Ashira L’Adonai - I Will Sing to God; from Parashat Beshalach - Exodus 15:1-21.

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.

Ashira L’Adonai - I Will Sing to God; from Parashat Beshalach - Exodus 15:1-21.

This guest post is the D’var Torah that CBI member and cantorial soloist Ziva Larson offered at Shabbat Morning Services on Saturday, January 27, 2024.

One People, One Voice; from Parashat Chayei Sarah - Genesis 23:1-25:18

This guest post is the D’var Torah that CBI member and cantorial soloist Ziva Larson offered at Shabbat Morning Services on Saturday, November 11, 2023.

Entering 5784: Erev Rosh Hashanah. Service led by R. Rachel Barenblat & Cantorial Soloist Ziva Larson. Mini-sermonettes by Dr. Suzanne Graver, Sandy Ryan, & Dr. Len Radin on the theme of "Returning."

In our tradition of inviting CBI members to speak during our Erev Rosh Hashanah service, Sandy Ryan, Dr. Len Radin, & Dr. Suzanne Graver offered mini-sermonettes on September 15, 2023 on the the theme of “Returning.”

Getting “Unstuck”: Moving from Awareness and Knowledge to Action

This guest post is the D’var Torah that CBI member and cantorial soloist Ziva Larson offered at Shabbat Morning Services on Saturday, July 22, 2023.

Constructing Sacred Boundaries: An Exploration of the Enclosure Around the Mishkan

This guest post is the D’var Torah that CBI member and cantorial soloist Ziva Larson offered at Shabbat Morning Services on Saturday, February 25, 2023.

Digging into Dietary Laws: Uncovering Instructions for Ethical & Sustainable Consumption, from Parashat R’eih - Deuteronomy 12:17-25

This guest post is the D’var Torah that CBI member Ziva Larson offered at Shabbat Morning Services on Saturday, August 27, 2022.

A closeup photo of nine lit candles in the darkness.

This guest post is the D’var Torah that CBI member Ziva Larson offered at Kabbalat Shabbat services on Friday, June 17, 2022.

“…The thing is, there’s holiness in the not-knowing. There’s holiness in opening ourselves to the uncertainties of wilderness. It’s no coincidence that our ancestors hear God’s voice most clearly in the wilderness. The midbar (wilderness) is where God m’daber (speaks) — or at least, where we hear….”

This week’s Torah portion contains one of my favorite verses: “Let them make Me a sanctuary, that I might dwell among them.” The Hebrew could also mean “within them.” We build God a sanctuary so that God — holiness, love, justice — can dwell within us….