From The President
Dear Congregants and Friends,
As we move past Passover, I’d like to draw your attention to some of our upcoming events and programs. On Saturday, May 18 at 10am, you are all invited to a Jewish Journeys Shabbat morning service, during which we will celebrate Shabbat, our students and teachers, and will get a taste of what our students have learned over the course of the semester. Following services, we will gather together for a potluck kiddush. We extend our deepest thanks to Rabbi Jarah Greenfield, CBI’s Director of Youth & Family Learning, for her work re-envisioning and managing our education program. Thanks, too, goes to Rabbi Rachel Barenblat for her work on this program and preparing our b-mitzvah students, and to all our dedicated teachers who bring this program to life.
On Wednesday, May 8 at 7:30pm, we invite you to join a special Zoom listening session about the proposed CBI bylaws changes. Earlier this week, we emailed the proposed bylaws and a summary of changes to all members. The Board will consider all comments and then bring the bylaws to the Annual Meeting on Wednesday, May 29 at 7:30pm for a vote. Please RSVP for the listening session via Zoom and the Annual Meeting via our website. If you are unable to participate in the meeting on May 8 but have comments on the proposed changes, please contact me via email.
Our final Zoom Shabbat gathering for the season is this Friday evening, May 3 at 7:30pm. Please join us virtually to recite Shabbat blessings, and for an interesting discussion on timely events. Thanks to Sheila Roman and Ruth Drasin for leading these discussions and helping to build community, no matter where people live. Please RSVP to get the link.
On Sunday, June 23 at 10:15am, we are joining with Congregation Beth El of Bennington VT for a tour of the Yiddish Book Center in Amherst. Stay tuned for more information on carpooling and other details. I am personally looking forward to going – it has been on my “must see” list for some time, and it will be a lot of fun to do this with the larger community.
Planning is continuing for the celebration of Rabbi Rachel’s 13th year as the spiritual leader of CBI. Mark your calendar for Saturday, November 16, when Rabbi Rachel will be called to the Torah during Shabbat morning services to mark the milestone occasion of her rabbinate’s b-mitzvah, followed by dinner and dancing at an evening celebration. We look forward to seeing you there!
We are working on a number of activities that will take place over the summer, including a film and discussion series about Israel and Palestine, along with our annual CBI picnic at Tanglewood in August. Check the weekly CBI announcements for more information.
Enjoy the beauty of the spring season!
Warmly,
— Natalie Matus
