I need human help to enter verification code (office hours only)

Sign In Forgot Password

Translate this page:

Rabbinic Transition at Congregation B’nai Israel

02/24/2023 01:58:10 PM

Feb24

Dear Friends, We are writing with important community news to share. After 21 years as the Rabbi of Congregation B’nai Israel, Rabbi Justin David has accepted the position of Dean of the Rabbinical School at Hebrew College, to begin on July 1, 2023. While we are excited for Rabbi David, we will miss his extraordinary leadership at CBI. The CBI leadership team is here to support our community through this transition. We will be working to make sure all rabbinic duties are covered even as we work toward envisioning the future. You can read Rabbi David’s message to the community at the bottom of this email. As we plan for this transition, Rabbi David will be shortening his sabbatical and returning to CBI to wrap up his tenure with care. We are establishing a transition committee, led by Joel Feldman and Ellen Gertzog, who will work with our leadership to plan for the next steps, both short-term and long-term. The transition committee’s work will include creating ways for community input and keeping the community informed each step of the way.  On behalf of the entire CBI community we extend our deep gratitude to Rabbi David for his 21 years as CBI’s spiritual leader. Please read Rabbi David’s update below and know that we are all available to talk at any time. Emily Kieval, Executive Director Rabbi Jacob Fine, Senior Director of Jewish Life and Abundance Farm Rabbi Ariella Rosen, Director of Youth and Family Engagement and Education Meredith Lewis and Stan Schapiro, Co-Presidents Joel Feldman and Ellen Gertzog, Co-Chairs, Rabbinic Transition Committee Message from Rabbi Justin David: Dear Friends, After 21 years of leading and loving our CBI community, I have accepted an offer to become the Dean of the Rabbinical School of Boston Hebrew College.  This position is a rare opportunity to draw on my deepest yearnings to serve, teach, and work toward sacred healing and justice, and to do so in a visionary learning community.  Most of all, I am feeling overwhelming awe and gratitude toward the CBI community for teaching and sustaining me and my family, and for bringing me to this point in my life. In the coming months, there will be much to say about this new chapter, and there will be numerous opportunities to celebrate the work we have done together. For now, I want you to know that my new position begins on July 1, which means that, after a trip to Israel that was already planned, I will be available to the community beginning March 22 through June.  In addition to working closely with CBI staff and lay leadership to ensure a thoughtful and productive transition, I look forward to connecting personally and sharing laughter, loving wishes and at least from me, some tears. For the future, I am actually planning on remaining a part of the CBI community as a deeply appreciative and enthusiastic member.  Judy and I will continue to live in Northampton, even as we set up a residence close to Hebrew College in Auburndale.  Although I will initially keep some distance so as to allow the community to flourish without me, I look forward to sharing in the beauty of life at CBI: learning from the great depth and wisdom of Rabbis Jacob and Ariella, participating in heartfelt and joyful tefilah, volunteering on Abundance Farm, engaging in acts of hesed, enjoying each other’s friendship, chanting Torah and so much more. Over the coming months, I will reflect on the remarkable leadership we have here - a real dream team.  But for now, I want to express my personal gratitude to Jacob, Ariella and Emily, and to our co-presidents Meredith and Stan, for being so genuinely supportive during this process. I admire you all for your great wisdom and kindness. And finally, I want to say that while I am deeply moved by the prospect of my new role, I know what I am leaving: a uniquely visionary community whose extraordinary leaders show us the way to collective holiness, justice and meaning. B’vracha, with love, Justin

PLEASE HELP OUR NEIGHBORS WITH DONATED ITEMS

11/04/2022 12:46:00 PM

Nov4

Pamela Schwartz

HAITIAN ASYLUM SEEKERS IN THE VALLEY NEED ESSENTIALS AND WARM CLOTHING AND MANNA GUESTS NEED WARM COATS

In partnership with Jewish Family Service
Jewish Family Service (JFS) has brought to our attention that recently arrived Haitian families are living in hotels and overcrowded apartments in the Valley. Because they are not considered "refugees" by the US government, they are not eligible for many benefits. JFS is providing critical support and has made it clear that more help is needed. Many families do not have the basics they need to sustain themselves and their families (many with young children), especially as the winter approaches.

CBI is joining with the Jewish Community of Amherst, Beit Ahavah, and Jewish Activists for Immigration Justice of Western MA (JAIJ) to collect desperately needed goods for these families.

WHAT TO DONATE
  • Packages of diapers in all sizes & baby wipes
  • Sanitary napkins (not tampons), soap, and deodorant for women and men 
  • Warm clothes for babies (especially), children and adults, of all sizes (new or gently used, no rips or stains please)
  • If possible, each clothing item/s should be put into a bag and marked with the type and size so that families can easily go through and see what they need.  


In partnership with Manna Soup Kitchen
Manna Soup Kitchen has also informed us of an urgent need for adult-sized winter coats, hats, gloves, and mittens for their guests. Please consider donating clean, warm coats in good condition. Our goal is to collect at least 20.


WHERE TO DONATE:
COLLECTION BOXES FOR BOTH DRIVES ARE NOW IN THE CBI ENTRANCE

WHEN TO DONATE: Now through November 20

If you would like to help sort/deliver items to Jewish Family Service for our new Haitian neighbors, please contact:
Henny Lewin (
hennylewin@yahoo.com)

To help with the coat drive for MANNA, please contact:
Joan Schaffer (
joanjrs@gmail.com)

Thank you for doing what you can, and above all, for being in a community together.

Best,
Pamela, Randi, Sara and Jen
for CBI's Tikkun Olam Committee

Announcing CHALLAH: New classes for teens 8th - 11th grade!

09/09/2022 11:33:07 AM

Sep9

We are very excited to announce that enrollment is now open for our brand new teen education program called CHALLAH! At no point in recent history has CBI held regular, ongoing classes for teens beyond the b'nai mitzvah age, and we are glad that we can now provide those in grades 8th - 11th an opportunity to sink their teeth into Jewish learning on a weekly basis. Hebrew will be offered each trimester, but the rest of the courses will vary. For our very first trimester starting on October 20th [not 9/29, as originally planned], we also have classes in Jewish food studies and Jewish theater. In the future, we hope to have classes focused on music, graphic novels, and so much more. 

 CHALLAH classes are designed to:

  • deepen Jewish knowledge through focused skill-building
  • prepare teens to enter the world as well-rounded Jewish young adults
  • help develop lifelong Jewish learners

CHALLAH will begin each week with a community gathering led by new(ish) CBI Director of Youth and Family Education and Engagement, Rabbi Ariella Rosen, who says “CHALLAH teens will have a chance to choose what they are most passionate about learning, and even more importantly, to be a part of a community that they build together with their peers. I’m excited to learn with them this year, and to continue to respond to what they tell us matters most to them.”

