Reb Zalman z”l — Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, of blessed memory; a formative teacher for me before and during rabbinical school — used to say that revelation is like the radio. God is the Source of the broadcast, and that broadcast is always streaming into creation. And as for us? We’re radio receivers. We receive revelation on the levels to which we’re attuned.
Our family programs continue to expand and our newly launched Adult Programming Committee met and began planning for a busy spring and summer. As spring takes hold here in the Berkshires, exciting things are happening at CBI! Thanks for your input via our recent survey, which has guided us in our planning.
This year April overlaps, more or less, with the lunar month of Nissan. At the full moon of Nissan we retell our people’s core story as we celebrate Pesach, festival of our liberation.
As it says in the traditional haggadah:
We were slaves to a Pharaoh in Egypt, and the Holy One brought us forth from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm… Therefore it is incumbent on each of us to see ourselves as though we, ourselves, had been brought forth from Mitzrayim.
Good news — we are opening our doors to in-person worship and programs once again! The decreasing COVID-19 numbers in our community and the fact that the local risk level has moved from high to low means that we can once again meet in person. To ensure the safety of our most vulnerable, we will continue to require masks for everyone ages 2 and up. We will also keep seating spaced apart for those who wish to continue to practice social distancing. For those who are not able to attend in person for whatever reason, most services will continue to include a Zoom option.
This month brings Purim, our festival of costumes and masks and merriment.
When my son was little, he used to confuse the names Yom Kippur and Purim. One year he was very excited to wear a costume to Yom Kippur… until I regretfully informed him that Yom Kippur was not the costumes and silliness holiday!
He didn’t know it, but he was following in the footsteps of our sages.
I hope that you are all well and enjoying this season, no matter where you are spending your time. Though our synagogue building was closed last month due to the pandemic, our Rabbi, the Board, and Oliver Jones, our synagogue administrator, have been very busy. Our Hebrew School continued to meet in-person and by Zoom. Services have continued by Zoom on their regular schedule.
5782 is a Jewish leap year, which means we get an extra month. In most years, there is a single month of Adar. This year, we get two of them. The first one is happening right now….
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.
