From The President

Dear Congregants and Friends,

As summer turns to fall, we are getting our classrooms ready to welcome our students to an exciting new year of Jewish Journeys. We spent time this summer organizing our library and kitchen. We prepared for the busy season ahead. Rabbi Rachel, cantorial soloist Ziva Larson, and our choir are hard at work preparing for the High Holidays.

As a Jewish institution, we are aware of the increased security threat environment in which we find ourselves. I want to assure you that the leaders of CBI, professional and volunteer, are doing all that we can to assure the safety of our congregants and visitors during the upcoming High Holiday season.

We need your help in several ways to ensure our safety:

  1. Please RSVP as soon as possible for each service you plan to attend, and list everyone who will attend with you.
  2. Please allow extra time when you arrive to check in with the usher outside the front door, who will check you off the RSVP list.
  3. If you do not RSVP ahead of time, you will need to provide the usher with your name and contact information. This may hold up the line.
  4. Parking is likely to be tight at some services. If you are able to park off-site at Stop & Shop and walk to CBI, please do so. If you are parking at CBI, please follow directions of the ushers in the parking lot.
  5. If you need an accessible space, please let the office know ahead of time or note it when you RSVP so we can hold enough spaces.
  6. As always, please be aware of your surroundings, both outside and inside. If you see anything unusual or suspicious, speak to one of the ushers or call 911.

If you are willing to help out as an usher, either during High Holidays or at other times through the year, please let me know. We will gladly train you, and you will be doing a mitzvah for our congregation.

I look forward to welcoming you to CBI and to worshiping together. I know that our services will be beautiful and spiritually meaningful, all the more so as we have a chance to be together.

B’Shalom,

— Natalie Matus