CHALLAH is hosted by CBI, but the classes are open to any teens in the 8th - 11th grade range, so please help spread the word if you know someone who might be interested! For all CHALLAH related details including the schedule, courses, and fees, here again is the enrollment form: 

https://www.cbinorthampton.org/form/2022-23-challah-registration.html

If you have any questions, feel free to email Rabbi Ariella

We hope to see you for CHALLAH!

-Aaron Kagan, CBI Teen Engagement Coordinator

[Photo: CBI teens on a recent hike at Mt. Tom]

Work begins at the new building! 

09/07/2022 03:05:55 PM

Sep7

[Photo credit: Shana Surek]

We are excited to announce that renovations are underway at the newest addition to the CBI campus: 237 Prospect St., former home to the city water department and therefore known by some as the "Mayim Building" (Hebrew for water). CBI purchased the building last year, and it is the future home of new gathering spaces, offices, classrooms, and so much more. For an introduction to the building see here, and to learn more about our plans for this exciting addition to our space, see here.

Members of the CBI leadership team are currently engaged in a visioning process for the entire campus, including the new building, and there will be many opportunities for you to get involved in the process, so stay tuned. Meanwhile, the historic building continues to reveal its secrets. Thanks to our facilities and events coordinator Thomas Bradbury for sharing this WWII era gem that reemerged when a shelf was removed for painting: 

 

Thanks for a great discussion about the future of our campus!

06/10/2022 12:39:53 PM

Jun10

[Photo: Architect Maryann Thompson and director at large, building committee member and former co-president Max Page facilitate a group discussion]

A big thanks to everyone who came out for the recent community discussion! Following the Abundance Farm Spring Work Day, we met with architect Maryann Thompson to learn more about updated conceptual designs for the entire CBI campus, including our new building. Obviously, much has happened since the first round of designs were shared in 2018... Let's just say we're planning on more well-ventilated and outdoor spaces! 

However, the main goal remains the same: to create an integrated, redesigned campus composed of the main building, Abundance Farm, the new "Mayim Building," and of course taking into account CBI programs such as our preschool, Gan Keshet, and ALMA, our religious school. Other changes are still being discussed, but may include new features such as additional celebration space, an east-facing bima, larger classrooms, and a "schmoozatorium" entry area. 

There was a presentation of the updated design images, feedback and discussion, a Q&A, a tour of the new building, and of course snacks - a similar, follow-up event took place via Zoom. Stay tuned for more updates and please enjoy some photos from the event! 

[Max and updated campus design images]

[Community members checking out the new images]

[Giving feedback via sticky notes]

[A tour of the new building with architect and Ad Hoc Building Committee member David Whitehill]

[Donated vintage light fixtures!]

So, what's happening with the new building? 

05/02/2022 01:08:49 PM

May2

Hello! Wondering what's going with our new building at 237 Prospect Street? Read on!

Quick recap: Last year, CBI acquired what was once an administrative building for the city's water department, which is why you may hear it called “the water building” or “the mayim building.” If you haven't seen it, it's the big, brick one on the other side of Abundance Farm from the synagogue. Though maybe you were there for the big Chanukah party?               

[Photo credit: Shana Surek]                                                                                                                  

So, what’s in store for 237 Prospect St? Soon, renovations will begin to create new office and meeting spaces on the first floor. No promises, but it might look something like this…

 

 

[Image credit: David Whitehill]

Also, a big thanks to our Ad Hoc Building Committee members: David Whitehill, David Kaufman, and Ruthie Oland-Stuckey!  After the immediate refurbishments to make the building more usable, we'll continue working on the bigger vision along with our architect Maryann Thompson.

While nothing is set in stone, other uses for the new building may include a food justice center, more room for our Gan Keshet preschoolers to play, or a cafe-bakery. One thing we know for sure is that the building will help us focus on these three core values:

  • Avodah lev (spiritual connections)
  • Chokhmah (education)
  • Tzedek (social justice)

If you want to learn more, here’s a copy of the Request for Proposal that we originally submitted to the city in our bid for the building. While all plans are subject to change, it will give you a sense of some possibilities!

CBI Community Benefits Statement:

A decade ago, Congregation B’nai Israel (CBI) acquired from the City a strip of land adjacent to the Water Department Building property. Over the last ten years we have transformed this land into Abundance Farm, a community asset that brings tremendous benefits to the City and its residents. Acquisition of the Water Department Building property would allow us to significantly expand these activities and the value they bring to the community as we develop the Farm into a leading center to promote (a) food security and community agriculture, (b) education and training in environmental sustainability and resilience at least until January 01, 2030.

Current role in the community
Abundance Farm, the focal point of much of our community programming, has expanded from a community garden to a small working farm open to anyone. In 2018, the Farm brought well over 5000 participants – most from outside the immediate CBI member community – to Farm-related programs, ranging from child and adult educational activities and communal cooking to food harvests and a street-side farm stand making free produce available to anyone in the community. (These numbers have grown in 2019.) The Farm has also provided a range of education and training programs for youth and professional staff of local community organizations.

Significantly, the Farm’s ten-year demonstrated track record of benefit to the community has been as the primary provider of these program and services, rather than as a participant in or supporter of other organizations’ programs and services. The range of current programs promoting the RFP’s required community benefits include:

