From The Rabbi

As I was sitting in the sanctuary last Saturday morning during Shabbat services, a rabbit was munching on a nice green blade of grass covered in morning dew and stared at me through the window… for a long time. Birds of various sizes landed on the grass near him. This beautiful sight reminded me that our property doesn’t belong solely to us – it is also part of the natural world, and we share it with many other creatures, who rely on it for food, protection, and water. Taking care of it in a responsible way is part of our mission.

Of all the holidays in the year, Shavuot often gets short shrift. Many Reform congregations hold Confirmation at this season, which is a lovely tradition, but doesn’t fully convey the depth of what this holiday can be. Shavuot isn’t just a graduation celebration for tenth graders; it’s one of the most profound anniversaries in the Jewish year. And this year, we’re celebrating it at CBI in a new way: with music, music, music!

I know from speaking with y’all that the continuing conflict in Israel / Palestine is weighing heavy on many hearts. (Including my own.) Across our community we have many different relationships with that place and its peoples, and sometimes it is hard to know how to speak with each other given our range of views. This is true across the American Jewish community, and community divisions are emerging in many places. And yet, given rising antisemitism, now is a time when we need each other across Jewish community all the more.

This guest post is from Drew Zuckerman, who gave this teaching at our Second Night Community Passover Seder on Tuesday, April 23, 2024.

I am still kvelling about the wonderful Purim Party that we held on March 23, in conjunction with NEFESH. Over 80 people of all ages joined us in celebration and community, in spite of the winter storm that unfortunately meant that some folks were snowed in and unable to attend.