Landlessness
03/25/2022 04:43:49 PM
I'm curious how many people in this room currently live more than 200 miles from where you grew up. If that describes you, and you feel comfortable doing so - stand up, so we can all get a sense of the numbers. (In Power Hour, nearly everyone stood. 2-3 people remained sitting.) Remain standing for a moment if you grew up out of state. (Less than half the room sat.) Remain standing for a moment if you grew up in a different country...Read more...
Shalom Bayit - Reclaiming Power in the Face of Abuse
03/14/2022 11:46:18 AM
This Shabbat is the sermon campaign for Shalom Bayit. Shalom Bayit literally means “peace at home”, and it’s the name of the Bay Area’s center for domestic violence prevention within the Jewish community. Each year, Shalom Bayit asks rabbis throughout the Bay Area to address domestic violence, if possible all on a single Shabbat. It’s not always possible to do it on the date requested – the truth, is we...Read more...
Esther's Humility Lesson
03/11/2022 11:07:21 AM
Have you ever been thrust into a situation where you were called to step outside of your comfort zone? If so, did you have to choose between stepping up to bring some good into the world, or doing nothing and let something bad happen?
This is exactly the situation Queen Esther faced. Please join our Rabbinic Intern Greg Marcus for a discussion of the Mussar soul trait of Humility as it relates to Queen Esther's example, at 5:30...Read more...
A Message from Cantor Barbara
03/01/2022 11:47:19 AM
Our endeavor to make CBJ a more inclusive community has been, and continues to be, an ongoing process. From communal study, days of learning, and conferences, to undergoing long term training, we’ve engaged in discussions and re-envisioned what it means to be a community of love, learning, engagement, and inclusion. You can see signs of this endeavor throughout our community and facility in many ways, attempting to bring a greater sense of...Read more...
Introducing the Tikva Committee
02/28/2022 11:07:01 AM
As a community, CBJ does a great job of affirming diverse religious practices and encouraging people to stay true to their own Jewish traditions. But are we able to apply our tolerance for religious diversity to tolerance for diverse views on social imperatives or politics? Do our members feel safe expressing opinions about the issues of the day? Do we all need to believe in the same things in order to be a strong congregation? Do we...Read more...
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...