Beth el aleph school: Home – Beth El Aleph Preschool

Опубликовано: October 30, 2022 в 11:48 pm

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Beth El Nursery School | Berkeley Parents Network

Nov 2013

I was wondering whether any current or former parents at Beth El Nursery could comment on their experience with the school. I’ve heard so many things and am unsure which to believe. I’d particularly love to hear from the perspective of anyone who chose to leave the school. Incoming parent

My son was at Beth El Nursery School only for one year, the year before Kindergarten. Note that this was 4 years ago, under a different director. He had a hard time, as he was the only NEW boy in the class. The other boys never really accepted him, and several actively bullied and excluded him, even though he was kind, outgoing, and eager to make friends. We wrote our letter to withdraw from the school 3 months in, but were strongly advised by the director and by other childcare and teaching professionals not to do so, as starting over elsewhere would be even more difficult. He ended up having 3 very close friends (one boy who joined after him, and 2 girls), but had a very tough year. I felt not enough was done by the staff to integrate him into the very tight social network. HOWEVER, the kids who started there at age 2 or 3 seemed very happy, and the director and several teachers have moved on…JMHO. Berkeley mom

Our child was at BENS during the transition of directorship. While we were perfectly content with the previous director, the new one did bring in some very nice additions to the curriculum and structure of the preschool. I was not thrilled with her communication style but otherwise I felt it was an improvement. I do think the new director puts a strong emphasis on the social-emotional component.

At BENS, our child thrived and developed a strong Jewish identity, and I highly recommend it! I’m not sure what you’re hearing that makes you not sure what to believe, but realize that complaints from parents who were there a few years ago may no longer be relevant. If your child has special needs (autism, ADD, social-behavioral issues), BENS might be better prepared, but I can’t comment from personal experience. If your child is typically developing then I can say from our experience that we were very happy there. Happy at BENS

May 2013

Re: Jewish Preschools Non Synagogue Affiliated

I believe the daycare in the Jewish community center is quite good. I visited it and I liked it. I think they start with older kids though. I also visited the daycare in the Temple Beth-El and liked it a lot, but that’s synagogue-affiliated. If I were you, I would check it out. I almost send my daughter there, and other moms have told me great things about this daycare. Hope that helps! Carolina. Carolina

JCC is the only one that comes to mind. Though not sure what the reasons are for wanting a nonaffiliated preschool… Is it level of religious instruction that is of concern? My daughters went to Beth El Nursery School, and although we are atheist we were very happy there. Happy with BENS

Feb 2013

Hi, we’ll be moving to Berkeley this coming summer and we are thinking about enrolling our 3-year old daughter in the Bet-El nursery school. We spoke in the phone with the director, and we got a very good impression of the daycare, but we didn’t have a chance to see the place in person. Do you have any comments/impressions/things to say? Any comments will be greatly appreciated!!!! Thanks very much!

We LOVE Beth El! Our son has been at BENS for three years now and we couldn’t be happier. It is a structured play-based preschool with developmentally appropriate incorporation of Jewish traditions and themes into the everyday curriculum. The new director has brought in a few nice improvements, adding a strong emphasis of Reggio Emilia into the preschool. There is plenty of spontaneous opportunities for intellectual growth woven into the play and a strong emphasis on sociodevelopmental growth as well. The Jewish content is great and feels very inclusive for the diverse mix of families. Actually I feel as if we have ”relearned” so much about our heritage through our son! The facility is very nice with a great outdoor space. You won’t be disappointed if you send your daughter to BENS. Happy BENS Family

Feel free to contact me for a more personalized answer to your questions. K.

August 2010

A last minute opening for a 3+ year-old child is available at my children’s nursery school. Beth El Nursery School, http://www.bethelberkeley.org/nurseryschool.html, has been my daughter’s school since she was 2.5. My son will start in the fall. At this Jewish play-based school, my daughter has learned about the holidays and enjoyed a weekly shabbat musical celebration. There is a large outdoor playground and three separate classrooms for the three age groups. We have a close-knit community of families with patient, thoughtful, and creative teachers taking care of our children. For more information about this unique opportunity, contact Barbara Kanter, nursery school director. barbara [at] bethelberkeley.org
emily

Sept 2008

Re: Do I need to join a temple to get into preschool?
My kids went to the preschool at temple Beth-El. It is located on Oxford st. so it’s as close to Albany as the JCC is. We did join the temple precisely because it turned out to be cheaper and really didn’t attend any of the temple’s events. My kids liked the preschool a lot, there seemed to be many families there who were dealing with the same issues that you raised, as i can recall there was much openness and discussion among parents and staff around those issues. I liked the way they celebrated most of the holidays too. orit

We have been extremely happy with Beth El Nursery School. The community is fabulous and the kids love celebrating Jewish holidays, making challah on Fridays, and celebrating Shabbat. Yes, it costs less if you are a member – but joining the temple has a lot of benefits – community, summer camp, High Holidays, and it is not as expensive as you might think. Definitely give the Nursery School director, Barbara Kanter, a call – her number is 848-9428. The Web site is www.bethelberkeley.org/nurseryschool. happy BENS parent

April 2006

We are considering sending our child to Beth El Nursery School. There are no reviews since the move. Anyone have experiences to share? Amy

We have 2 children at Beth El Preschool (age 2 and 4) and we absolutely love it. It is a wonderful play based preschool with great teachers and an excellent director who really cares about all of the children and families. It has been an amazing community. The new building is wonderful – it’s great to be in a new place with brand new play equipment, lots of light etc. I recommend contacting the director Barbara Kanter to check it out. Tammy

We have 2 children at Beth El — one about to graduate and one in the 2-year-old classroom. We intend to send our baby there when the time comes. That alone should tell you that we’ve been extremely pleased with Beth El Nursery School. The teachers there have done an excellent job of understanding and nurturing our children, allowing them to follow their interests and also guiding them in their social develpoment.

Our almost 5-year-old has been reading since age 3 1/2; his teachers have found a way to incorporate his skills and interests, allowing him to become a leader but not a freak amongst his peers. When he was younger, and had less interest in making friends, they made it possible for him to develop his talents and explore the social realm at his own pace. Our 2 1/2 year old has also blossomed there, bonding with several of her teachers and delving into the world of messy art projects and new friends. She comes home happy and exhausted every day.

Each classroom has its own tenor — the 2 year-old room has a no- nonsense head teacher who works teriffically for some (my 2 kids have responded very well) but whom others find alienating. The co-teachers there complement her well, adding softness. The 3- year-old room has a great head teacher whose enthusiasm seems endless and who manages to find a niche for each child. All three teachers work well together. This year the head teacher was out for a time recuperating from a serious illness, and the staff pulled together very well and ran the classroom happily in her absence.

The 4-year-old room is flat out fabulous. Marlene, the head teacher, has been teaching for 25 years and knows all the tricks. She deftly weaves the children’s interests into her time-tested curriculum, introducing elementary-school readiness (working at centers, following multi-part directions, dictating stories) to eager, receptive students. She takes her job seriously, and goes the extra mile to reach out to parents and to make the children feel welcome and special. All the teachers incorporate Jewish curriculum in the classroom, which has been a huge plus for us. Our children come home singing holiday and Shabbat songs, and help us remember when to prepare for upcoming holidays. Beth El now has a preschool admissions policy which heavily favors membership there, and recommends joining the synagogue before your child is admitted. We found this burdensome. It has the effect of encouraging families to be more involved at the synagogue, so you should consider if this is something that suits your family.

