A mock filmstrip with four photos of Rabbi Rachel and other community members at the celebration of her 13th year at CBI.

As we enter December I’m still feeling the reverberations of the Shabbat in November when we celebrated my thirteen years (so far) of serving the CBI community.

A venn diagram: the left circle says "To-Do List;" the right circle says "Election 2024;" the intersection of both circles says "Anxiety, So Much Anxiety."

As I write these words, the election is a scant week away. I’ve heard from many of you that it’s hard to think about much else right now. This election feels momentous and maybe even frightening in a way we’ve never experienced before.

High Holiday letter, Entering 5785 (Part Two)

I love Yom Kippur. I know that probably sounds weird to most folks, but it’s true. I love it because the day feels meaningful from start to finish. It’s a whole day of introspection and togetherness and song, and these are a few of my favorite things.

A Gathering of Sparks: Becoming One People, One Voice; for Erev Rosh Hashanah 5785.

The guest post is the D’var Torah that CBI member & cantorial soloist Ziva Larson offered at Erev Rosh Hashanah Evening Service on Wednesday, October 2, 2024.

“…Our year’s most sacred season is almost upon us! I’m writing to share a bit about what to expect at this year’s high holidays. As always, some things will be timeless and familiar, while others will be new.

This is part one of a two-part series on this year’s Days of Awe; the second part will appear in the October newsletter…”

5 Steps to Repair; from On Repentance and Repair by Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg. If you can harm, you can heal. 1) Own the harm you caused – no excuses. 2) Start to change – do the work. 3) Make amends. 4) Apologize – for real. 5) Next time, make a different choice.

One of my favorite things that I’m doing right now is co-teaching a class called “Repentance and Repair” with Rabbi David Markus. As some of you know, we started off by assigning a little bit of spiritual homework.