A Final Jewel: from Craig and Beit T’shuvah

A Note From Craig

Dear Friends,

These are the passions in my life which have no measure: empowering others, honoring creation, making beautiful music, building community…and my family is equal to them all. Jewels of Elul has become a remarkable balancing point in my life allowing me to empower, honor, create and build.

And boy did we build! We more then doubled our daily subscribers and the Jewels were read on over 50 websites around the country including The JTA, Huffington Post and URJ.

My sincere thanks to the 29 contributors who gave us the wonderful content for this years Jewels. Gratitude to our generous sponsors, Rabbis Lowenstein, Wolpe and Greestein, The Marcus Foundation, The Milken Archive of Jewish Music and Scott Weinstein and Char Lovelady.

A huge shout out to our 29 remarkable Jewel contributors, question writers, editors, artists, proof readers and compilers. If you have a minute send them a note of thanks. You would be amazed how much a simple act of kindness can do.

This year we were very excited to add two new musical components to the Jewel project. A free Amazon Sampler CD which is still one of the top 50 downloads on Amazon and new music from the The Milken Archive of Jewish Music.

Finally, please read the following note from Rabbi Mark Borovitz, spiritual leader of the Beit T’shuvah recovery house. His organization was the beneficiary for this year’s Jewels of Elul. If you have been moved by even one of the Jewels this year, I request that you make a donation to support the life saving work of Beit T’shuvah.

And, one shameless plug. For any of you in the Southern California Area please join us for the Jewish County Fair on Octoboer 16th. Good eats. Great Music. Rides and Farm Animals (it is a County Fair after all!)

Shana Tova. to a very good year!

Craig Taubman


A Note From Beit T’Shuvah

Dear Jewels Readers,

Thank you so much for your support of Jewels of Elul and Beit T’Shuvah. We are so grateful that you are spreading the message of T’Shuvah and Beit T’Shuvah.

We need your help. While we covered the cost of the printing and mailing of Jewels of Elul, Beit T’Shuvah needs money to be able to continue to serve people who need help recovering from a myriad of addictive dis-eases without regard to their financial condition. Beit T’Shuvah has kept mission over money for the past 25 years and our population has increased from 3 people to 165 people! Our budget has grown from 25,000.00 to 7 million in these past 25 years. We continue to help people from all over the country and even some from out of the United States.

Every dollar counts. We need to raise 4 Million dollars this year in order to meet our budget. We are asking all of you, 20,000 people, to send us at least 18.00. This will raise at least $360,000.00 for us to use to help people who have no money!

Our tradition says T’Filah, T’Shuvah and T’Zedakah avert the decrees and we are asking you to do T’Zedakah this year and help people Recover their Passion and Discover their Purpose.You matter. Make a difference and save a life here.

G’Mar Hatima Tova,

Rabbi Mark Borovitz