The new building is great — big windows in the classrooms, easy access to bathrooms for the children, and a kitchen in the hallway. It has a few kinks, some of which will be worked out: the ventilation needs to be improved, the storage is limited, the entrance to the 2-year-old room is narrow, especially with the inevitable baby strollers that accompany the parents. The parking lot is difficult to navigate, and the building’s security makes enterring cumbersome. Elisabeth

Hello Amy- My name is Julie Parker and I am co-chair of the parent organization at Beth El Nursery School. I have spent much of the past year working with Barbara Kanter, the school’s director to transition to the new site. All of the issues we had moving in have been resolved or will be by the end of the school year. There was definately some adjustment. As a parent who was at the old site as well as the new I am very pleased with the new site. The bathrooms and layout of the classrooms are so much better. The children love the play yard. Parking is not a problem like we had anticipated and drop off and pick up are better after some adjustments. The best thing about the school in my opinion is the active parent community. We are also synagogue members and are very happy with the Beth El community. The executive director of the synagogue is very responsive to the nursery school parent’s concerns and has done a fantastic job addressing and solving our issues.

As far as play time and art I am very satisfied. My daughter is extremely active and social and gets lots of stimulation at school. The teaching teams are wonderful. My daughter is in the Alef class and is learning so much this year. I like that there are native Hebrew speakers in two of the classes. I love the afternoon teacher Wendy and my daughter enjoys the activites throughout the day.

We feel very forutnate to have joined the synagogue when our daughter was 6 months old and spent the time to get to know the teachers and staff. Beth El is a second home to us so we are very comfortable leaving our daughter there each day. Julie

Hi Amy, Our daughter is currently in her third year at Beth El Nursery School. To address your questions, we feel that the only changes the school has gone through as a result of the move to the new site are the beautiful, new facility (with new furniture and new toys) and the enthusiasm that goes along with being in a brand new environment. There are three teachers in every classroom. Each teacher has her unique strengths, bringing a great deal of diverse activities into each classroom. The head teacher in the 2-year-old classroom plays guitar and sings daily with the children. Another teacher has an extensive background in gardening and does a lot of planting with the children. These are just two examples, but there are many others. In addition to the regular classroom teachers, there are also two specialists: a music teacher and a movement teacher. They are both very popular with the children and the parents! The school is play based, so at any given time the children can choose from a wide variety of activities that the teachers have set-up. Every day is slightly different, but there are always art activities, puzzles, dramatic play, floor activities (such as blocks and cars), books being read and much more. Naturally, each class has different activities based on the age of the children. Currently the 4-year-old classroom has a science table set-up with signs of spring that the children can add to, explore, discuss and observe. We have been so incredibly pleased with the school and feel very lucky that our daughter has had such a positive, first experience. We are also in awe of how much she learns; socially, emotionally and academically. Most importantly, she is enthusiastic about being at school and can’t wait for the next school day. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to email us. Shoshana

March 2004

Hi, I’m looking for a more current recommendation than what’s in the archives for Beth El preshcool. Specifically, I want to know about the 3 year old class. How did you like the teachers, the community, the playard (and amount of outdoor time the kids get), and what about teacher turn over. Thank you. anon

I can only answer some of your questions. The play yard at Beth El is one of the best I’ve seen, fully enclosed and safe, with a good lawn and a play structure. And the teachers use it well and about as often as possible. We loved the school, and my son made great friends there. One year removed

My daughter will be entering the 3 year old (Alef) class at Beth El Preschool this coming Fall. She’s currently in the 2 year old room. Our older daughter also went to Beth El Nursery School for three years. Obviously, we’ve been happy there. Regarding your specific questions: The teaching staff is quite stable throughout the school and also quite wonderful. The yard area is fine– not great — though when they move to the new synagogue (hopefully early in ’05) it should be much nicer. The level of community you’ll find will depend to some extent on how much you reach out. Overall, we’ve found it to be welcoming. Lisa

I highly recommend Beth El Nursery School. My daughter is in the 3 year old class this year, and my older daughter went to Beth El for 2 years (4 yrs ago- when Jill Shugart was the director). The teachers in the ”Aleph” class (3yr olds) are great. Alex just went on maternity leave, but is coming back in the fall (if not before). The three teachers work wonderfully as a team, and they are all nurtering, creative, wonderful people. I think the 3 of them have been working together for several years, and so ”turnover” isn’t really a problem. In addition to the usual fun stuff – art projects, circle time, dress up, outdoor play, etc – they have a music class and and a movement class once a week with different teachers. My daughter loves these classes. They also make Challah and have a Shabbat circle (parents welcome) on Fridays. Also, the afternoon program is really nice and my daughter is crazy about the cooking they do some afternoons. It is a nice, warm community and we have been really happy there. Feel free to contact me if you want more information or with any questions. Good luck with your decision! eno

My son is in Alef class (ages 3-4) at Beth El this year, and our whole family loves it! Here are some answers for your specific questions. The Alef class teachers are great as individuals and they work together so very well. I have heard from parents with older kids that the teachers for Bet class (ages 4-5) are also fantastic. One Alef teacher recently left for maternity leave, but the word is that she will be back. Most of the teachers there have been there for a long time, or have had experience with other preschools. They are remarkably warm, kind, good humored, intelligent and knowledgeable about early childhood education.

The play yard at the current beth El does not look like much and I was put off by it at first. But every time I have been there when the kids were playing in the yard, they seem to be having a blast. There is standard stuff–sand box, play structure, trikes etc.,–and the teachers put out a variety of different things every day. Most days, you can follow a glitter trail through the yard and into the classrooms and that to me is like the residue of magic that the kids create for themselves in that yard. Each class gets about an hour of ourdoor time each day, I think. And Beth El is constructing a new temple and school that should have newer play yard stuff.

The commmunity is wonderful. Perhaps it has something to do with being a part of a community where religion and spirit are important, perhaps it has to do with being a community of parents of young children, maybe it’s singing the dinosaur song at Shabbat every Friday that keeps people in a good mood, but there seems to be a prevailing kindness among the families at Beth El that you don’t find everywhere. I think the warmth that the families bring is evident in the kids as well. Feels like our whole family is thriving at Beth El. Carolyn

My son is now in kindergarten and was at Beth El from age 2 to 4. He had a wonderful experience in the Alef (3 year old) room. The teachers were wonderful and there is relatively little turn over. It was a lovely group of kids and parents and we still keep in touch with many of them. All in all a lovely experience. Feel free to email if you have other questions. Amy

We love Beth El Nursery School. There is a strong, supportive community of families. The teachers are energetic, loving and fun. Though based on play, our daughter comes home with tons of new knowledge. She is also given social tools that we value at home. Most importantly, she is eager to go to school every morning and comes home with a smile on her face at the end of the day. I’d be more than happy to answer any specific questions if you’d like to email me. Shoshana

November 2002

If you’re looking for a nice Jewish pre-school, I recommend Congregation Beth El Nursery School. They had a hard patch transitioning to a new director in 2001 but are now back on track. Good diversity (Asian, Black, non-Jewish, Lesbian moms, etc) and wonderful caring teachers. My daughter’s been there for 2 years and comes home speaking Hebrew and Spanish to me. RD