  • A seven-year collaboration with the Northampton Survival Center engaging Survival Center clients in the Farm. This partnership includes a bi-weekly pick-your-own program enabling Survival Center clients of all ages to regularly add free fresh produce to their meals. (There were over 700 client visits in 2019; over 1100 including client visits outside scheduled pick-your-own hours.) As a result, clients have become engaged in other aspects of the Farm, adding to the already diverse community – in age and background – brought together on this land. Of particular note, recent immigrants and refugees from agricultural communities in Africa, Central America, Asia and the Middle East, have reconnected or brought to the Farm plants from their native homes. The Farm has fostered broader community engagement with the Survival Center through formal internship, education and other programming as well as expanded exposure to new constituencies. The Survival Center has also benefited from regular professional staff development opportunities put on by the Farm. (For additional details, see the attached letter from the Executive Director of the Survival Center and the Abundance Farm’s Pick Your Own Community Harvest Program 2019 Report.)
  • Collaboration with Grow Food Northampton (GFN) providing a free, weekly, community lunch over the summer for the last two years bringing together a diverse group of people of all generations from across the city and providing a unique context for meaningful community building. We have also collaborated with GFN to support the pick-your-own experience through farm food demonstrations and recipe sharing events. (See the attached letter from the Director of Programs of Grow Food Northampton for additional details.)
  • The Farm has served as a placement for Federal Works Programs including placement for participants under the Workforce Innovation & Opportunity Act, and individuals who qualify for “The Abled Bodied Adult Without Dependents (ABAWD) Work Requirement and Time Limit in order to be eligible for SNAP benefits.
  • Work with area colleges. The Farm runs college internships during the school year and summer, and hosts volunteers from area colleges. We have a particularly strong connection with Smith College; Smith students are eligible to receive work-study funding to serve as interns on the Farm, and the Farm serves as placement for summer “praxis” students. The Farm hosts visiting Smith classes each year with Farm staff serving as guest lecturers. In addition, the Farm director has taught classes on the Farm’s work at all five colleges.
  • Young adult and teen leadership. For the last four years, we have operated the Shefa Teen Internship, a popular paid summer internship program open to the public, regardless of religious affiliation, that provides an immersive six-week experience in sustainable farming, community organizing and leadership training through food justice work for 12-15 high school students, most from Northampton High School. The Farm also offers an internship program hosting some ten teens during the school year. This past Fall, the Farm hosted Hartsbrook School teens for an eight consecutive week course at the Farm exploring food justice.
  • Professional development workshops. The Farm hosts a number of professional development workshops on the subjects of food justice and farm-based education for campus educators and staff (including the Northampton Survival Center), as well as teachers from schools around the region.
  • Other programming support and collaborations include work with the Pioneer Valley Workers’ Center over the last four years including staff participating in community organization training for interns, and providing volunteers for the PVWC’s own new farm; a recent joint program with the Karuna Center for Peace to host a lecture and workshop with Leah Penniman, food justice activist and farmer with 200+ attendees; and for the past three years the Farm has hosted the Rosenberg Fund For Justice’s annual fundraising event with the Neilds.
  • Drawing a broader community to Northampton. The Farm has benefited the community by drawing visitors to Northampton from outside our area interested in learning from our successes in farm-based curriculum, training and community outreach including visits from schools, churches, camps and other non-profit organizations from around the country. The Farm has also been honored to pilot initiatives in community engagement and early childhood education before they are rolled out nationally by the Harold Grinspoon Foundation.

To ensure a vigorous engagement with the broader community, the Farm has an Advisory Board with community representation.

Continuing a history of serving the community
Maintaining this property in the hands of a faith-based organization driven by a mission grounded in social justice is congruent with the site’s role in Northampton’s history. The current Farm site is situated on land that served as Northampton’s “Poor Farm,” from roughly 1800-1950.  During this period, the Poor Farm and adjoining Alms (“Poor”) House served as a refuge for local residents in need of shelter, food and other services. The Alms House included a 15-acre farm operated by the Alms House residents. We have built on the site’s long history as the city’s Alms House and “Poor Farm” to advance more dignified ways to address food insecurity for Northampton residents. In 2019 the Farm was honored to receive from the City a Whiting Street Fund grant made to agencies that serve low income people residing in the community. We have also been honored to work with the Historic Northampton to bring this story to wider audiences in and beyond our community.

Water Department Building role in the future of Abundance Farm’s mission
Acquisition of the Water Department Building property will open up a range of short-, medium- and long-term opportunities to extend the reach and impact of Farm programs for the community, including collaborations with new external partners. In the more immediate term, the Water Building property would give us much needed space to support growing program staff, as well as administrative and community meeting space. Future opportunities include:

  • Value-added businesses and workforce training, including an onsite bakery (further developing our onsite bakery), processed food production, a Farm Store and a commercial kitchen facility offering training and mentoring to local teens, Survival Center clients and others.
  • An expanded teen/young adult training and education program drawing 75-100 diverse participants from the region for an 8-week immersive summer program and a smaller academic year program. Programs like these will develop the leaders who can help Northampton be a model for environmental justice and resiliency.
  • Expansion of internship experiences that provide students academic credit in cooperation with local schools.
  • We have begun discussions with Jackson Street School about supporting curriculum development and programs in relation to their farm initiative.
  • An accredited gap year program integrating hands-on training in sustainable agriculture with study of food systems and resilient communities, as well as training in leadership and community organizing, drawing on educators and leaders in the community.
  • A food processing center similar to Franklin County’s Food Processing Center in Greenfield.
  • In the longer term, creation of a multi-generational residential community, housing students as well as seniors.


Promoting community access and environmental resilience
In keeping with the environmental mission of Abundance Farm, our stewardship of the land would support the city’s broader sustainability and resilience efforts. Our development of the property would include facilitating public access to the current bike path and the wetland preserves behind the Water Department Building property. More broadly, improving the ecological health of the site and, by extension, the surrounding woods and nearby conservation area (Barrett Street Marsh) would be a primary concern. For example, when making land use decisions, we would minimize the amount of impervious surfaces which reduce groundwater recharge to the marsh and contribute to the peak of stormwater flow into the marsh.  We would also focus on managing invasive species, such as Japanese Knotweed, which are rampant in the area.

We look forward to playing a continuing and expanded role serving this wonderful City.

Question, comments, or other thoughts on the building? Feel free to email office@cbinorthampton.org

For Immediate Release: Rabbi Ariella Rosen to join CBI as new Director of Youth and Family Education and Engagement (DYFEE)

03/17/2022 11:44:57 AM

Mar17

Dear CBI Community, 

We are thrilled to share that Rabbi Ariella Rosen will be joining the Congregation B’nai Israel community as our new Director of Youth and Family Education and Engagement (DYFEE) on June 1, 2022.

After a thorough six-month search process, led by a search committee whose members ranged in age from thirteen to seventy, Rabbi Rosen emerged as the standout leader. Her deep and diverse work experiences include having served as the Assistant Rabbi at Temple Adath Israel in Merion, Pennsylvania where she launched a community Hebrew High School with the input of prospective teens. Rabbi Rosen also has worked as a faculty member for the Foundation for Jewish Camp and most recently has been a Senior Director and Senior Jewish Educator at Hillel Ontario. Her training in inclusive experiential education and community organizing stood out to the search committee.

“Rabbi Rosen has a strong academic and professional background,” shared Rachel Currie-Rubin, chair of the search committee. “She is able to balance the big picture with details, and she is thoughtful and insightful about the most challenging topics related to Jewish education. Most importantly, she exudes an air of warmth and openness.”

