From The Rabbi

Who Are We? Lessons from D’varim for Now

days of awe, divrei Torah, Reverse Omer, Tisha bAv

Runway to the Days of Awe 5783! Tisha b'Av → Seven Weeks: Lifting Higher / Reverse Omer → Rosh Hashanah → 10 Days of Teshuvah → Yom Kippur → Sukkot

From the Rabbi – August 2022

Av, days of awe, From The Rabbi, Newsletter, Runway to the Days of Awe, Tisha bAv

As I write these words, it isn’t yet quite August. But believe it or not, we’re on the runway to the Days of Awe.

As Shabbat Approaches

From The Rabbi, Shabbat

Oy, what a week it’s been. (And when, in recent memory, have we reached Friday afternoon and not felt that way?)

The Messenger We Need - image of Torah with a donkey

Join us for an extra-musical Kabbalat Shabbat

From The Rabbi, music, Shabbat

From the Rabbi – July 2022

From The Rabbi, Newsletter, prayer, Tammuz

I didn't expect to spend Shavuot in the hospital recovering from a heart attack, but life is full of surprises.

Land of Promise: Teachings from Shlach for Right Now

divrei Torah, From The Rabbi, Jewish values, social action, tikkun olam

Sign at rally that says Reform Jews Fight for Reproductive Rights

https://rac.org/blog/take-action-stand-abortion-rights-following-leaked-dobbs-v-jwho-decision

After Roe

events, From The Rabbi, Jewish values, social action

My heart keeps breaking at the news emerging from the Supreme Court. We knew that the end of Roe was coming. It’s still a shock to the system, and portends a tremendous amount of suffering to come. Countless people will suffer and die because of today’s ruling, and we know that the consequences will be most dire for people of color and for those without the fiscal resources to travel to “safe” states where abortion is available.

A closeup photo of nine lit candles in the darkness.

Guest Post: “Raise the Lamps”

D'vrei Torah, divrei Torah, From The Rabbi, guest posts, lgbt rights, social action, tikkun olam

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

From the Rabbi – June 2022

From The Rabbi, Newsletter, Sivan

The verdant beauty of Berkshire summer is upon us. The hills are spectacular in their new green cloaks. The pollinator garden at CBI is bright and blooming. During "no-mow May" I watched as wildflowers sprung up all over our lawn and butterflies danced from one to the next. Sometimes I feel a little bit sorry for everyone whose synagogue and environs aren't as beautiful as ours are. We are in a really stunning place. It still sometimes takes my breath away.

After Uvalde

From The Rabbi, response to tragedy

Post-Buffalo

community, From The Rabbi, response to tragedy

I emerged from Shabbat to the news of the horrific shooting at a grocery store in a predominantly Black neighborhood in Buffalo. The shooter was motivated by racial hatred and by the so-called “great replacement theory” – the belief that Jews are orchestrating a "replacement" of white Americans with people of color. That same argument has motivated many shootings in houses of worship and elsewhere.

Picture of Torah. Star of David and uterus symbol

We Live in a Society: Teachings from Kedoshim for Right Now

divrei Torah, From The Rabbi, tikkun olam

My son likes to say "We live in a society." It's our refrain. We need to be mindful of other people's needs, because we live in a society. If a kid is being bullied, it's good to stand up for them, because we live in a society. If a neighbor needs help carrying in the groceries, we offer to help, because we live in a society. We have obligations to each other, because we live in a society..

An illustration of a radio tower that reads "G-d broadcasts on all channels. We receive that broadcast when we attune ourselves to the Voice that continues to sound."

From the Rabbi – May 2022

From The Rabbi, Iyar, Newsletter, Shavuot

Reb Zalman z"l — Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, of blessed memory; a formative teacher for me before and during rabbinical school — used to say that revelation is like the radio. God is the Source of the broadcast, and that broadcast is always streaming into creation. And as for us? We're radio receivers. We receive revelation on the levels to which we're attuned.

From The Rabbi

Categories

The Mitzvah: Lessons from Va’etchanan for Now

Who Are We? Lessons from D’varim for Now

From the Rabbi – August 2022

As Shabbat Approaches

The Messenger We Need

Join us for an extra-musical Kabbalat Shabbat

From the Rabbi – July 2022

Land of Promise: Teachings from Shlach for Right Now

After Roe

Guest Post: “Raise the Lamps”

From the Rabbi – June 2022

After Uvalde

Post-Buffalo

We Live in a Society: Teachings from Kedoshim for Right Now

From the Rabbi – May 2022

Congregation Beth Israel

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