June 2002

Re: Preschools with good playgrounds
Beth El in Berkeley has everything except the open access. Their playground has a large grassy area, a large sand box, and a structure. Because there are different age groups they are given seperate times to be outside. As it fits so many of your other criteria it may be worth looking at. Kean

Our daughter is in her 2nd year at Beth El there and we’ve been very happy! We’re very happy with the quality of the teachers and the programming. We have a new daughter (born in November) who we plan to send there in a few years as well.. Lisa

We sent our daughter to Beth El Nursery School and really loved it. The teachers were just wonderful – warm and nurturing, as well as engaging and encouraging to her creativity. It is a very friendly place and my daughter made many close friends there, as did we. It seemed to have a nice balance of structured activities, lots of singing and many nice art projects, and free play. I was very impressed with their “conflict resolution” – it was all done very calmly and quietly, facilitating a resolution between the children involved, and never humiliating or punishing. Also, I did love having her come home from school singing hebrew songs and talking about Jewish holidays. My daughter entered in the “Aleph” class, and so was not there for Gan Katan, the 2 year old program, so I can’t really speak to that, but I think people really liked it. We had such a positive experience that I definitely plan to send my baby to Beth El (in fall of 2002). enozick

I don’t think the fact that one is Jewish and the other is not is irrelevant. I am sending my child to another Jewish preschool and really love the way she is learning Jewish culture and traditions. I also enjoy the community, and it feels very comfortable to me. However, if this isn’t important to you, a Jewish preschool may not be the right place — it will be following a religious calendar (i.e. different days off than most workplaces), the holidays the kids learn about will be Jewish, and the art projects will often connect to Jewish holidays. In terms of diversity, there probably won’t be that much difference in class or racial diversity, though obviously Berkeley Hills has more religious diversity. Good luck making a decision — it might be a good idea to do a quick visit to both again to test out how you’d feel having your child at each one.

March 2002

I have checked the website but wondered if anyone had any updated feedback on Beth El Nursery School or Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center preschool. I know Beth El has a new director & had a lot of turnover in the past few years. I am interested in the two year old programs for both schools for next fall. Thanks for your feedback!!

I just joined this group but I was told that a few people have had questions about Beth El Nursery school, where my son has gone for the last two years. As those of you who have looked at Beth El know, we have a new director this year. The transistion has been a bit bumpy one but it has not effected the program. It’s a great program – the kids are thriving – nice parent community, great teachers. My daughter, now 8, went to Step One, which was also great.. Both schools have similiar philosophies – they are play based programs that let the children take the lead and have lots of activities available for the kids – art, dress-up, outside play, etc. Of course one difference is the religious content at Beth El. The kids celebrate Shabbot, which my son really enjoys, and they celebrate the Jewish holidays throughout the year. Amy

 

Kadima Beth El Religious School

Kadima Beth El and KBE
Teen Leadership Cohort  registration is now open for the 2022-23 school year!

Register Today!

Mission

Kadima means forward, and reflects our striving to help today’s families bring the vibrancy and relevance of the Jewish tradition forward into their lives.For generations, Temple Beth El has been a place of connection for Jews in Portland. Whether in prayer, learning, celebration, mourning, or in pursuit of a more just world, our members and friends come from diverse backgrounds and each have a role to play in creating the beautiful tapestry that is TBE. 

Philosophy

KBE is rooted in Holistic Jewish Education. We seek to cultivate the mind, heart, and soul of each child, so that they may find their own unique Jewish voice. We celebrate what makes us unique, while seeking meaningful connection to one another and our greater global Jewish family.

Community

Some of our students are children of TBE members, some are not. Some of our students have two Jewish parents – some do not. KBE is proud to nurture children from diverse backgrounds and families. Our faculty and
madrichim (teen teaching assistants) have years of experience and help each child create their own connections to our Jewish tradition. We provide opportunities for families to connect through Sunday B’Yachad family programs, Friday night dinners, and informal get-togethers.

Grade Breakdowns

Chaverim (Pre-K – Kindergarten)

Little ones ages 4 and 5 enjoy stories, songs, games, crafts, and movement in a caring environment enhanced by natural, everyday Hebrew.

Chaverim are also invited to join periodic B’Yachad
family programs when the entire school gathers together for activities that foster community service, Judaic enrichment, and Jewish social interaction.

1st – 2nd Grade

Hebrew reading is taught over two years beginning in 1st grade, giving students time to integrate each letter and vowel they learn. Through interactive activities the students also learn about Jewish holidays, customs, values, t’fillot
(prayers), and other Judaic topics.

When students have Sunday or Wednesday conflicts, Kadima Beth El provides a variety of multimedia resources integrated with and parallel to the classroom learning, which can also serve to enrich and enhance the Jewish knowledge and skills of families.

3rd – 6th Grade

Core Curriculum 

Our program for 3rd – 6th graders focuses on t’filah (prayer), Tanakh (Bible), and Hebrew. Our ambitious Hebrew program places renewed focus on vocabulary, grammar, and conversation, giving students the ability to explore Hebrew as a living language. Midweek Hebrew allows students the opportunity to keep building their skills. We include shorashim (Hebrew roots) as a core part of our t’filah program. Students will not only learn to sing prayers, but be empowered to grapple with the meanings of the prayers inside the classroom and without. In Bible classes, students are encouraged to examine the commentaries, to think about the text in an expansive way, and to see themselves as part of Jewish history. 

Project-Based Learning

Through engaging, hands-on, and interdisciplinary elective group projects students cover a wide variety of Judaic topics (such as Jewish holidays, customs, lifecycle, Tikkun Olam, values, Israel, etc. ). The students investigate meaningful questions and create a presentation showing how they have answered them. Each six-week cycle is capped off with an open classroom program, where other students, parents and community members are invited in to learn about the students’ work. 

When students have Sunday or Wednesday conflicts, Kadima Beth El provides a variety of multimedia resources integrated with and parallel to the classroom learning, which can also serve to enrich and enhance the Jewish knowledge and skills of families.

7th Grade – B’ Mitzvah

Our innovative 7th grade curriculum prepares our students to become full citizens of our Jewish community — touching the many fields teens will need to explore as they become b’nai mitzvah. Examining fields such as community, history, the synagogue and Jewish texts, students explore the various ways their Judaism and Jewish identities affect how they live their lives as Jewish adults. This course incorporates trips around the state, guest speakers, weekly journaling assignments, and interactions with community members at every level.

To learn more about the B’ Mitzvah process, please click the button below.

Learn more

KBE Teen Initiatives

Madrichim Programs

Interested in being a leader and role model for younger students? There are two ways to contribute to our community:

  1. Classroom Madrichim (teaching assistants) –
    For students interested in working at KBE and/or from home during the week with online tutoring. Madrichim choose either to be paid or receive community service hours for their work.
  2. Mitvah Madrichim –
    Interested in a leadership role, but the classroom isn’t the place for you? Are you passionate about making the world a better place? Our mitzvah madrichim lead students and adults in fun events that serve a cause.

