Vayakhel: Betzalel’s Wisdom For This Moment
02/28/2022 10:56:43 AM
My dear friend Rabbi Barry Katz is with his family this weekend for the Bar Mitzvah of his nephew. He had access to and put on the tefillin of his great grandfather who came from the shtetl of Geysin, Ukraine, south of Kyev. Putting on the tefillin connected him with the family story. His family never talked about why they left, but clearly there was antisemitism and things were not good. He wrote that he thought about the Ukrainian people...Read more...
Being Engaged
02/28/2022 09:19:57 AM
My 81 year old mother just moved out of the house she has lived in since 1977. My three siblings and I helped her come to the conclusion that the needs of maintaining a large house is just too much for her to do by herself.
This new (and hopefully improved) living arrangement offers a multitude of classes and activities available for all residents. There is a gym, a hair salon, a walking track and even a daily happy hour in the...Read more...
Passover: The Real New Year?
02/28/2022 09:10:07 AM
Happy New Year!
No, it is not Rosh Hashana. It is also not January 1.
The real Jewish New Year is Passover. In Exodus 12:2, we read that Passover occurs at, “the head of the months, the first month of the year.” (How Rosh Hashana came to be seen as the Jewish New Year is another column). How is it that Passover celebrates the Jewish New Year?
One clue is that Exodus 13:4 specifies that Passover occurs, “in the...Read more...
Covid and the Golden Calf
02/22/2022 09:31:10 AM
Experienced school teachers know that it's crucial to set clear rules in the first few weeks of the school year. The best teachers will usually seem very strict at the beginning of the year, and only when they’ve established classroom norms will relax and soften. That’s because if the kids do not feel that the room is well regulated at the outset, they will act out. In order feel safe, the kids need to know that the...Read more...
Upcoming Antisemitism Series
02/10/2022 09:02:10 AM
Fellow CBJ Parents,
I am writing to welcome (and urge) you all to kindly participate in an upcoming three-part educational series sponsored by CBJ on the rise of antisemitism in this country, internationally, and in our K-12 schools and college campuses. The threat is multifaceted and exists across the political spectrum, so no matter where you find yourselves leaning these days, being Jewish seems to bring its own unique...Read more...
Terumah: One Small Step
02/08/2022 01:54:46 PM
Have you heard about StoryCorps? It is an amazing organization.
In 2003, StoryCorp set up a booth in Grand Central Station with the goal of having people who know and love each other record their stories. These stories are collected, shared, and preserved. The belief was that stories create a more just and compassionate world by building connections between people. The impact has rippled. There is a weekly story shared on NPR, several...Read more...
Purim: A Spiritual Response to Colleyville
01/25/2022 09:32:58 AM
Around 2500 years ago, the Jews in Shushan faced a terrible moment. King Ahasueros, manipulated by his evil advisor Haman, issued an edict giving permission to kill the Jews. What would happen? What could they possibly do in the face this danger? The text captures the anxiety of the moment: ha’ir Shushan nevucha – the city of Shushan was dumfounded.
Last Saturday felt eerily like that moment in Shushan. Facing a...Read more...
A Letter from CBJ Clergy and Leadership
01/18/2022 12:21:21 PM
Dear CBJ Family,
Soon after concluding our beautiful Shabbat services yesterday, we learned of the horrific synagogue attack and hostage situation in at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas. We breathed a collective sigh of relief to learn that the hostages, including Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker were freed due to the heroic actions of law enforcement. Rabbi Cytron-Walker wrote a beautiful statement following his...Read more...
Their Impact Continues
01/03/2022 09:17:42 AM
Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. (Martin Luther King, Jr. Wall Street Journal, November 13, 1962)
The religious conscience cannot help but be moved by the heartless cruelties and gross injustice which have been perpetrated against our fellow citizens. To stand up and be counted at such a...Read more...
Seeing Someone
01/03/2022 09:07:17 AM
What does it mean to “see” someone?
There is the literal meaning. You can see someone, for example, who is standing in front of you or sitting near you at Shabbat service. I can see how many people choose to attend the service on Zoom or in person and you can see everyone too. Sometimes we acknowledge that we see each other by smiling, waving, or saying hello. These simple acts are very important...Read more...
United Against Hate: Lifting up Anti-Semitism Which Demands a Response
11/23/2021 09:26:33 AM
This week (November 14 – 20, 2021) numerous cities and organizations across the Bay Area have come together for a series of events to support United Against Hate Week. United Against Hate was created several years ago by civic leaders who realize that hate stops when enough people lift their voices and act. As we collectively come together and say, “Enough – this must stop!” a dynamic of response and unity gains momentum....Read more...
Vayishlach – Facing Ourselves and Others
11/22/2021 03:41:10 PM
Do you know what the holiday of Diwali is? It is a festival of light celebrated by Hindus, Jain, Sikhs, and some Buddhists. It lasts 5 days; symbolizing the victory of light over darkness. It sounds a little bit like Chanukkah and Christmas. I had just learned about it, so my ears picked up when I heard Dr. Vivek Murthy share with our community two weeks ago that he and his family just observed the holiday. In a multi-faith talk about dealing...Read more...