Shabbat - Parshat Bereshit October 18, 2025 - 26 Tishrei 5786 Shabbat Candle Lighting– 6:01 pm Shabbat Ends– 6:59 pm According to myzmanim.com
Mincha and Kabbalat Shabbat - 6:01 pm Shabbat Morning Services followed by Kiddush - 9:00 am Mincha/Seudah Shelishit/Haftarah Study & Maariv- 5:46 pm
NEXT WEEKEND:
Shabbat, 10/25 - Lunch and Learn with Rabbi Finkelstein, "Honoring and Enjoying Shabbat (Kavod and Oneg)," sponsored by Greg Storch & Lisa Ring
Sunday, 10/26 - Annual Parshat Noach Petting Zoo and Mesiba! Help us prepare accordingly by RSVPing here. Walk-ins will also be welcome.
Upcoming Events (click on the images to visit the website)
Learning Opportunities with Rabbi Finkelstein Weekly Haftarah Class Shabbat afternoons at Seudah Shelishit
Join Rabbi Finkelstein for a weekly study of the Haftarah.
*If you would like to study a different topic, or in a smaller group, please feel free to reach out to set up an individual chevruta.*
Bais Abe Community News
We again express heartfelt condolences to Helene Gottesmann on the recent passing of her brother, Shelley Gottesman, z"l.
Rabbi Finkelstein's Dvar Torah appeared in this week's St. Louis Jewish Light. You can find it here.
Volunteers Needed! Bais Abe Garden Are you a master gardener? Or a novice to the gardening world who would like to learn more? Either way, we need your help! All you need is an interest in jumping in to help with weeding, trimming, and planting in the Bais Abe garden. No prior experience is necessary, and we can help everyone interested in finding a task that suits them. Please be in touch with Rebecca Swartz or the Bais Abe office if you would like to help!
Cooking: Do you like to cook or bake? Or are you interested in learning more? Come help prep, cook, and bake for Kiddushes and events at shul! Be in touch with Abbyfor more information.
Shabbat Services on the First Floor To make Bais Abe's services more accessible to all, Shabbat services will be held downstairs on the second Shabbat of the month. The schedule for the remainder of 2025 is: June 14 July 12 August 9 September 13 October 11 November 8 December 13
Thank you to Stewart Shilcrat & Paula Lemerman for sponsoring lunchishes on these Shabbatot!
Security at Bais Abe We are in regular communication with Scott Biondo, Community Security Director at the Jewish Federation of St. Louis, as well as with University City Police and other resources to make sure our security protocols are up to date.
Rabbi Finkelstein's Office Hours Rabbi Finkelstein will have open office hours on Mondays from 1-3pm, Wednesdays, from 9am-12pm, and Thursdays from 12-3pm. Come say hi and chat! If you have any questions, or would like to speak further, feel free to reach out, rabbifinkelstein@baisabe.com.
Sign Up for Perek of the Day WhatsApp Group In the aftermath of the attacks on October 7th, Rabbi Finkelstein started a Psalm of the Day WhatsApp group for his shul in Baltimore, so that people could find a time during the day to focus our minds and hearts into meaningful prayer through the Book of Psalms. Rabbi Finkelstein's Perek of the Day WhatsApp group has transitioned to join the 929 cycle of Tanach. We just started Bereishit this week. To join, please click here .
Bais Abe Stands With Israel We are brokenhearted and devastated over current events in Israel. We stand with our brothers and sisters during these unprecedented times. We have created a page of some resources on our website. The Jewish Federation of St. Louis also has a comprehensive resource page here.
Let Your Old Car Benefit Bais Abe! Do you have an old car that you thinking about donating? Let your donation benefit Bais Abe! Contact Ruth in the office or visit the website, https://careasy.org/bais-abraham-congregation, to find out more information.
Reminders
Please refrain from wearing perfume/cologne in the synagogue because some of our members are highly allergic. If you inadvertently arrive at the shul wearing any scents, please wash them off. Thank you.
Please be sure to close any windows you open before you leave the building.
Join Connect Bais Abe to get the most up-to-date news from Bais Abe and your fellow Bais Abers. To join the conversation, just send an email to connectBaisAbe+subscribe@groups.io.
The Month of MarCheshvan The month of Cheshvan, also known as MarCheshvan, will begin next week, on Thursday October 23. The most popular opinion of why the Hebrew word mar is tacked on to the name of the month is that mar means bitter -- this is a sad month as the holiday season is over, and it is the only month with no Jewish holidays. Another opinion is that the word mar is added because the word also stands for a drop of water, as in Isaiah 40:15, “the nations are like a drop (mar) in a bucket.” In Israel this is the beginning of the rainy season and on the seventh of MarCheshvan (Wednesday, October 29), we in Israel will begin adding the verse, v’ten tal u’matar (and give us rain and dew), to the Shmoneh Esrei. The Rabbis at the time of the Temple chose this date, 15 days after Sukkot, to allow those who came to Jerusalem for the holiday to hopefully get back home before it rained. Outside of Israel the time for adding the verse, v’ten tal u’matar, is based on the solar calendar, and it will first be added to the Shmoneh Esrei on Thursday night December 4 in Ma’ariv (evening service). Jack Shapiro
St. Louis Jewish Community News and Messages
Piano Recital with Einav Yarden - Monday, October 20 at 7:30pm Sponsored by Drs. Joseph Marcus and Margaret Olsen Tickets (here): WashU students with ID FREE General Admission: $25 WashU Faculty/Staff: $20 Youth/students: $5
E. Desmond Lee Concert Hall, 560 Music Center For mroe information, please contact: meganstout@wustl.edu
Save the Date - 8th Annual Winter Clothing Drive for the Unhoused As temperatures will drop across the St. Louis region, those who are unhoused or are experiencing a challenging hardship bear the brunt of the brutal cold. For the past seven years, the Jewish community has come together to gather winter clothes, warm outerwear, and blankets to donate to those in need. From November 2025 to February 2026, you can participate in the 8th annual Winter Clothing Drive (formerly Winter Outreach), a project of the St. Louis Rabbinical and Cantorial Association (STLRCA).
Desired donations include tightly woven blankets, adult jackets in larger sizes, men’s gloves in large sizes, men’s athletic clothing, children’s clothing and jackets, men’s belts, adult snow boots and work boots, new underwear and undergarments for men, women & children, socks, hats, scarves, and unused toiletries.
All collected donations will be transported to and distributed through the non-profit, TheBridge, a project of the MerryStarkey Charitable Foundation. TheBridge operates a brick-and-mortar store, open the second weekend each month as a thrift store and other days as a cashless, dignified shopping experience for those who have sufficient need. Regularly, TheBridge also travels into the community to host pop-up stores (for those unable to travel to the store), often giving away 200-500 pieces of clothing and other items of need.
The donation drive will run November 1, 2025 through February 28, 2026. If you would like to be Bais Abe's representative for these efforts, please be in touch with Ruth.
Bais Abraham Congregation Office Hours: 6910 Delmar Blvd. Monday-Thursday: 9:00 am to 5:00 pm University City, MO 63130 Friday: Closed Phone: 314.721.3030 Email: office@baisabe.com