Teen Leadership Cohort

Teens are changing the world.  In addition to their academic, social, and extra-curricular responsibilities, many are dedicating considerable time to tackling global and local injustices in new and inspiring ways. The Kadima Beth El Teen Leadership Cohort (TLC) seeks to offer these young leaders a structured opportunity to approach their activism with a sense of connection: to each other, to their Jewish values, and to our community. More information found here.

Abigail Halpern

KBE Religious School Director

Abby has been passionate about Jewish education ever since she became a
madricha (teacher’s assistant) in 8th grade. She loves sharing that passion with students in the classroom, and in her role as director, with their families as well. She also enjoys guiding students through the momentous b’nai mitzvah process: it’s a privilege and honor to witness their gradual transition into adulthood.

A native of Cincinnati, Abby did her BA with the Joint Program at the Jewish Theological Seminary and Columbia University and then her MA with the Siegal College of Judaic Studies in Cleveland, Ohio. She taught at day schools and religious schools in Cleveland for many years. She has also lived in Haifa, where she saw Israel through the eyes of a preschool parent. Her husband, Jeff, is a professor of Chemical Engineering at UNH-Durham. They have three rambunctious boys.

Abby’s teaching philosophy follows that of Polish-Jewish educator and children’s rights activist Janusz Korczak: “Children are not the people of tomorrow, but people today. They are entitled to be taken seriously. They have a right to be treated by adults with tenderness and respect, as equals. They should be allowed to grow into whoever they were meant to be. The unknown person inside each of them is the hope for the future.” 

To reach Abby, call (207) 774-2649 ext. 208 or email her at
[email protected].

Registration & Tuition

KBE is open to all Jewish students regardless of TBE membership, though TBE members receive a discount on tuition. Register by July 15, 2022 for our early bird discount or to be eligible for scholarship funds. View next year’s calendar
here and register below!

Tuition

Rates are listed as:

By July 15/After July 15/Non-Members

  • Pre K-Kindergarten: $360/$378/$442
  • Grades 1-2: $781/$820/$987
  • Grades 3-6: $1092/$1147/$1376
  • 7th Grade b’nai mitzvah class: $781/$820

(does not include tutoring fee)

  • Teen Leadership Cohort: $300 (members) / $360 (non-members)

Register Here

KBE Blog

Check out our blog for remote learning assignments, prayer recordings, resources for learning the aleph-bet, or the latest news from KBE.

KBE Blog

KBE Teachers

Our dedicated teachers have many years of experience teaching religious school and are passionate about our mission. They care deeply about the progress of each student and keep open lines of communication with parents. Madrichim (teen assistants) help out with tutoring and small group work to give each child the personal attention they need.

Kadima Beth El is supported in part by funding from the Jewish Community Alliance of Southern Maine (JCA).

School Calendar – Temple Beth El, Danbury, CT

Judaic Studies Class Music / Prayer Practice Hebrew Class
Preschool thru 2nd 8:45 to 9:50am 9:50 to 10:05am (Judaic Studies teachers)
3rd and 4th 8:45 to 10:05am 10:05 to 10:20am (Judaic Studies teachers) 10:20am to noon
5th and 6th 8:45 to 10:20am 10:20 to 10:40am (Hebrew teachers) 10:40am to noon
7th 8:45 to 10:40am B’nai Mitzvah – 10:40-11:00am 11:00am to noon
Aleph Confirmation 9:15 to 10:15am
Bet Confirmation 10:30am to 11:30pm
Wed. Sept. 9 or Thurs. Sept. 17 REQUIRED Aide training 7:15 to 8 pm (choose either the 9th or the 17th).   New Aide parent orientation 7:45 to 8pm.
Tues. Sept. 22 Meet and Greet for all teachers and aides 7 to 8pm.
Oct 4 First day of classes. Fire Drill. Shmini Atzeret begins at sundown 10/9. Simchat Torah begins at sundown 10/10.
Oct 11 Regular classes. Lockdown practice.  
Oct 18 Regular classes. Fire drill.
Oct 25 Regular classes. Lockdown practice.
Nov 1 Regular classes. Coffee for Class of 5781 B’nei Mitzvah parents (one parent must attend).
Nov 8 Regular classes.  
Nov 15 Regular classes. Shabbaton 1
Nov 22 Regular classes. First honorarium distributed (thru 11/15).
Nov 29 No classes. Thanksgiving recess.
Dec 6 Regular classes. Hanukkah celebration. Hanukkah begins at sundown Sunday, 12/10.
Dec 13 Regular classes.  
Dec 20 Regular classes.  
Dec 27 No classes. Winter recess.
Jan 3 No classes. Winter recess.
Jan 10 Regular classes. End of first marking period.
Jan 17 Regular classes
Jan 24 Regular classes. Tu B’Shevat begins at sundown 1/27. Meeting to schedule 2023 B’nei Mitzvah. Mock Bar/Bat Mitzvah service-Shabbaton 2
Jan 31 Regular classes.  
Feb 7 Regular classes. Wimple Shabbaton.
Feb 14 No classes. President’s Day recess.
Feb 21 Regular classes. Purim Celebration. Purim begins at sunset 2/25. Hebrew classes 8:45 to 10:00 am. Reading of the Megillah, costume parade, carnival – 10 am to noon. PARENTS OF CHILDREN IN GRADES 3 AND BELOW PLEASE ACCOMPANY YOUR CHILD TO THE CARNIVAL.
Feb 28 Regular classes. Second honorarium distributed (11/22-2/7)
Mar 7 Regular classes.  
Mar 14 Regular classes.  
Mar 21 Regular classes.
Mar 28 No school. Passover recess. Passover begins at sundown , 3/27.
Apr 4 No school. Passover recess. Yom Hashoah begins at sundown Thursday, 4/8.
April 11 Regular classes. Yom Ha’atzmaut begins at sundown Friday, 4/16.
April 18 Regular classes.
April 25 Regular classes.
May 2 Regular classes.    
May 9 No classes. Mother’s Day.
May 16 Regular classes. Shavuot begins at sundown on 5/16.
May 23 Last day of school – Regular classes.   Confirmation – 6th, 7th, and Confirmation Aleph required attendance.   Third honorarium. End of second marking period.

In case of inclement weather, cancellation of classes will be announced (1) on the Temple website, www.tbect.org, (2) via email from the Temple, (3) via telephone call from the Temple, or you may phone the Temple at (203) 792-2001.

If you find that weather conditions where you live are dangerous, please do not attempt to come to school regardless of whether there is a cancellation. The safety of our children is our highest priority.

Beit El – frwiki.wiki

Beit El (hey. בית אל, literally “house of God”), quoted in the Hebrew Bible, is an Israeli locality founded in 1977. It is located in Bethel, 10 km north of Jerusalem, in the historic district of Benyamin. in ancient Samaria, exactly 2 kilometers north of Ramallah, in today’s West Bank.

Some actually correspond to the Israeli settlement of Beit El in ancient Bethel, other Palestinian villages (at) Beitine.

Summary

  • 1 story

    • 1.1 Bible
    • 1.2 Through the Ages
    • 1.3 Today

      • 1.3.1 Organization
      • 1.3.2 Land and real estate
      • 1.3.3 Actions
      • 1.3.4 Population
  • 2 Tourism
  • 3 links
  • 4 See also

History

Bible

From Genesis, Abraham built an altar at Louz (later called Beit El or Bethel). Beit El also represents the place where God asks Jacob to live, who, as he commands, puts the author in his honor (Gen. 35.1-15). There he takes a stone instead of a bed, falls asleep on it and sees Jacob’s ladder in a dream (Gen. 28:10-15). “The Ark of the Covenant is later there during the time of the Judges of Israel, and King Samuel held his court here.”