The DYFEE position is a new role that will oversee all of CBI’s education and engagement initiatives from birth through the teen years, including b’nai mitzvah and major community holiday initiatives. As CBI membership has seen unprecedented growth over the last several years, this new role has been envisioned to strengthen existing programs while proactively meeting the growing needs and interests of CBI’s increasingly diverse demography.

Rabbi Rosen shared, “This role at CBI is an ideal setting in which to combine my love of experiential education with my ability to form authentic and deep relationships in intergenerational settings. I have long yearned to work in a community as nurturing, open, and creative as I know CBI to be.”

Rabbi Justin David shared, “Rabbi Ariella Rosen is an outstanding educator and leader. Her commitment to ongoing educational innovation and dynamic personality, informed by a unique diversity of experiences, will help the CBI community deepen our educational programs while reaching new people. We look forward to a mutually nurturing relationship with Rabbi Rosen and her family for years to come.”

Rabbi Rosen is excited to move to Northampton later this spring with her wife, Becca (also a rabbi), and their dog Neffy. A number of events are being planned to give the community opportunities to get to know Rabbi Rosen over the coming months.

Rabbi Justin David

Rabbi Jacob Fine

Emily Kieval

Joel Feldman

Meredith Lewis

Juneteenth Kabbalat Shabbat Tonight, Talmud Tomorrow In Person

06/18/2021 01:12:20 PM

Jun18

Dear Chevre,

This Shabbat coincides with Juneteenth, which as you know has been signed into law by President Biden as a federal holiday, marking a collective commemoration and celebration for the end of slavery.   Be’chol Lashon, a national organization raising awareness of Jews of Color, is holding a virtual Juneteenth Kabbalat Shabbat today at 5 PM, EST, and we are encouraging people to join this service in lieu of our CBI Virtual Kabbalat Shabbat.  While I do not have more details about who is leading this Juneteenth Kabbalat Shabbat, last year it was led by two visionary African American rabbis, attracted thousands of people, and was a time of beautiful singing and joyous celebration.

In future years, I hope we can find meaningful ways to mark Juneteenth as a Shabbat to recommit ourselves to working for racial justice and celebrating the lives, voices and history of Black people. For now,  our Reparations Working Group has just issued a press release announcing our community’s effort to study how we may actively engage in the work of reparations following a year of intensive study and community conversations that I look forward to continuing well into the future.

Talmud Study Shabbat Morning

For Shabbat tomorrow, we are going to incorporate some of what we grew to appreciate during the pandemic as we meet together in person.  Building on the note that Rabbi Jacob and I sent out a couple of weeks ago about Talmud study, tomorrow I will lead Talmud study in person as part of our Shabbat morning service.  The order will be as follows: we will have Shacharit between 9:30 - 10:00, then begin Talmud study as usual at 10:00, continuing for about 45 minutes or so.  And then, between 10:45-11:00, we will have our Torah service, chant the Haftarah, and go straight into Musaf, ending at approximately 12:00, with an opportunity to stay and have a light kiddush afterwards.

Here is our Talmud text, a reflection on Moses’ very human failure that prevented his going into the land.  As you see, the Talmud’s take on this moment is that it is part of what is most human in all of us.  

Teshuvah Learning Next Thursday

Finally, this Thursday, June 24 at 7:00, please join me for some learning, “The Rhythm of Teshuva, First Steps.”  As we move closer to summer, our Sages have a deep, intuitive understanding of how the season, almost unconsciously, ushers in the spiritual process of return and connection with the High Holidays a little over 2 months away.  This will be at the synagogue, outdoors and in person.  I hope to see you there!

I am so looking forward to studying, singing and praying with you tomorrow, and I hope you find Juneteenth Kabbalat Shabbat sponsored by Be’chol Lashon as meaningful as I will!

Shabbat Shalom,

 

Rabbi Justin David

From Rabbi David - Response to Recent Anti-Semitism

05/28/2021 02:56:50 PM

May28

Dear Friends,

The recent anti-Semitic attacks and other incidents reported nationally arouse grave concern and prompt us to ask a number of critical questions about ourselves and our engagement as a Jewish community.  For each of us in different ways, such events may strike us either as unexpected or alternatively as familiar, but nevertheless they are shocking.  Looking to lessons learned over the past several years, I believe that our ongoing work as a community in the forms of workshops, conversations and actions around anti-Semitism and systemic racism provide some ideas for how we think about this moment and steps we may take in the future.

Honor Your Feelings - For many of us, the response to acts of anti-Semitism is deeply personal, whether those incidents are local or remote.  Some of us may carry a trauma history through our families or personal lives that powerfully shapes how we react to and process such events.  Whether by talking with a professional or a dear friend, spending contemplative time alone or with others, by reading and researching or turning toward practices that nurture your mind and soul, I strongly encourage you to take the time and space you need.  I also urge you to remember that we are not alone.  As we were reminded after the horrific shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, we live among allies who care deeply about our welfare and safety, and who admire us for who we are and what we stand for as a Jewish community.

Ahavat Yisrael (Love of the Jewish People) - A couple of years ago, Cherie Brown had us verbalize how we see anti-Semitism affecting “my beloved Jewish people.”  The variety and depth of responses was astounding but not surprising.  Ahavah, love, is the central force of connection among Jews everywhere, and often drives our sense of deeper belonging.  At a time such as this, our expression of love for the Jewish people may take many forms: donating to organizations that help and protect Jews everywhere, connecting with a project in Israel that speaks to your yearnings, supporting Jewish social justice organizations, looking to synagogue for community, reaching out personally to friends and family.  Building on this sense of love not only feels good, but generates goodness beyond all measure of what we see and know.

Double Down on our Vision of Tikkun Olam - As Eric Ward, Lecia Brooks Cherie Brown have all emphasized in their presentations to our community, anti-Semitism, racism, and all forms of hatred act as wedges to divide people from each other by playing on real vulnerabilities.  In this moment, we may feel that pursuing our work to promote peace and reconciliation among Israelis and Palestinians, to join with communities of color to end systemic racism, and to stand up for human rights everywhere are secondary to preserving the safety of the Jewish people.  Such a habit of mind strikes me as misleading either/or thinking when, in fact, our responsibility as Jews compels us to simultaneously stand up for ourselves along with all humanity.   As Hillel famously asked (Pirke Avot 1:15), “If I am not for myself, who will be for me?  But if I am only for myself, what am I?  And if not now, when?”

