“…This year I’m struck by the juxtaposition of blotting out the name of our adversary – and the entirely missing Name of that One we call God in the scroll we read at this season. Could there be a spiritual connection between the presence of the massacre in chapter 9 of Esther, and the absence of God’s name in this book? …”
This guest post is the D’var Torah that CBI member and cantorial soloist Ziva Larson offered at Shabbat Morning Services on Saturday, March 2, 2024.
I am still kvelling about the wonderful Jewish Journeys Shabbat service last Saturday morning, when our community, including students, their parents, grandparents, and other congregants, gathered in our sanctuary to celebrate Shabbat together in song and prayer. Students’ work from their elective classes was featured, and the D’var Torah was given by one of our students. Afterwards, everyone enjoyed a communal potluck kiddush.
“We have fallen into the place where everything is music.” These are words from the Sufi mystic poet Rumi, whose work I love. In the translations I’ve seen, he is one of the most profound spiritual poets there is. For another version of those lines, here’s how western-Mass-based folksinger Kris Delmhorst sings them: “Now we’ve come to the place where everything is music — everything is music, (so) let it play!”
Oy, what a week it’s been. (And when, in recent memory, have we reached Friday afternoon and not felt that way?)
We’re still in the Seven Weeks of Consolation between Tisha b’Av and Rosh Hashanah… and the holidays are coming up faster than we might think.
Sunday August 8 is Rosh Hodesh Elul, the new moon that brings us into the month of Elul, the month that leads us directly into the Days of Awe. It’s also, believe it or not, a kind of new year’s! Mishna teaches that there are actually four different “new years-es” in Jewish tradition. There’s the one all of us know — Rosh Hodesh Tishrei a.k.a. Rosh Hashanah, the Head of the Year, the new year for years. And there are three others, too. In deep midwinter, Tu BiShvat is the New Year of the Trees. In spring, Rosh Hodesh Nisan is the new year for kings and rulers. And this coming Rosh Hodesh / new moon is known as the New Year of the Animals.
Here’s a new collection of poetry, liturgy, and artwork for the New Year of the Animals — co-created by the poets, artists, and rabbis at Bayit (and edited by our own Rabbi Rachel, who also contributed a piece.) Connecting with our animal beloveds, with wild animals, and even with our own animal nature can be powerful fuel for the teshuvah journey ahead. We hope these offerings are meaningful to you!
Join us at 9:30am on Shabbat morning for Shabbat services led by Rabbi Rachel. (Check your email on Friday morning to find out whether our service will be hybrid / multi-access, or Zoom only.)
This week we’re reading from parashat Re’eh. If you’d like to read some commentaries on this week’s parsha, here are a few:
And here’s commentary from the URJ:
We hope to see you soon at CBI!
Join us this week for online Torah study at 10am on Saturday morning with Rabbi Rachel, and with Rabbi David Markus and the Temple Beth El of City Island community. This will take the place of services this week. We will say kaddish at the end of our learning, so if you need a minyan for kaddish this week, please join us! The Zoom link will be sent out in weekly announcements.
This week we’re reading from parashat Devarim, the start of the book of Deuteronomy. If you’d like to read some commentaries on this week’s parsha, here are a few:
And here’s commentary from the URJ:
Join us at 8:30pm on Saturday night for a hybrid / multi-access Tisha b’Av service offered jointly by Rabbi Rachel and CBI, and Rabbi David and TBE.
You can join us onsite in the CBI sanctuary, where doors will be propped open for airflow, or online via Zoom (the link will be sent out in weekly announcements.)
There is so much that is broken in our history, in our nation, and in our world today. Tisha b’Av is our communal opportunity to feel that brokenness and to mourn — and then to harness the spiritual updraft of rising out of the year’s lowest point. Tisha b’Av comes seven weeks before Rosh Hashanah, so it is the nadir from which we begin the seven-week rise to the Days of Awe. Join us for song, prayer, lament, and uplift.
Join us this week for multi-access Kabbalat Shabbat services at 7:30pm on Friday evening.
For those onsite, we’re currently planning an indoor service — with social distancing and masks and the doors propped open for airflow. For those online, we’ll meet in the CBI Zoom room as usual.
This week we’re reading from parashat Chukat. If you’d like to read some commentaries on this week’s parsha, here are a few:
And here’s commentary from the URJ:
