From The Co-President

Dear Congregants and Friends,

The summer is zipping by, as it always seems to do. We hope you are enjoying all that the Berkshires have to offer. Our rabbis and lay leaders have been busy planning for the upcoming year and have some exciting ideas for the coming year. In addition to some changes in our service schedule and the addition of a weekly Shabbat morning Zoom Torah study, we want to strengthen our sense of community and provide more opportunities to gather together in-person. We are looking for your input. For instance, would you like to attend a Shabbat dinner at someone’s home? Would you be willing to host a dinner or gathering either at CBI or in your home? What kinds of other activities would appeal to you? Please let us know – we want to hear your ideas.

We hope that you will join Rabbi Rachel, Rabbi Jarah, and the two of us for our Annual Tanglewood Picnic & Concert on Sunday, August 24. Gates open at noon (we will be there as the gates open, racing to get a prime spot on the lawn!) and the concert starts at 2:30pm. Bring snacks to share (if you wish), your own beverages, chairs, and umbrellas (for sun or drizzles – short of a deluge, we will be there). Please RSVP so we can notify you where we will be located. This year, Rabbi Jarah will be setting up arts and crafts activities for young families – children are welcome and are free on the lawn at Tangewood, but you’ll need to get a ticket at the gate. Adults need to purchase their own lawn ticket.

We continue to work on enhancing our security – we thank you for continuing to RSVP for services and events and being our “eyes on the ground.” Just last week our rabbis, staff, lay-leaders and community members participated in a security workshop called “BeAware.” We are working closely with Andrew Hoffman of the Secure Community Network to understand how we can best improve our security and to explore the opportunity to apply for another security grant. We are always looking for ushers for our in-person services and programs – please contact one of us or the CBI office if you are willing to do this at a time that you choose.

As always, please feel free to contact either of us with your ideas, comments, and questions. Enjoy the rest of your summer!

— Natalie Matus & Wendy Penner