Love for Israel as Dream and Reality - We are a community of many opinions about Israel and the future of Palestinians, and accordingly, we do not have any official position.  Whatever our individual stances on the ongoing conflict, we all know that this situation is deeply complex, ever changing, and viewed in a myriad of ways by Israelis and Palestinians themselves.  That being said, we have over the past 20 years highlighted and supported efforts to bring peace and reconciliation.  I am very proud of the array of speakers we have invited to prompt deep and meaningful dialogue at CBI, including Israelis working to build bridges, Palestinian peace builders, American activists supporting the peace work of Israelis and Palestinians, and scholars seeking the most nuanced and discerning perspectives.  

Each of these opportunities to learn and reflect has helped us deepen our understanding and connection to Israel as a refuge and homeland for the Jewish people while strengthening those who aspire for Israel to be a beacon of justice. Such an Israel is not merely a utopian aspiration but actually mandated by Israel's Megillat ha-Atzma’ut, its founding Proclamation of Independence.  From time to time, I take the opportunity to read that proclamation to remind myself of its imperative to fulfill the vision of the biblical prophets by ensuring “complete equality” for all who live in the land, guaranteeing “freedom of religion, conscience, language, education and culture.”  Reading these words, at any time, always moves and inspires me.

Finally, I will close by emphasizing what our Sages from the Talmud said, that “Kol Yisrael arevin zeh ba-zeh,” the Jewish people are all bound up with each other.  Of the nearly infinite meanings of this phrase, today I affirm that when Jews are under attack anywhere, anything we do to uphold the twin values of Ahavat Yisrael (Love of the Jewish people) and Ahavat ha-Briyot (Love of Humanity) strengthens all of us.  

In the time ahead, I look forward to finding those paths to reflection, study and action together.

B’Shalom,

Rabbi Justin David

From Rabbi David - Gathering for Shavuot and Shabbat

05/13/2021 03:14:37 PM

May13

Dear Friends,

As we prepare to greet Shavuot, I am thinking of the poetic expression of the Torah’s injunction to count 49 days before Shavuot as seven “complete” weeks.  The completeness, or wholeness conveyed by this verse is intentional, and is emphasized further as the Torah enjoins us to count 7 days each week for 7 weeks, evoking the creation of the universe, expressed in the weekly celebration of Shabbat, and carried over into the 7-year cycle of reaping while providing for those who are most vulnerable.  This rich symbolism ensures that our ongoing yearnings for justice, spiritual connection and peace are all joined together, and particularly this year, Shavuot strikes me as a necessary reminder of the true depths of the human spirit and our capacity to bring goodness and healing to the world.

I want to urge you to take part in our two Tikkunim (study sessions for Shavuot), as well as in-person Shavuot services and...a newly added in-person service for this Shabbat.

 For our first night, Sunday evening, I along with Rabbis Jacob Fine and Sara Luria will create study and conversation around the theme of Tikkun in a Post-Pandemic world.  We know we’re not there yet, and that parts of the world are truly suffering even as conditions are beginning to ease here.  After such a long period of isolation, how do we re-engage with each other?  What deeper connections are embedded in our simple, everyday greetings and interactions?  How do we face the world anew with our fears? Our hopes?

Second night, Monday evening, we will be online as we focus on our community’s responsibility to respond to the call to support the Black community in securing reparations for the injustices of slavery and ongoing systemic racism.  This conversation will be led by a variety of voices, including community members sharing their personal reflections on learning about reparations, as well as our CBI/Abundance Farm reparations working groups.

On both Monday and Tuesday, please join us for in-person services for Shavuot, which will include singing Hallel (both days), chanting the revelation at Sinai from the Torah (first day), the Book of Ruth (second day) and Yizkor (second day).  

And for all of our in-person gatherings, we expect cheesecake to be had.

Finally, join us this Shabbat for an in-person service that will have a unique educational twist.  We will begin at 10:00 with Shacharit and time for some Torah conversation.  Then, from 11:00 - noon, we will be joined by soon-to-be B’nei Mitzvah families for Torah reading and more study of the parashah and service as part of an ongoing series.  We should finish up with Musaf around 12:15.  

And, while this in-person service takes place, we will also have our regularly scheduled Shacharit online beginning at 9:30 with online Talmud study afterward.

As we prepare to greet Shavuot, I hope we look at this season not as only a retreat from the heartbreaking violence taking place in Israel and Gaza.  This year, I am thinking of the poetic manner of the Torah’s injunction to count 49 days before Shavuot as seven “whole” weeks.  The wholeness suggested by these verses is not incidental, but is also embodied by the count of 7 days each week for 7 weeks, evoking creation, the weekly cycle of labor and renewal, and the 7-year cycle of reaping, caring for those without, and ensuring our own just living as an expression of ongoing spiritual connection.  Bearing all of this rich symbolism, Shavuot strikes me this year a necessary reminder of the true depths of the human spirit and our capacity to bring goodness and healing to the world.

Looking forward to seeing you over these next days.

Shabbat Shalom and Chag Sameach,

 

Rabbi Justin David

From Rabbi Justin David: Letter Regarding Events in the Middle East

05/11/2021 11:10:49 PM

May11

“Sha’alu Shalom Yerushalayim, Seek the Peace of Jerusalem…”

Psalms, 123: 6

 

Dear Friends,

 

My most basic, human response to the violence in Jerusalem, in Gaza, and numerous cities within Israel  is heartbreak.  In the face of lives lost, pervasive fear, dreams broken and rage unleashed, a deep sadness precedes everything.  But even while heartbroken and afraid, I believe that it is also essential that we try to understand the unfolding situation so that we may engage in ongoing action.

 

Numerous journalists, including Thomas Friedman in today’s New York Times, wonder whether calm will be restored in a few days or whether we are witnessing the beginning of another Intifada.  Among the key points Friedman and others make have been the following: 

 

  • Young people, acting independently of Palestinian leadership, have played a central role in fueling the Palestinian protests over housing evictions in the Palestinian neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah in Jerusalem, and over the police restrictions barring Palestinian worshippers from the Al Aqsa Mosque over the last days of Ramadan.

  • The protests are inspiring solidarity among Israeli Arabs to an unprecedented degree. 

  • These young people are filling a void created by a combination of incompetent Palestinian political leadership, an entrenched right wing in Israel that caters to settlers intent on displacing and dispossessing Palestinians, and an indifferent US leadership.    

 

As of now, the most seasoned observers note that no one knows what these events will mean for the long term. 

 

Amid the fear and confusion, how do we act?  What steps might we take?

 

Today, I found some unexpected inspiration from the above quotation from the Psalms, quoted more extensively here:

 

 “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem; “May those who love you be at peace./May there be well-being within your ramparts, quiet in your citadels.”/For the sake of my kin and my friends, I pray for your well-being;/for the sake of the house of Adonai, I seek your good.”

