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Wrestle and stretch – a d’varling for Vayishlach
divrei Torah, pandemic
Image by Marc Chagall.
This week's Torah portion, Vayishlach, contains the story from which our people takes its name.
Jacob is on his way to meet up with his brother Esau for the first time in years. He sends his family away: he…
Integrity and becoming – a d’varling for Toldot
divrei Torah
Our Torah stories are the same every year. But as we change and grow, we find new ideas and understandings in the same old stories.
In the verses from Toldot that we just heard, Isaac is old and his eyes have grown dim. He is preparing…
Go – a d’varling for Lech-Lecha
divrei Torah
Lech-Lecha: art by Laya Crust.
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהֹוָה֙ אֶל־אַבְרָ֔ם לֶךְ־לְךָ֛ מֵאַרְצְךָ֥ וּמִמּֽוֹלַדְתְּךָ֖ וּמִבֵּ֣ית אָבִ֑יךָ אֶל־הָאָ֖רֶץ…
The Strength to See What Isn’t Yet
days of awe, sermons
Earlier this summer, I copied down a Chinese proverb, though an internet search suggests that this many not actually come to us from China after all! But the words resonate with me regardless: "Keep a green bough in your heart, the singing…
The Strength to Go Gentle
days of awe, pandemic, sermons, Yom Kippur
Did you know that Shakespeare wrote King Lear while quarantining for possible exposure to the Bubonic plague? Possibly also Macbeth and Antony and Cleopatra. I assume all of us wrote at least one great masterwork of literature during the…
Rejoice in the CBI Sukkah!
sukkot
Last year's sukkah. This year's will be similar!
Dear Congregation Beth Israel members and friends,
Four days after Yom Kippur we enter the festival of Sukkot. (Deep thanks to Jen Burt and family for once again building and decorating…
Preparing for This Yom Kippur
days of awe, Yom Kippur
Dear Congregation Beth Israel members and friends,
It was a joy to be with so many of you during Rosh Hashanah. I hope that you are finding meaning in these ten days of teshuvah between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Soon we will come…
When We See Each Other: a d’varling for Shabbat Shuvah
community, days of awe
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.…
Congregation Beth Israel
53 Lois Street
North Adams, MA 01247
1-413-663-5830