Dear CBI congregants,

I hope that everyone has had a chance to experience some moments of rest and renewal over the past few weeks. As we move in 2022, the CBI Board continues to meet regularly and to upgrade our COVID protocols as needed. Given the recent surge in COVID cases, we decided to move our Shabbat services to Zoom for the coming month, but hope to be able to return to multi-access services as soon as conditions allow; check the weekly announcement for the latest updates.

We are excited to welcome two new members to our CBI community this month: Elizabeth Sands, a retired social worker who lives in Brookline and has long family connections in North Adams, and Shira Wohlberg, who lives in Williamstown and has been helping to beautify our landscaping, making it more friendly to bees, butterflies and other species. In early spring, we will be planting fruit trees around our property, sponsored by our B’nai Mitzvah families in honor of their children and by other generous families.

Sadly, we lost two beloved, longtime members of our CBI community in December — Sherry Wein z”l and Bob Bashevkin z”l — and send our deepest condolences to their families.

Our programs for young families have continued to build momentum, attracting young families with cooking classes centered on holidays, Jewish Storytime & Havdalah programs, and the Chanukah bonfire, during which more than 50 people of all ages gathered to sing Chanukah songs, spin dreidels, and celebrate together outdoors.

The Board approved the development of a new website for CBI. Our goal is to provide a modern and more welcoming site that will invite people to participate in the life of the synagogue. It will incorporate large photos that will highlight the beauty of our building and grounds as well as the breadth of our offerings. Key new features will include a more useful calendar of events and the ability to sign-up for programs online. Roger Matus, who creates websites for businesses and organizations across Berkshire County, is generously donating his time to design and implement the new website.

Through the long, cold days of the winter, I hope you will look to CBI for connection and community and will participate in our services and programs. Please take a moment to reach out to your CBI friends, especially to those who may feel lonely. If you have ideas about what else you’d like to see CBI offering or how you’d like to volunteer, please contact me using the contact us form.

Wishing you blessings for a healthy and productive year ahead,

— Natalie Matus, President