In the Gospels, the pilgrims of Emmaus go to this village where Jesus introduces himself to them.

Over the centuries

Orientation panel of the archaeological site near Beit El

According to archaeological excavations in the area of ​​Mount Bethel from XIX – century and continues today, the first village was settled in II – th 060 06 century AD . AD 90,006 Israelites, at that time from the Hasmoneans when it was found building, statuettes, coins of King Alexander Yannai (Jannée) and statuettes.

The village is said to have been abandoned “for 250 years before being reborn in Byzantine times with an Egyptian population. At this site, archaeologists have found traces of a church and dwellings, the floor of which was sometimes covered with mosaics.”

In VIII – m century, under the Muslim dynasty of the Umayyads, the place is occupied by a new population, before being completely abandoned again until modern times.

Village Palestinian Arab, founded in XIX – th century under the auspices of the Ottoman Empire.

The conclusion is that “this study allows us to imagine many civilizations that succeeded [ sic ] in this place before disappearing.”

Present

Reconstructed swimming pool near Beit El

An Israeli colony of 17 religious families settled in this place on an area of ​​more than 157 hectares in 1977, near the Israeli military base, near the Arab village of Beitin. It takes the biblical name for the area, which in biblical times was in the lands of the tribe of Benjamin. In the Jewish colony behind the separation wall in 2019more than 6,000 inhabitants live in the year.

Organization

Beit El Municipality

Shortly after its foundation, the colony was divided into two religious communities, approved by the government in 1978: A ( aleph ) and B ( bet ). Due to population growth and their proximity, in 1997 communities A and B merged under a new formal local government body, the Binyamina Regional Council, which was given municipal council status.

The various districts of Beit El and its environs are Jabel Artis dit Maoz Tzur, Givat Assaf and Ulpana (Givat Haulpana).

The elected officials of the colony were: Uri Ariel, Israel Rosenberg, Moshe Rosenbaum and Sha Alon. During these years, the implantation rabbis were Shlomo Aviner, Zalman Baruch Melamed and later Rabbi Ariel Barley.

Land and real estate

The colony was founded mainly on private land, in particular on the ruins of a Jordanian base captured after the Six Day War in 1970 for the security needs of a military outpost (named Maoz Tzur), but since 1978 the Supreme Court of Israel has received a complaint from a Palestinian owner about the usurpation of land located in Beit El. She denies the request in the decision, believing that it is important for security to create a zone of civilian settlements in a hostile environment.

A year later, the government decided that the Jewish settlement in Judea and Samaria would be based only on state land.

According to the report made at the request of the defense at the beginning of XXI – th century, the colony is built on private Palestinian land seized by the military occupation of the Crown land occupied by the Jordanian authorities and on private land repaid by their owners of the Hymena company (subsidiary of FNJ – KKL). Some of the buildings were built outside the settlement. According to the non-governmental organization Israel (in) Yesh Din, in 2007 the civil administration carried out over 100 illegal building procedures in Beit El.

In 2012, the Israeli Supreme Court ordered the demolition of the Ulpana hill area near Beit El on the grounds that five of its fourteen buildings were built illegally on Palestinian private lots owned by two Palestinians from the village of Dura. al-Qar, which was not included in the military takeover order dated 1970, while the NGO World Now claimed that private Palestinian property made up over 96% of the land in Beit El. Thirty-three Israeli families evicted from these sites are moving to caravans in another area of ​​Beit El and in another settlement.

In Israel announces the construction of 300 housing units in the settlement, promised in 2012, after burning down two buildings and destroying illegal Jewish structures in the settlement three years earlier – new buildings that Palestinians consider a “war crime”.

From time to time there are clashes between Jewish settlers and Arab Palestinians, and the people of Beit El have taken control of their security.

The Jewish housing estate has been supported by the United States since the late 1980s, and “donations have been used to establish and develop yeshivot (Talmudic schools)”. US President Trump and his entourage continue to help this Jewish settlement.

Activity

In addition to many kindergartens, elementary schools, Talmud Torah, secondary schools and Yeshivas (also attended by students from neighboring colonies), Beit El colony of 1,200 families provides services, shops, a small vineyard, a handicraft factory tefillin (an object of Jewish worship), and carpentry and ironworks. Also in Beit El there is a radio (channel 7), a community center, a library, an employment center, Zionist youth movements (notably Bnei Akiva), or a club for the elderly. Tourist events are also organized. “That’s why most of the settlers work in Jerusalem.”

You can travel by car or armored bus to repel the attacks of the Arab neighbors.

Aerial view of Beit El in its immediate surroundings

Population

Beit El’s inhabitants are largely made up of immigrants from Russia, India (Bne Menashe from the states of Manipur and Mizoram), Peru, Ethiopia (Falashi). Many of them live in caravans.

In front of kindergarten in Beit El

Population evolution
Year Number of inhabitants
1977 (17 families)
1983 1000
1995 3 200
2005 5 000
2006 5 200
2013 5600
2016 6 115
2017 6 100
2018 6500

Source

In 2016-2017, the share of secondary school graduates among students year is 83. 3%. The average monthly salary of an employee at the end of 2016 is NIS 7,067 (national average NIS 8,913).

Tourism

Observation tower Lift Your Eyes

The Beit El area offers various tourist and cultural trips related to religious, ancient and modern Jewish history:

  • Jacob’s rock where his famous dream unfolded
  • Ancient burial grounds of the cave from the period of the Second Temple (in VI – th century BC. I – th century)
  • Old olive oil factory in a cave from the Second Temple period
  • Jewish archaeological site at Maoz Tzur (neighboring area) from the time of King Yannai (Agrippa II).
  • Winepress route with two old wine presses from the times of the First and Second Temples
  • Chronology of Beit El through the ages; film about Beit El at Library Cultural Center
  • Shop “Beit El Winery”
  • 1000 year old sagebrush oak, the oldest of its kind in Israel
  • Factory tefillin
  • Hawat Ephraim Animal Sanctuary and Shelter, home to over 30 animal species.
  • Craft workshops
  • Exhibition and sale of works by local artists in the gallery and gift shop L’Echelle de Jacob.
  • Panorama of almost the entire country from Raise your eyes Observation tower on Mount Beit El (Jabel Artis) at an altitude of 915 meters above sea level

Recommendations

  1. ↑ a b and c (en-US) Admin, “ BEIT EL TOURISM: Connecting Heaven and Earth “, on מועצה מקומית בית אל (as of 20 Aug 20)
  2. ↑ a and b Michal, “ Jews, the only people who colonized their land , Promised Land, (as of August 23, 2019)
  3. ↑ Bethel is mentioned about 40 times in the Bible. Edward Robinson, Biblical Studies in Palestine, 1838-1852.
  4. ↑ Spelling error appears in original text
  5. ↑ a b and c Serge Dumont, “ Beit El colony ‘feels the tide’ supported by Trump’s confidants”, Le Temps (Switzerland) , (ISSN 9 67 1423-3, read online, accessed 24 August 2019g.)
  6. ↑ “ Israel: Beit El, Trump Clan’s Favorite Colony “, at FIGARO, (accessed August 24, 2019)
  7. ↑ a and b http://a7.org/?file=201

