches to engender a special spirit that can help each member find meaning in prayer and song.
- Wednesday breakfasts, with talks that feature the wisdom and expertise of members.
- Lay-led Talmud study in English every Shabbat morning.
- An ongoing Jewish academy including; Hebrew study, weekly Torah Study, an Introduction to Judaism class, special courses led by Rabbi Karol and various congregants, and periodic scholar-in-residence and performer-in-residence programs.
- A Religious school open to students from Pre-School through High School, plus a "Training Wheels" program for future students, with a knowledgeable and enthusiastic faculty that enhances Jewish learning for our children.
- A Temple board and committees whose members provide leadership and direction for all to infuse their ideas and wisdom into Temple life.
- Sisterhood, Mensch Club, and BETY (Beth-El Temple Youth), which share their energy to broaden Temple's many programs.
- Holiday celebrations, social gatherings and fundraising events that highlight and add to the joy of community life.
- A new Temple facility which accommodates all types of events and programs, and which houses a sanctuary with symbols and windows fashioned by members of our community.
- Our Temple library, which features an impressive collection of Jewish books for all ages of readers (one of the largest collections in the Southwest!).
- A Chesed committee that offers special care to congregants in need of support and assistance.
- A Chevrah Kadisha (Holy Society) that helps with traditional preparation for funerals.
- An ongoing relationship with New Mexico State University, the NMSU Hillel Student Fellowship, and participation in many local interreligious efforts and events.
- A rabbi who is committed to bringing the best of Judaism and its values to the Temple Beth-El and the Las Cruces community.
In Genesis Chapter 28, Jacob named a place Beth-El, "House of God," when he realized, in retrospect, that an encompassing divine presence had been with him there and would continue to accompany him on his journey.
Temple Beth-El is here for you as a place to feel a warm welcome and a community where you can find partnership that can give our lives meaning and offer our hearts hope and joy.
L'shalom,
Rabbi Larry Karol
