From The Rabbi

When We See Each Other: a d’varling for Shabbat Shuvah

Ordinarily on Shabbat Shuvah I would talk about teshuvah, return -- turning our lives around, returning to our Source and to our highest selves. This is, after all, the work of the season. But I think that in this second pandemic year,…

Help CBI Feed the Hungry

community, days of awe, social action, tikkun olam

It's a mitzvah to feed those who are hungry. Dear Congregation Beth Israel members and friends, During the Days of Awe, many synagogues hold food drives for dried and canned foods. We have done this for many years at CBI, in order that…

The Strength to Discern

D'vrei Torah, days of awe, pandemic, sermons

On Sunday evening I offered a tiny pearl of introduction to this year's high holiday theme of gevurah. Yesterday morning we talked about the strength it takes to help each other find hope. Today our exploration of gevurah comes…

The Strength to Help Each Other Hope

days of awe, sermons

(Note: the first part of this sermon is adapted from an article that JTA asked me to write. Then it goes off into new territory -- expanding and completing the ideas I articulated for JTA.) All summer long, I struggled to find the words…

A Year of Strength

days of awe

Each year I choose a theme for the Days of Awe at CBI. Some months ago I chose the theme of gevurah, which means strength, power, heroism, courage, boundaries, determination. People were getting vaccinated. The weather was warming up and…

Help CBI thrive

community, days of awe, pandemic

Dear Congregation Beth Israel members and friends, It scarcely seems possible, but the Days of Awe are right around the corner. On August 28 we'll officially enter into the high holiday season with Selichot, our annual service of forgiveness…

Update from the CBI Board about the Days of Awe

community, days of awe, pandemic

Dear Congregation Beth Israel Members and Friends, The CBI Board and Rabbi just met to discuss current COVID rates in our constituent towns and across the county, and to re-evaluate our high holiday plan in light of current realities.…

Getting closer…

days of awe

Dear Congregation Beth iIsrael members and friends, The moon of Elul is waxing. In a short two and a half weeks we'll celebrate Rosh Hashanah. The Days of Awe are coming soon! Roadmap of the season -- our spiritual runway to transformation. Coming…

Looking forward to Elul, Shabbat Re’eh, and more

Elul, Shabbat

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,…

On the runway

days of awe, Runway to the Days of Awe

The runway. Right now we're in the Seven Weeks of Consolation. Dear Congregation Beth Israel members and friends, This past weekend we observed Tisha b'Av, the spiritual low point of our year. Deep thanks go to Jen Burt and family for…

The Days of Awe at CBI 5782 / 2021

days of awe

Onsite: 45 people maximum (pre-register via High Holiday Registration google form by 8/25), masked. Please note that first priority for onsite seats will be given to CBI members. Online: in the CBI Zoom room, open to all of our members…

Shavua tov! Join us for Shabbat learning and for Tisha b’Av

Shabbat, Tisha bAv

Shabbat LEARNING This Week 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.…

Look upon it, and be healed: vaccinations, Juneteenth, and the copper snake

divrei Torah, pandemic, tikkun olam

In this week's Torah portion, Chukat, the children of Israel grouse to Moses, "Why did you take us out of Egypt to die here in the desert?" And God gets angry and sends a plague of snakes, and the snakes bite the people, and people start…

Shavua tov! Looking forward to Shabbat Chukat and to Kabbalat Shabbat!

Shabbat

Shabbat Services This Week 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…

Embracing the giant grapes

D'vrei Torah, divrei Torah, pandemic

In this week's parsha, Shlach, the scouts go to peek at the Land of Promise. They return with a giant bunch of grapes, so big it needs to be carried by two men on a carrying frame. And most of them say: nah, there's no way we can conquer…

From The Rabbi

Categories

When We See Each Other: a d’varling for Shabbat Shuvah

Help CBI Feed the Hungry

The Strength to Discern

The Strength to Help Each Other Hope

A Year of Strength

Help CBI thrive

Update from the CBI Board about the Days of Awe

Getting closer…

Looking forward to Elul, Shabbat Re’eh, and more

On the runway

The Days of Awe at CBI 5782 / 2021

Shavua tov! Join us for Shabbat learning and for Tisha b’Av

Look upon it, and be healed: vaccinations, Juneteenth, and the copper snake

Shavua tov! Looking forward to Shabbat Chukat and to Kabbalat Shabbat!

Embracing the giant grapes

Congregation Beth Israel

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