 

On their own, these words are beautiful poetry. But at this time of hatred and bloodshed, I note how the Psalmist’s yearning for Shalom is not for any one person, clan, group, or people, even as the Temple looms large as a focus.  Instead, the Psalm articulates a universal aspiration: not only family but all who are “friends, re’im,” and all who “love” Jerusalem, are included in this prayer for peace.  The expansiveness is fitting.  In the Jewish imagination, Jerusalem is “tabur ha-aretz,” the center of the world, representing all we stand for as a tradition and as a people: spiritual devotion, justice, awe before all human beings as an expression of reverence to God.  At the height of the monarchy during Solomon’s reign, it was an international, vibrant center of the ancient world.  In our day, it is celebrated by all as a place of spiritual yearning for Jews, Christians and Muslims.  By definition, sectarian, politically stoked violence in Jerusalem is an affront to all humanity.

 

Over the past several years, we at CBI have drawn on this deep spirit of universalism in Jewish tradition to affirm and support peacebuilding in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza.  Going forward, whatever the outcome of recent events, I believe we should double down on our efforts to connect and lend our support to groups of Israelis and Palestinians such as Combatants for Peace, Roots/Shadur and Breaking the Silence, who are working tirelessly to create a future of justice and coexistence.

 

Following the lead of pro-peace, pro-Israel organizations such as JStreet and T’ruah, I would encourage us to join campaigns that urge the Biden administration to assume a more assertive and constructive role in facilitating negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians.

 

And finally, I can’t overstate how important it is for each of us to develop our own relationship to the deeply rich and complex reality of Israel and Palestine.  It is a part of being a contemporary Jew that we learn about and struggle with this reality, especially as we forge a deeper personal connection through reading, conversation, nurturing relationships, visiting, donating to causes.  While I am very much an American rabbi, rooted for the past 20 years in our collective journey here in Northampton, part of my soul has been and will always be in Jerusalem.


 

May the divine Shalom come into being through the courage placed in fragile human hands. And may we all find the opportunities to participate in this work and have a share of its blessings in time to come.

 

B’shalom,

 

Rabbi Justin David






 

From Rabbi David: Supporting Irida

03/31/2021 09:44:04 PM

Mar31

Dear Friends, 

 

In the midst of Passover, we hope that the connections you were able to make and the discussions you were able to have at your seders turned your attention to how we bring healing to the world and make z'man cherutenu, the Season of our Freedom, a daily practice and living reality. 

 

Today we learned that after nearly three years since Irida Kakhtiranova sought and received sanctuary at the Unitarian Universalist Society of Northampton and Florence, her case has been reopened and she is free to rejoin her family! The family will be reunited without fear of Irida’s arrest as her lawyers continue working to resolve his case.

 

It is going to take considerable time for Irida to re-establish her family business after she returns home, and so we are asking for your help to provide them with one last provision of food assistance during the pandemic. The CBI community has been generous over the past nearly-three years, and we hope will continue to be a source of support this one last time.

 

Please consider continuing to provide food assistance to Irida and her family by:

 Writing a tax-deductible check to "USNF," with check's memo line reading "Sanctuary Fund/from CBI." The funds will be used exclusively for Irida's food support. You can send the check by regular mail to "USNF, 220 Main St. Northampton, MA, 01060." 

 

Thank you for taking this opportunity to consider this mitzvah.  

 

 Moadim l'Simchah,

 Wishing you a holiday of joy and connection,

 Rabbi Justin David & the Sanctuary Committee

 


If you prefer, you may go online to the USNF website ( https://www.uunorthampton.org/ ), click on the “donate” link, and fill in the amount you wish to contribute in the line that reads, “sanctuary.These funds will be used exclusively for Irida’s needs. If you wish to, you may use the “donation is in honor of” box to indicate that your contribution is for Irida’s food needs and is from a CBI member.

From Rabbi David: Study the Torah of Reparations

03/31/2021 11:00:14 AM

Mar31

Dear Friends,

 

I am very excited to share that I will be teaching a 5-session series on Reparations and Jewish Tradition, Sundays at 10:00 AM, April 11 - May 9.  

 

These sessions will explore the sources that people are look to for guidance in response to the call from the Black community and communities of color generally to compensate victims of slavery and systemic racism in our society.  Drawing on the narrative of the Exodus, a commitment to intergenerational responsibility, and the actual experience of reparations to Jewish survivors of the Shoah, our tradition has a rich history of wisdom to explore.  Among our themes will be inherent obligations toward humanity; precedents for reparations in our Talmudic and legal tradition; the obligation of indirect responsibility; the imperative to pursue even imperfect justice; and notions of universal and restorative justice.

 

This conversation builds on work that is being pursued throughout our community: by our Abundance Farm team in coordination with other communities; by the anti-racism task force of our Tikkun Olam Committee; by the Jewish Community of Amherst, who has invited us to take part in their study sessions as well.

 

For now, put the dates on your calendar - I look forward to checking in with you soon.

 

Moadim l'Simchah,

 

Rabbi Justin David

From Rabbi David - Passover Resources for You

03/18/2021 06:36:35 PM

Mar18

Dear Friends,

Here we are, in the first week of Nisan, and so it’s time to take those first steps toward Z’man Cherutenu, the Season of Liberation.  I hope by now you have seen our set of programs for Passover, including pre-Seder workshops as well as a range of programming on and around the days of Passover.  This letter is more about preparing, with some resources to help you set the stage for this deeply meaningful time of year.

Ma’ot Chittin - Donations to those in need

The Haggadah invites us with the words,  “Let all who are hungry come and eat,” and fittingly, it is a historic custom to make donations to charities that provide food to those in need.  The Northampton Survival Center is our critical local partner in helping us work toward food justice in our community.  If it's not already your practice, investigate becoming a Bread and Butter member of the NSC with a monthly donation.  And if you already are, consider giving them some extra tzedakah in the spirit of Pesach.

Passover Guide

Getting rid of chametz (leaven), kashering the kitchen, figuring out what is or is not kosher for Passover becomes its own set of observances within the holiday.  Here is the Rabbinical Assembly’s Passover Guide, with its comprehensive and updated advice.  Some of us embrace the work, some of us avoid it, but this guide will likely both answer questions and raise others - this too is part of the holiday.

Selling Chametz 

It’s simple - appoint me as your agent with this declaration: “I appoint Rabbi Justin David as my agent in selling my Chametz during Passover, 5781.”  Just copy the declaration into email, sign your name, send it to office@cbinorthampton.org, and I’ll take care of things from there.  If you wish to make a donation to the Northampton Survival Center as a token appreciation of the service, please feel free.

