What is CBI Sisterhood and Why Should You Care? Since its inception 35 years ago, in 1982, Sisterhood has supported the CBI community. Whether it was running the synagogue kitchen, catering Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, or providing a welcome religious home for congregants old and new, Sisterhood has been there for all of us. …
Did you ever dream that after much preparation you overslept and missed a big event? Well, that nightmare occurred to the rabbis when imagining what took place at Mount Sinai. The Torah recounts thunder and shofar blasts. Rather than reading that as a dramatic display of God’s power preceding God’s revelation, some rabbis imagined all…
Our Rabbinic Intern Ariel Sholklapper’s ordination will take place Monday, May 22 at 7:30pm at the AJU. We thank Ariel for two years of being our Rabbinic Intern. He has brought much teaching to us and we are all grateful. If you would like to attend Ariel’s ordination click here for details and to RSVP.
Torah is a sacred text. We kiss the scroll when carried around the room to convey that it is precious. We relate to the Torah as a love letter from God and yet, for many of us the Torah is also a human document with a history. Dr. David Lieber, the chief editor of the…
My friends, This week’s Torah reading describes the Sabbatical year, offering rejuvenation akin to the Sabbath day. Every seventh year, the Bible commands, the land is to lie fallow (Leviticus 25:2-7; 26:34-35; Exodus 23:10-12). Both the farmer and the land itself would rest. In that light, this coming year is a shared opportunity for renewal…
Emor “If one maims his neighbor, what the perpetrator did to another must be done to him. Thus, a fracture for a fracture, an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth” (Leviticus 24: 19). The statement “an eye for an eye” appears clear. But, did the Torah literally demand mutilation as punishment?…
May 10, 2017 Dear Fellow Congregants, We are closing out the fiscal year as a spiritually vibrant and financially healthy congregation. We are now focused on planning for the upcoming year and the future. Next year will be a year of exciting possibilities. You may already know that Rabbi Spitz will be going on a…
Register online at this LINK An Israel Travel Adventure Join us at Congregation B’nai Israel on Thursday, November 10th at 8pm to learn more about this exciting opportunity! Touching the Spirit & Soul of Israel October 15 – 27, 2017 Co-Sponsored by: Community Scholar Program, Congregation B’nai Israel, Temple Beth El…
Israel’s first Prime Minister, David Ben-Gurion linked Yom HaZikaron, Memorial Day, with Yom HaAtzmaut, Independence Day. Today in Israel a siren blares for a minute, as the nation literally comes to a standstill to honor those who have sacrificed for Israel to exist securely. Tonight is festivity, marking the dream fulfilled of a sovereign Jewish…