I know that many of us are feeling helpless. My friend and colleague Rabbi Jay Michaelson notes that “The hopelessness feeds [the extremists’] narrative that there can be no peace.” I invite us therefore to resist hopelessness as best we can. There are things we can do to make things better. They may feel small, but they are real.

How can we rejoice with the Torah at a moment like this? And yet our tradition calls us to do precisely that.

I am writing to you in the afterglow of the High Holy Days. I hope that you were able to join us for some or all of our services and that you found them as meaningful and inspirational as I did. It is a joy to be able to worship together in person, and also to be able to gather virtually as a larger community.

Joy! Joy! Joy! As I write these words we’re about to enter into Sukkot – also known as Season Of Our Rejoicing.

“… I’m not interested in guilt. I think it’s much more productive to focus on responsibility. And Judaism has much to say about our responsibility to make someone whole after harm…”

On the second day of Rosh Hashanah (Sunday, September 17, 2023), a sermon was offered by Jewish educator Emily Rogal, who will be teaching our Meaning & Mishnah class later this fall.

On the first day of Rosh Hashanah (Saturday, September 16, 2023), a speech was offered by Natalie Matus, President of CBI.

In our tradition of inviting CBI members to speak during our Erev Rosh Hashanah service, Sandy Ryan, Dr. Len Radin, & Dr. Suzanne Graver offered mini-sermonettes on September 15, 2023 on the the theme of “Returning.”