A Bracha (Blessing) for Flowering Trees 

It’s probably still too early, but one never knows.  The Talmud provides us with a beautiful blessing over the scent of flowering trees in the month of Nisan: “Praised are You, Adonai our God, Creator of the Universe, who has created good creatures and good trees for the benefit of human beings.”  Before or after saying the blessing, feel free to take a moment to sing or meditate on the last verse from Psalms that serves as the textual foundation of this practice, “Kol ha-neshama t’halel Yah,” “Let everyone with the fullness of soul celebrate the Creator.”

I will follow up this note with others to prepare us for the holiday, steering us toward organizations working for justice and liberation as well as tips for your seders.  Until then, I hope you are staying safe and well, and I look forward to being in touch soon.

Shabbat Shalom,

 

Rabbi Justin David    

From Rabbi David - Stop Asian Hate

03/17/2021 06:17:35 PM

Mar17

Rabbi Justin David

Dear Friends,

I know you join me in the sense of horror over the murders in Atlanta that left 8 people dead, 6 of whom were of Asian descent.  If you have read about this tragedy, you have also read how this incident reflects an alarming rise against Asian-Americans generally.

According to Stop AAPI Hate, there have been nearly 3800 incidents against Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders in the past year.  As with the rise in acts of anti-Semitism, advocates view President Trump’s remarks linking Asians to the Coronavirus as having fueled these incidents.

To remind us of Eric Ward’s insights that he shared with us just before Rosh Hashanah, we are all affected by and connected through the targeting of specific groups.  To paraphrase our Talmudic tradition, kol Yisrael arevin zeh ba’zeh, we are all bound up with each other.  To that end, I encourage you to visit the website of Stop AAPI Hate to learn about violence against Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders, see potential action steps and make a contribution.

Finally, I want to encourage us as a Jewish community, as part of our ongoing anti-racism and tikkun olam commitments, to find ways to show our solidarity with people of Asian descent.  I must admit that I am not familiar with local networks or advocacy organizations, which makes me all the more hungry for information that may lead to building new relationships and taking action.

Thank you for your concern and attention.  As we head more deeply into Nisan toward Passover, let us take this opportunity to stand up as allies for dignity and justice.

B’Shalom,

Rabbi Justin David

 

From Rabbi David - Thoughts on Sacred and Enduring Justice

01/07/2021 03:32:29 PM

Jan7

Dear Friends,

This morning, I was moved by a Facebook post by Sheryl Gay Stolberg, a longtime Washington correspondent for the Times, who spoke of yesterday’s violence as trampling on the “sacred space” of our Capitol.  Stolberg didn’t specify how or why the Capitol is sacred, but she enumerated her closeness to the grandeur of the building itself, the dramatic moments she has spent there, and perhaps most importantly, the people who work there - not only moral pioneers and future presidents, but the unrecognized janitors and cooks who keep the Capitol running, as well as the journalists who are so essential to a free society.  

In this compelling and loving litany, Stolberg implied what comes to mind for many of us when we think of what is sacred: the human yearning for equality, freedom and justice as well as the compelling examples of those who bring those ideals into reality.  As sacred ideals, perhaps she suggests that they originate beyond us, and yet can only come into existence through our devotion and commitment.  

In Jewish tradition, we have a vast reservoir of insights into what is sacred, beginning in the Torah and living on through weekly reflections in communities all across the globe.  Looking to the Temple of Jerusalem as one of our central motifs, we may say that holiness may be eclipsed by human destruction, but reconstituted through ongoing acts informed by justice, reverence for creation, and awe for the divine presence residing among humanity.  

In another sense, we can think about how the violence that threatens to drive justice and compassion from our world imposes an obligation upon us to renewed action. In the words of Abraham Joshua Heschel, who was echoing the biblical prophets, few may be guilty, but all are responsible.  

In truth, the guilt for yesterday’s violence in the Capitol runs far and deep. Our President and his enablers have incited and given cover to White nationalists, conspiracy theorists and other neo Nazis for years.  Racism as well likely played a role in the inadequate preparation of law enforcement, especially when we compare yesterday's light police presence around the Capitol to the heavily armed troops who confronted peaceful Black Lives Matter protests in June.  

While it is compelling and necessary to investigate the sources of yesterday’s events, I believe it may be more important to focus on a renewed call to action - that each of us can and should be part of the collective healing that follows.  In the words of the great Black civil rights activist Ella Baker, popularized in the stirring song by Dr. Bernice Johnson Reagon as performed by Sweet Honey In the Rock, “We who believe in freedom cannot rest until it comes.”

In that sense of responsibility, I believe, there is hope in the promise that justice and righteousness are too powerful to be suppressed when we choose to act.  Isaiah, in the first chapter of his prophecy, addresses a Jerusalem that has been debased and destroyed by its corrupt leaders: “Your rulers are rogues/And cronies of thieves;Every one avid for presents/And greedy for gifts;/They do not judge the case of the orphan/And the widow’s cause never reaches them.”  

But then, after a reckoning, God promises through Isaiah, “I will restore your magistrates as of old, And your counselors as of yore.  After that you shall be called City of Righteousness, Faithful City. (Isaiah 1: 23-26)”  Jewish tradition has since enshrined these words in the weekday Amidah, recited 3 times daily in prayer, to remind us of both the promise of justice and the imperative to act.

The abuse of power may be an inherent temptation of power itself.  Bad actors come and go, and our president has (at most) just a little over two weeks.  And even though he has unleashed forces of hate and despair that may not be so quickly and easily contained, I follow the promise of our tradition: that justice and righteousness will endure when we commit ourselves to the sacred and universal task of bringing healing to our world. 

Wishing everyone the ability to turn toward the light and to be renewed in our moral vision and capacity for action,

B’Shalom,

 

Rabbi Justin David

From Rabbi David - Supporting Martin Luther King Community Presbyterian Church

12/29/2020 04:25:51 PM

Dec29

Dear Friends,

By now, you may have heard of the devastating fire at the Martin Luther King Community Presbyterian Church in Springfield.  The church is a predominantly Black church, and the fire is being investigated by city, state and federal agencies.  According to several news reports, it has not yet been determined whether this fire was an act of arson or a hate crime.

I have reached out to the church directly as well as clergy colleagues in Springfield.  I have heard that the church needs funds to begin its recovery efforts, and although there do not seem to be any online mechanisms for donations at this time, Rev. Andrea Ayvazian, Associate Pastor of the Alden Baptist Church in Springfield, is collecting donations locally and delivering them directly to the Martin Luther King Community Presbyterian Church.