    8. 103926.pdf

  8. ↑ Idit Zertal and Akiva Eldar, Lords of the Earth: A History of Israeli Colonization of the Occupied Territories , ch. “Civil Jewish Colonies”, Le Seuil, 2013, (ISBN 9782021126976)
  9. ↑ Report (.pdf) of Brigadier General Baruch Spiegel, published by association Shalom archav ( Peace Now , La Paix now )
  10. ↑ Israeli Association (en) Yesh Din (lit. “There is justice”) is associated with the protection of human rights for the Palestinian population in the occupied territories.
  11. ↑ (en-US) “ חיפוש עבור beit el ” , on Yesh Din (accessed August 24, 2019)
  12. ↑ AFP, “West Bank : Evacuation of Israeli settlers from Beit El ” , (accessed 24 August 2019)
  13. ↑ “ West Bank: Evacuation of Beit El settlement continues “, at www.20minutes.fr, (accessed August 24, 2019)
  14. ↑ “ West Bank: Beit El settlers agree to move to another colony “, Le Monde , (read online, consultation August 24, 2019)
  15. ↑ Israel resumes colonization, La Croix, 31 July 2015
  16. ↑ “ Israel to build settlements as ‘war crime’ for Palestinians “, at Site-LeVif-FR, (accessed 24 August 2019)
  17. ↑ (in) “ Our history ” on beitelzoo (as of August 24, 2019)
  18. ↑ “ West Bank – Wild New Settlement – Beit El settlers take ‘their safety into their own hands’ “, at L’Orient Le Jour, (accessed 24 August 2019. )
  19. ↑ “ Shooting at Beit El Settlement in Central West Bank “, at french.palinfo.com, (accessed 24 August 2019)
  20. ↑ “ Beit El Terrorist Route ” , on I24NEWS (accessed 24 August 2019)
  21. ↑ Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS)
  22. ↑ CBS publication, read online
  23. ↑ (c) « בוטיק | בית אל | יקב בית אל ” on Mysite (as of August 24, 2019)
  24. ↑ (in) “ Pinat Hai Atmosphere and Activities” on beitelzoo (as of August 24, 2019)

See also

  • Bethel
  • Israeli settlements

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Borges. 12 best stories – Year of Literature

Text: Fyodor Kosichkin

Jorge Luis Borges is one of those writers’ names that are usually pronounced with respect, even without reading their works. But unlike the overwhelming epics,

And arranged alphabetically for simplicity.

Aleph (1949)

The alphabetical selection begins with “Aleph”, and this is not accidental, because it is the first letter of the ancient alphabet. This is one of the most important and one of the few “narrative” stories of Borges, in which there is a plot extended over time and characters entering into dialogues with each other. And also – a combination of different topics, which gives reason to consider “Aleph” a small story. The plot boils down to the fact that the narrator visits the house of his deceased beloved once a year for many years, until he finally befriends her brother, a mediocre poet who composes the longest poem describing the whole world. The narrator wonders how he succeeds – and it turns out that they have 9 under the stairs in their house.0481 aleph – exit point to superspace, from where you can cover the whole world with one glance.

The Analytic Language of John Wilkins (1952)

in total – invents) “classification of animals” , allegedly borrowed by him from some Chinese encyclopedia. Starting at “animals belonging to the emperor” and ending with “running around like crazy” and “breaking a flower vase” . And this mocking and unthinkable “classification” from that time has become a symbol of the futility of trying to streamline what is impossible to streamline.

Library of Babylon (1941)

A description of a book paradise that contains all the books ever written in all languages, including those that no one has ever spoken. At least not a mortal. Because – “whatever combination of letters, for example: dhtsmrlchdy – I write, in the divine Library in one of its mysterious languages ​​they will contain some terrible meaning. ” After the advent of the Internet, it became clear that Borges described exactly him. But how could he do it in the 41st year?!

Enigma of Edward Fitzgerald (1952)

Biographical essay dedicated to the first translator into European (English) of Rubai Omar Khayyam [1]. Who, Borges assures, not only translated, but reconstructed the scattered poetic miniatures of a medieval astronomer and statesman, recreating from them an integral finished work, and from Khayyam himself – a great poet. Not only that: Omar Khayyam and Edward Fitzgerald , Borges assures us, – this is a single two-part poet, the halves of which turned out to be separated for many centuries and thousands of kilometers.

Lottery in Babylon (1944)

« Like all men in Babylon, I was proconsul; like everyone else – a slave; I have known omnipotence, and disgrace, and prison. Look, I don’t have an index finger on my right hand. Look, through the hole in the raincoat, a red tattoo on the stomach is visible – this is the second letter, “bet”. On full moon nights, she gives me power over people whose sign is the letter “gimel”, but subjugates me to people with “aleph”, who on moonless nights must submit to people with “gimel”. In the pre-dawn twilight, in the dungeon, I killed the sacred bulls before the black stone. During the lunar year I was declared invisible: I shouted and no one answered me, I stole bread and I was not punished. I have known what the Greeks do not know – uncertainty. In the copper cell, in the sight of the handkerchief of the silent strangler, hope did not leave me; in the stream of pleasure – panic fear “. The lottery, in which not sums are played, but destinies is the key metaphor of the 20th century, in which people are knocked out of their predetermined trajectories with the ease of beetles under a knocked over stone. Do we, who survived the revolution and perestroika, not know this. “This city is Babylon, and we live in this Babylon”, – assured BG . Clearly not without the influence of the HLB.

Justification of the false Basilides (1932)

Basilides – the founder of the Gnostic school of the 2nd century, who taught that our world was not created by God, but by some emanation of a deity emitted by God, which, in turn, emitted another emanation, and so 365 times, and it is this last emanation, in which the divine is almost gone, that created our world – which explains its glaring imperfection. What is striking, however, is not this inflamed and puzzling mysticism, but the fact that Borges manages to make a fascinating narrative out of it.

Letters of God (1949)

The parable of the Aztec priest thrown into prison by the Spaniards, who, in the spots on the skin of a jaguar, after the greatest effort, saw the spell, the utterance of which would be enough for the Empire to be reborn. But the priest does not pronounce it – because then he will forget himself. It can be said that here Borges anticipated semiotics – the science of signs that are not always written in letters of the alphabet.

The search for Averroes (1949)

A comic story, one might say an anecdote, about a medieval Muslim philosopher who, while translating Aristotle’s treatise, is faced with a serious problem: the word “drama” appears many times in the manuscript, and he does not have the slightest idea about theatrical art. And at the same time, despite all his learning, he cannot understand that a traveler who came from China, describing the theatrical performance he saw there, tells exactly what he writes about.0483 Aristotle ! And, as always with Borges, the anecdote turns into a philosophical parable – about the limitations of our scholarship and the limits of knowledge.

Pierre Ménard, author of Don Quixote (1939)

Perhaps the most famous text of Borges, rightly considered an open manifesto of postmodernism. Its meaning is that a certain writer, Pierre Menard, aims to rewrite Don Quixote. More precisely, not to rewrite, but to rethink – so that the text of the 17th century, which has not changed a single letter, is filled with new meanings. For example, if for Cervantes the statement “History is the mother of truth” is a statement of the universally recognized, then for Menard it is a bitter mockery. Thus, Pierre Menard turns out to be not only the father of postmodernism with its “everything has already been”, but also the forerunner of conceptualism, which asserts the total dependence of the text on the context.

