Rabbi Benjamin Segal, more than any other commentator, offered me insight into the literary artistry of the Psalms. Please join in a conversation with Rabbi Segal exploring what has drawn him to his in-depth study and what he believes that we as readers will gain from engagement with these ancient poems to God. Rabbi Segal…
Rabbi Martin Cohen is among the luminaries of the Conservative Movement today. Rabbi of the Shelter Rock Jewish Center in Roslyn, NY for close to twenty years, he has authored many books, including novels and Jewish theology. In my preparation of Psalms, I regularly consulted his book, Our Haven and Our Strength: The Book of Psalms (Aviv Press,…
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March 11, 2021 This week, as Purim materials were packed away, the teachers began setting up the classrooms for Passover, which arrives early this year, begins on Saturday, March 27th at sundown. Last year, the children learned about and celebrated Passover at home, via Zoom meetings, and we sorely missed being together as a community.…
December 21, 2020 Dear Religious School Families, I am thrilled to announce that our beloved CBI Religious School faculty member, MINDY PASKIL, will be honored by the JEWISH EDUCATORS ASSEMBLY on Sunday, January 24, 2021. Mindy has been a dedicated teacher for two generations at CBI. Mindy teaches 6th and 7th graders and tutors many…
Our teens have really risen to the occasion during this strange time. Despite the disappointment many of them feel with events they’ve been looking forward to all year canceled, they’ve pulled together as a team to create incredible distance programming for CBI USY. Our teens are coming to Zoom lounges and finding ways to make a…
Zoom is a free technology for calls & videoconferences. You don’t need a personal Zoom account to use it. Zoom has step-by-step instructions on how to use it here. We will be doing many of our social events and classes by zoom during our coronavirus closing. Zoom Directions: You have lots of options with Zoom. https://zoom.us We…
In Hebrew the phrase hadur mitzvah, means the beautification of a mitzvah. The concept is linked in the Torah with the holiday of Sukkot and the command to take a “fruit from a beautiful tree” -“pri eitz hadar” (Leviticus 23:40). The sages of the Talmud (Sukkah 35a) will identify that fruit specifically with the etrog,…
Dear Friends, Thanksgiving celebrates the many gifts in our lives. Please consider adding some sharing with those around your table beginning with “I am grateful for…” May your harvests of gratitude add to your days of happiness. The prayer below, composed by Rabbi Naomi Levy, is a good way to sum up the words that…