If you would like to make a contribution, please feel free to send a check to CBI with MLK Church Support in the memo, and we will make sure these donations reach their intended source.

Of course, I will let the community know if I learn about additional ways to support the church.

Thank you for giving this sad and concerning event your attention.  I hope you are staying safe and well, and l look forward to being in touch soon.

B'shalom,

 

Rabbi Justin David

From Rabbi David - Study Economic Inequality in the Bible with Professor Joel Kaminsky

12/16/2020 04:42:33 PM

Dec16

Dear Friends,

I am very excited that Professor Joel Kaminsky will teach a 4-session series beginning January 12 on Wealth and Poverty in the Hebrew Bible.  This mini-course will focus on both legal and prophetic texts that explore the creation of wealth, inequities between rich and poor and visions of a just society.  Joel is the Morningstar Professor of Bible at Smith College, and as anyone who has taken his courses will tell you, he is a master scholar and teacher.  

Even in this unprecedented time, we are offering this course as part of our CBI Chevruta series, in which we engage local scholars to take us on extended explorations of classical texts.  To date, we have had the privilege of treasured teachers walk us through topics in the Bible and Talmud, mystical literature of the Zohar and Hasidic masters, halakhah and aggadah.  

In keeping with the tradition of CBI Chevruta courses, we are asking for a suggested contribution for this course of $25, but it is at your discretion and no one will be turned away.  

To register for this course, please follow this link or the one above.

So, as we head into winter, save these dates for your own inspiration through study as we continue to build community through our culture of learning.  In the meantime, I look forward to connecting with you soon.

B'shalom,

Rabbi Justin David

 

 

From Rabbi David - Talmud Text for Shabbat Study - Tamar's Revelation and Hanukkah

12/11/2020 03:33:29 PM

Dec11

Shalom Friends,

Here is the link to tomorrow's Talmud study.  Tomorrow is Hanukkah, so in addition to our usual morning prayers beginning at 9:30, we'll also chant Hallel as part of the holiday.  That means our study will begin a little bit later - closer to 10:15 than our usual 10:00.

Also, I apologize for no video d'var Torah...yet!  Hopefully, I'll be able to record and send something after Shabbat.

Finally, please join us for our community Hanukkah candle lighting - tonight at 4:00 and Saturday night at 5:00!

Shabbat Shalom and Chag Urim Sameach,

Rabbi Justin David

 

 

From Rabbi David - Thoughts on Hanukkah and Community

12/10/2020 01:07:59 PM

Dec10

Dear Friends,

This year, I am thinking about how Hanukkah reckons with the past to guide us toward a future shaped by our yearnings for justice, wonder, and the depth of human connection.

It seems that the Rabbis knew that the original story of Hanukkah was too fraught to stand on its own as the foundation for a sacred and celebratory holiday. The triumph of the Maccabees in the original text in the Aprocrypha, while throwing off the oppressor and bringing hope and liberation, raised additional questions about the problems of militarism, power, zealotry and intra-communal conflict.  But the Talmudic story of the miracle of one canister of pure oil for the Temple lights that lasted for eight days, a story the Rabbis invented out of whole cloth, resets the holiday.  Instead of discussing how or whether to emulate the Maccabees, the great sages of the School of Shammai and the School of Hillel debate how to light lamps at the darkest time of the year.  Our practice of adding a candle each night follows Hillel, with the rationale that we “ascend in holiness, and do not descend (B. Talmud, Shabbat, 21b).”  And so, the Talmud transforms Hanukkah into a festival of light by radically re-interpreting the past in order to celebrate the aspirations and dimensions of the human spirit. 

9 months into our pandemic, with likely several months to go until vaccines are widely available, I find myself embracing Hanukkah as a frame to imagine how we will all emerge from this time of illness, fear, and struggle.  I, like all of you, know people whose lives have been devastated by Covid and the accompanying despair of this moment, and speak with many who live in ongoing fear over their own vulnerability or those whom they love.  I regularly speak with parents who struggle to provide their children with meaningful and educational experiences in this time, and with young people frustrated by the challenges of finding companionship and work.   

And yet, I am also inspired by elders and other vulnerable people in our community who have adapted and found ways to live with a measure of satisfaction and purpose.  I am amazed that people I know who struggle to keep up with work, family and social connections often reassure me that they are holding up and managing. And despite our collective isolation, I know that in the future, I will think of this time as one when we joined together to protest racial injustice, hear the Shofar in the CBI parking lot, and spontaneously celebrate online and downtown at the prospect of a hopeful future.

For our community, I am similarly taking the opportunity Hanukkah affords to look back so as to envision greater hope, solidarity and celebration for the time ahead.  

Following the current insights of our Covid-19 task force, I believe we should anticipate both the status quo of protective distancing for the immediate future as well as the possibility that conditions may eventually become safer and therefore permit more in-person opportunities down the road.   

With this in mind, I am committed to work with our CBI staff and leadership to help us move forward in the following ways:

  • Maintain our feeling of community through services and study on Zoom, but also create safe, micro opportunities to gather in person as is possible.
  • Create and initiate conversations, both 1:1 and small groups, for members of our community to experience a greater feeling of connection.
  • Create ongoing learning opportunities for the community that provide us a sense of ongoing growth and learning.
  • Envision and plan for the re-opening of Gan Keshet when conditions make it safe to do so, and to plan enhanced educational and social opportunities for our youngest children in the interim.
  • Plan for expanded in-person learning for ALMA and educational/social gatherings when conditions allow.
  • Envision hybrid services and group learning, encompassing simultaneous robust in-person gathering as well as livestreaming, for when infection rates fall to create safer conditions.
  • Plan for both limited in-person work on Abundance Farm, as well as for the possibility of expanded in-person farm activities based on changing conditions.
  • Pursue ongoing tikkun olam/social justice work to rally our community around meaningful action as well as continue to develop relationships with groups seeking equity and social change.

These intentions are just the broadest outline of the work that I, along with the synagogue staff and leadership, intend to pursue in the coming months.  I am sure that I inadvertently neglected to mention an initiative that is important to you, or perhaps didn’t consider when writing this note.  With that in mind, if there is something you want, need, or even have the ability to help create, please be in touch with me, Rabbi Jacob or Emily Kieval.  Community is a collective partnership - we’re all in this together, especially now.

In the meantime, I wish you a Hanukkah that brings you - and the world - its beauty, joy, and hope, and I hope you will join us for our community lighting each night at 5:00 and Friday night at 4:00.

Chag Urim Sameach,

Wishing everyone a joyous Festival of Lights,

 

Rabbi Justin David

 

Sun, October 6 2024 4 Tishrei 5785