The Rose of Paracelsus (1983)

A miniature masterpiece of the late Borges, no longer written, but spoken by him because of his complete blindness – a parable about a teacher and a student who did not find each other, like a fox and a crane from a fable. But much more tragic.

The Garden of Forking Paths (1941)

Another story-symbol, a story-manifesto. This time – a manifesto of hypertext as a principle of constructing a text and the mentality behind it. In 1916, at the height of the First World War, a Chinese man living in the UK, Yu Cong, comes to visit sinologist Stephen Alber, who reveals to the guest the meaning of an unfinished novel written by Yu Cong’s imaginary great-grandfather, Xu Peng. It turns out that this is not a “heap of incoherent drafts”, but a real hypertext – an attempt to take into account all possible scenarios. The embodiment of which was the Garden of Forking Paths, along which they walk, talking. But a delightful walk costs both of them dearly: Yu Tsung, who works for German intelligence, is forced to kill Albert so that his German authorities, having read about it in the newspapers, understand that the French city of Albert needs to be bombed – this is where the British artillery park is concentrated.

Tlön, Ukbar, Orbis tertius

It is symbolic that our list, starting with “Aleph” – the alpha of Borges’ universe, ends with “Tlön…” – his most extensive and large-scale intellectual hoax. The beginning is already characteristic: “Mirrors and copulations are disgusting, for they multiply the number of people.” Approving, thus, the identity of the real and the seeming. After such a beginning, the story of the search for the fictional country of Tlön in ancient encyclopedias and atlases is taken for granted. How would we say now – in virtual reality.

Borges was born in the same year as Nabokov and Hemingway. And it seems – in one year with Steve Jobs and Bill Gates.

[1]

Aleph of Borges – The Blue Rose trembled on the soil of the heart dried up by pain… — LiveJournal

‘Inca’
Watercolor – 1991

sounds like Borges. And before the eyes is ‘Inca’.

I had a dream: a volume of Borges with a bookmark somewhere in the middle. I open the book in this place, and the half that has not yet been read begins to grow to infinity. A few days later, I got to the miniature ‘Book of Sand’ – you can say that the story coincided with my dream. His collection is really like the ‘Book of Sand’. Or like Zaire.

Borges has a deep understanding of sleep. If you explain it figuratively, then the principle of sleep is the same as Funes, a miracle of memory . This is very similar to Daniil Andreev’s description of the state when a person’s inner vision and hearing are opened at the same time. That is, if we represent the principle of sleep schematically, then the receiving object is a mirror that reflects someone’s thought, the events of bygone days, centuries – in a word, someone else’s life. But maybe for that other, former, she is also a stranger. Basically, we don’t exist. In the sense that I, wandering through the eternal labyrinth of Borges, may well impersonate him, Borges, just as he could write about himself in the third person:0083 ‘me and Borges’ . I deliberately omit the ramifications, because individually they are only particular, but all together (whether they want it or not) they add up to one whole: namely, that dreams are a different reality, perhaps more real than this one. Does Borges say anything new? Hardly. He takes us into the labyrinth of his intellect, dropping between the pages, not without humor: ‘The labyrinth is made in order to confuse a person’ . This image haunts him since childhood, bright and gloomy at the same time. The labyrinth takes on various forms: from a trap to a Abenhakan el Bokhari to image of the Library of Babylon or scheme of the philosophical book ‘Garden of Forking Paths’ . In this labyrinth, only in it is it possible to understand the duality of the world, or rather, the combination of a hero and a traitor in one person; or motives for murder, none of which raises the question of who gave me the right to take this or that person’s life. The plot of the story ‘The Villain’ may be reminiscent of Rogozhin, Myshkin and Nastasya Filippovna, but I, however, did not have such an association … Myshkin rushed between two women, and it is unlikely that he could have had a conflict with Rogozhin if and was, then it is different from the conflict of the Nielsen brothers … Well, let it be particular. Although Myshkin evoked only lofty feelings in Nastasya Filippovna, this is enough to kill out of jealousy … or rather kill, so as not to share a favorite subject anymore. It was this that shocked me, and not at all the parallel with Dostoevsky. The men left fratricide by killing a woman whom they could not share in any way, and who nevertheless preferred one and could not hide it, although she meekly obeyed both. I wonder what women would do in such a situation? Both life and works of art give us such unexpected solutions to the conflict. This is either a life of three, or a conflict (which happens more often). The noble care of the third superfluous is for very strong people. Because the life of three is only humanity, which actually crushes love, although (certainly) requires a certain courage. But as for story ‘Villainous’ , here, without any embellishment, the position of a woman in the world of men is shown: ‘…she was a thing… The cruel mores of the suburbs did not allow a man to admit, even to himself, that a woman could cause something other than just desire in him to possess her…’ Perhaps the whole duality of this world stems from the relationship between a man and a woman? More precisely, is the duality of all other relationships in the world a consequence or reflection of the Great Duality ‘Man-Woman’? Few men turn their trained minds to this problem. More precisely, they explain this problem of duality differently. Although if you look at the first pages of the Bible , it begins with this… ‘And God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them’ (Gen. 1-27). But here we are talking about a man and a woman as one person, a single being. But in the second chapter of Genesis we read quite the opposite: ‘And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul (Gen. 2-7) … And the Lord God said: it is good for a man to be alone; Let us make him a helper suitable for him (Gen. 2-10)*…
_____

* In another translation: ‘helper opposite him’ , which changes the meaning of what was said.
_____

And the Lord God brought a deep sleep upon the man; and when he fell asleep, he took one of his ribs, and covered that place with flesh (Gen. 2-21). And the Lord God formed a wife out of a rib taken from a man, and brought her to the man (Genesis 2-22). And the man said, This is bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called woman: for she was taken out of man (Gen. 2-23). Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother, and cleave to his wife; and they will be one flesh (Gen. 2-24). And they were both naked, Adam and his wife, and were not ashamed’ (Gen. 2-25).
In the second chapter of Genesis, man is already only a man. And he was created from the dust of the earth, and not in the image and likeness of God … And this strange contradiction, with which Bible begins, does not seem to bother anyone much. And of the two creations of man, the second is in use, where it is especially emphasized that the wife is just a man’s rib. The derogatory accent, however, is inappropriate. The rib is, after all, your own, broken off from you. Part of you Also a hint of unity, rejected by the male mind. They are even immortal, Adam and his wife. Until the fall, which finally confuses us in our search for truth.

In article ‘Kabbalah’ Borges considers only Adam Kadmon as an archetype man, who is formed by ten emanations (sefirot) of En-Soph. Adam Kadmon is in heaven, and we are only his reflection. In addition, Adam K. himself, consisting of ten emanations of an eternal being, also radiates four worlds, the third of which is ours, and the fourth is hell. If one wonders about the creation of this world, then Borges describes, according to Kabbalah, a whole tower of God’s emanations (365). The last of them is a God named Jehovah, who creates this world full of mistakes, horror, sins, physical pain, guilt, full of crimes. And Borges concludes: Divinity is on the wane, and Jehovah is creating a world prone to error. We will not find anything like this in the Jewish existentialist Andre Neher, who generally considers only the relationship of the Jewish people with God, falling into extremes, even if they are very refined. Neher interprets Kabbalah differently: 26 unsuccessful attempts – and, finally, our world was made up of a chaotic heap of fragments of failed worlds. Kabbalists struggle over the riddle of this drama as best they can, straining their mystical mind. Sometimes, however, it seems that we all have nothing to strain.

