923 McCallie Avenue, Chattanooga, TN 37403

Parshat Pekudei: What Are You Building? – March 15, 2023

ִּי֩ עֲנַ֨ן יְהֹוָ֤ה עַֽל־הַמִּשְׁכָּן֙ יוֹמָ֔ם וְאֵ֕שׁ תִּהְיֶ֥ה לַ֖יְלָה בּ֑וֹ לְעֵינֵ֥י כׇל־בֵּֽית־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בְּכׇל־מַסְעֵיהֶֽם׃ For over the Tabernacle the cloud of God rested by day, and fire would appear in it by night, in the view of all the house of Israel throughout their journeys. And so ends the book of Exodus. Recapping this second book of the Torah: We began when the…

Parshat Ki Tisa: Ready to Forgive – March 1, 2024

הֶֽעָשִׁ֣יר לֹֽא־יַרְבֶּ֗ה וְהַדַּל֙ לֹ֣א יַמְעִ֔יט מִֽמַּחֲצִ֖ית הַשָּׁ֑קֶל לָתֵת֙ אֶת־תְּרוּמַ֣ת יְהֹוָ֔ה לְכַפֵּ֖ר עַל־נַפְשֹׁתֵיכֶֽם׃ the rich shall not pay more and the poor shall not pay less than half a shekel when giving God’s offering as atonement for your persons. The Torah portion begins with the commandment for each Israelite adult to pay a half shekel contribution to the Tabernacle. This accomplished…

Parshat Terumah: Plank Check – February 16, 2024

וְאַרְבָּעִ֥ים אַדְנֵיהֶ֖ם כָּ֑סֶף שְׁנֵ֣י אֲדָנִ֗ים תַּ֚חַת הַקֶּ֣רֶשׁ הָֽאֶחָ֔ד וּשְׁנֵ֣י אֲדָנִ֔ים תַּ֖חַת הַקֶּ֥רֶשׁ הָאֶחָֽד׃ With their forty silver sockets, two sockets under the one plank and two sockets under each following plank. Imagine a plank of wood. Now put it longways, add two tenons to its base, and place it on the ground. If you’re imagining the same plank of wood…

Parshat Mishpatim: The Best Jewish Education – February 9, 2024

וַיִּקַּח֙ סֵ֣פֶר הַבְּרִ֔ית וַיִּקְרָ֖א בְּאׇזְנֵ֣י הָעָ֑ם וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ כֹּ֛ל אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּ֥ר יְהֹוָ֖ה נַעֲשֶׂ֥ה וְנִשְׁמָֽע׃ Then Moses took the record of the covenant and read it aloud to the people. And they said, “All that the Lord has spoken, we will do, and we will listen!” As parents, teachers, anyone who has  been around children, we know that kids will ask the question “why?”…

Parshat Yitro: Imperfect – February 2, 2024

Exodus 20:20 וְאִם־מִזְבַּ֤ח אֲבָנִים֙ תַּֽעֲשֶׂה־לִּ֔י לֹֽא־תִבְנֶ֥ה אֶתְהֶ֖ן גָּזִ֑ית כִּ֧י חַרְבְּךָ֛ הֵנַ֥פְתָּ עָלֶ֖יהָ וַתְּחַֽלְלֶֽהָ׃ And if you make for Me an altar of stones, do not build it of hewn stones; for by wielding your tool upon them you have profaned them. You have to admire the intensity an animal sacrifice: the emotion of the moment the owner lays their hands…

Parshat Beshalach: Pack a Drum – January 26, 2024

Exodus 15:20 וַתִּקַּח֩ מִרְיָ֨ם הַנְּבִיאָ֜ה אֲח֧וֹת אַהֲרֹ֛ן אֶת־הַתֹּ֖ף בְּיָדָ֑הּ וַתֵּצֶ֤אןָ כׇֽל־הַנָּשִׁים֙ אַחֲרֶ֔יהָ בְּתֻפִּ֖ים וּבִמְחֹלֹֽת׃ Then Miriam the prophet, Aaron’s sister, picked up a hand-drum, and all the women went out after her in dance with hand-drums. Out of all the things one might take upon leaving Egypt, a drum would not be high on my list. Things needed for basic…

Parshat Bo: I Remember Egypt – January 19, 2024

Exodus 13:8 וְהִגַּדְתָּ֣ לְבִנְךָ֔ בַּיּ֥וֹם הַה֖וּא לֵאמֹ֑ר בַּעֲב֣וּר זֶ֗ה עָשָׂ֤ה יְהֹוָה֙ לִ֔י בְּצֵאתִ֖י מִמִּצְרָֽיִם׃ And you shall explain to your child on that day, ‘It is because of what the Lord did for me when I went out from Egypt.’ Do you remember Egypt? We’ve all been there. That low point, that feeling of narrowness – for Egypt means “a…

Parshat Va’era: Stubborn Minds – January 12, 2024

Exodus 7:22 וַיַּֽעֲשׂוּ־כֵ֛ן חַרְטֻמֵּ֥י מִצְרַ֖יִם בְּלָטֵיהֶ֑ם וַיֶּחֱזַ֤ק לֵב־פַּרְעֹה֙ וְלֹא־שָׁמַ֣ע אֲלֵהֶ֔ם כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר דִּבֶּ֥ר יְהֹוָֽה׃ But when the Egyptian magician-priests did the same with their spells, Pharaoh’s heart stiffened and he did not heed them—as the Lord had spoken. Many of us are struggling with the way Israel is perceived amongst the international community. While misinformation abounds, and a story about this…

The Meaning of Hanukkah – December 15, 2023

From the song Ma’oz Tzur אָז אֶגְמֹר בְּשִׁיר מִזְמוֹר חֲנֻכַּת הַמִּזְבֵּחַ​​ Then I shall complete with a song of hymn, the dedication of the Altar. The essence of Hanukkah is in the name of the holiday. Translating in English to “dedication,” Hanukkah centers around the commemoration of a new altar in the Temple, dedicated on the 25th of Kislev in…

Parshat Vayeshev: They Went That Way

December 8, 2023 Genesis 37:15 וַיִּמְצָאֵ֣הוּ אִ֔ישׁ וְהִנֵּ֥ה תֹעֶ֖ה בַּשָּׂדֶ֑ה וַיִּשְׁאָלֵ֧הוּ הָאִ֛ישׁ לֵאמֹ֖ר מַה־תְּבַקֵּֽשׁ׃ A man came upon him wandering in the fields, and asked him, “What are you looking for?” If you were to list the most important biblical figures, you would likely miss the one on whom all Jewish history depends. In our Torah portion, Joseph was sent by his…

Office Hours

B’nai Zion Congregation
923 McCallie Avenue
Chattanooga, TN 37403
(enter parking lot from Oak Street)

Monday: Closed
Tuesday-Thursday: 10:00am – 4:00pm
Friday: 10:00am – 3:00pm

Please call ahead to confirm someone will be in the office when you arrive!

Contact

Rabbi Samuel Rotenberg: rabbirotenberg@bzcongregation.com

Autumn Clark, Office Manager: office@bzcongregation.com

Phone: 423.894.8900

Subscribe to our email list!

* indicates required

Intuit Mailchimp

Weekly Services

Wednesday Minyan
6:00pm

Friday Kabbalat Shabbat
6:00pm

Shabbat Morning
9:45 am

See our Worship & Events page for all up to date services!