Borges is as contradictory as anyone in this dual world. But unlike the Prague rabbi Maharal, Borges does not pay attention to the second letter of the Hebrew alphabet ‘bet’ – a sign of duality and rupture, with which Bible begins. In Borges’ ‘aleph’ , duality does not double, but merges into a single (and most importantly, living) whole. Obeying the ancient magical instinct, he recalls that insight into the past is equivalent to the ability to foresee the future. And what we call memory is not a purely mechanical memorization of an intellectual property … I forgot and remembered. I remembered – I forgot … The life of the paralyzed Funes, who saw the past and the future at the same time (due to trauma) is much richer, happier, blissful than the life of a normal person with arms and legs, who sees and hears as if . .. But only as if. Funes is thus immortal, although from the outside it seems that his life is empty. Or maybe even scary and terrible. He lies motionless in his shack, white light, does not see people, does not communicate with anyone … Pity the poor fellow … Borges himself says this about his blindness: people are kind to the blind. But it turns out that the world of the blind is brighter than that of the sighted. Recall the same Wang. Blinded as a result of an injury. And I got the ability to see – not to look, but to see. I don’t know how true the legend is, but one of her statements interested me: ‘Jesus Christ is a huge ball of fire’ . In ‘Pascal’s Sphere’ Borges draws philosophical parallels (including a quote from Solomon ‘The sky and the sky of heaven cannot contain Thee’ ) about God as the image of an eternal sphere, ‘whose center is everywhere and circumference nowhere’ . How intelligible it is, it is difficult to say. It is unlikely that the peasant woman Vanga thought of this intellectually. So, it is better to say that the truth is comprehensible, but everyone discovers it in their own way. The word, containing everything, turns out to be his own for everyone and everything is one and the same ( ‘UNDR’, ‘Letters of God’ ). Immortality is associated with one word or one letter. And therefore ‘alef’ Borges and ‘bet’ Maharal matter. ‘Aleph’ Borges leads out of the dead ends of the intellectual labyrinth, in any case, gives hope. ‘Beth’ Maharala is much gloomier: we are placed in an unsuccessfully created world and we have only one way out (i.e. salvation) – observance of the Mosaic Torah, its commands. Here ‘bet’ Maharala is the same as ‘aleph’ Borges: The ‘Ten Commandments’ begin with the letter ‘aleph’ . But mystical knowledge can play a cruel joke on a person, like with Inspector Eric Lönrott. His death is another confirmation of Griboyedov’s ‘woe from wit’ . This work, presented at school as a masterpiece of Russian literature, is considered a weak literary opus (I think Vl. Solovyov). Maybe it does not have a special aesthetic and artistic value, but the idea that there is only grief from the mind is true and, unfortunately, does not leave any optimism on this score, thereby, as it were, hinting at the harmfulness of the book. But Borges, of course, does not think so. Otherwise, I would not have put my thoughts on paper, or rather the thoughts running through it. And I would not have dreamed of being the director of the National Library (or Babylonian?). It could be said about him, paraphrasing Andrei Platonov, that Thought was the bride of Borges. (By the way, Borges and Platonov were born in the same year – 1899). They also have much in common with literary notes. Namely: they are distinguished by independence of assessments, liveliness, and unexpectedness of judgments. Borges also has such a rare quality as conciseness. And it comes not from encyclopedia or encyclopedia, but from the Word, which contains everything else. Probably only such a person can understand the whole absurdity of compulsory reading. If schoolteachers or university professors drove thought through the convolutions of their brains with the same zeal as Borges, maybe it would also dawn on them: you only need to read what is interesting. Although nothing is real and does not exist, it is still not worth wasting time on something that you do not need. The beauty of Borges’ literary assessments also lies in the fact that the great people of different countries and times naturally appear to him as a kind of single spiritual family in which religious, aesthetic, philosophical particulars do not contradict, but confirm each other.

There is nothing fatalistic in his acceptance of fate, and with it in his preaching of humility. Misfortune is not exactly misfortune. Hidden blessing. For him, the letter ‘bet’ is not a sign of duality and rupture, but of blessing*: ‘The text cannot begin with a letter that corresponds to a curse’.
_____

* Duality again; justification of evil as a condition for good.
The path of humility ends with insight.
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And blindness, someone else’s and one’s own (!), – as a way of life, a disaster that becomes a tool; finally, blindness is a divine and theological affirmation: ‘A writer – or any other person – should take what happened to him as a tool; everything that falls to him can serve his purpose, and in the case of the artist this is even more tangible. Everything that happens to him: humiliation, insults, failures – everything is given to him like clay, as material for his art, which must be used. This is given to us so that we can be transformed, so that out of the disastrous circumstances of our own life we ​​can create something eternal or something that claims to be eternal. If a blind man thinks so, he is saved. Blindness is a gift’ . Borges seems to doubt his courage, apparently knowing about the minutes of his weakness. But the above is not just words, they are confirmed by deeds, or rather, they crown what has already been done in this blindness. And let the action be considered meaningless in the light of the philosophical depths of the East (the contemplation of Buddhism or Chinese non-action wu-wei ), but Borges can be called a strong man, a rare intellectual who so simply said, by the way: ‘To live without love, I think, impossible, fortunately impossible for any of us’ .

Nils Runeberg’s version of the betrayal of Judas does not seem absurd to me, just like the strange, even terrible idea that the story of Karl, the king of rock and roll, told by Yura Naumov, reads like ‘Form of a saber’ or ‘Abenhakan el Bokhari, perished in his labyrinth’ . Usually fans voluntarily or involuntarily identify Naumov with Karl. But he is not Karl… As for Jesus Christ and Judas, it is better not to get into their relationship with a limited consciousness. They are just as impossible to understand as the incarnation of the Son, as the immaculate conception. Does Nils Runeberg’s version upset Daniil Andreev’s clairvoyance or, on the contrary, do they confirm each other? What they give us to see is largely the same. Except one. Andreev clearly separates good and evil. It has no duality. Borges has it. Maybe that’s why he doesn’t consider Dante a visionary. Yes, I agree that the vision is fleeting. But this transience is also relative. Often, a vision can haunt you until the artist brings it to life on paper, canvas, or something else. There is a difference between fantasy and vision, just as there is a difference between dreams inspired by the impressions of the day and prophetic, mystical dreams. And in dreams, Borges orients himself. And therefore the language does not dare to say that Borges himself was not a visionary, after his wonderful lines: ‘Years later Dante was dying in Ravenna, as slandered and alone as any other man. The Lord appeared to him in a dream and initiated him into the secret purpose of his life and work; Dante, amazed, finally found out who and what he really was, and blessed his hardships. Rumor has it that, upon waking up, he felt that he had gained and lost something immeasurable, which cannot be returned, and which even eludes understanding, for the laws of being are incomprehensible to ingenuous people’ .