Vayechi - Looking Back and Forward
01/29/2024 04:41:40 PM
Vayechi - Looking Back and Forward
As we wish one another Happy New Year, we reflect on how different the secular New Year is from the Jewish New Year. Think about the greetings – there is a big difference between “Happy New Year” – which is about an emotion, and “Shana Tovah” which means a Good New Year and is about behavior. For...Read more...
Toldot - Finding Chesed Amidst Brutality
01/29/2024 04:24:22 PM
Toldot - Finding Chesed Amidst Brutality
The avalanche of emotions connected with what is going on in Israel continues to impact us. Loss, suffering, uncertainty, anger, anxiety, fear – all of this is so real. In past sermons, we have spoken about naming and feeling – just as Abraham does in this week’s portion when he mourns and cries at the loss of his...Read more...
Intro to the Abayudaya Jews of Uganda
12/01/2023 03:55:33 PM
Prepared and Collected by Cantor Barbara
Abayudaya History Timeline Who are the Abayudaya Jews of Uganda? The Abayudaya Jewish Community is a 100-year-old community of nearly 2,000 Jews who live among their Christian and Muslim neighbors in scattered villages in the fertile green hills of Eastern Uganda. The Abayudaya, whose tribal name means "People of Judah," trace their Jewish origins to the turn of the twentieth century....Read more..."Is Humanity Created in the Divine Image?" Transcription: Rabbi Ilana's Breishit Sermon (29 Tishrei, 5784)
10/14/2023 08:00:00 PM
To watch the sermon as it was delivered on Shabbat, click here and scroll to 50 minutes in.
Our bat-mitzvah girl, Ella, gave an insightful interpretation of the phrase that repeats itself throughout the first chapter of Genesis: וירא כי טוב, And God saw that it was good. She said that the world isn’t really all that good. It’s messy. It’s violent. It can be ugly. And yet, in God’s eyes, it was good enough. And that...Read more...
An Update from City Councilmember Diane Howard
09/13/2023 12:49:23 PM
Greetings,
With the High Holy Days upon us, my heart is full of life and love when reflecting on the past year. While we encountered difficulties, I am profoundly thankful for the blessings in our lives. Let us approach the New Year with renewed...Read more...
Return from Sabbatical
09/01/2023 05:00:00 PM
I’m back! My sabbatical has been so fulfilling and I am overwhelmingly filled with gratitude. Thank you to the clergy and staff here at CBJ who did so much while I was gone. Most important, thank you to all of you who are part of the CBJ family. It was truly life-changing to have had the time to explore various peoples and places of the world. You made it all possible, and it is with deep appreciation that I return to CBJ.
Many...Read more...
High Holidays & High Notes: Building Community & Connection
09/01/2023 05:00:00 PM
To say that my family likes Taylor Swift is an understatement. Although my son and I are probably just regular fans, my husband and daughter are such serious Swifties that their love for her music is way more than enough for the four of us.
On any given day, there could be a flurry of text messages, a phone conversation or little videos shared via email about this singer. We have had countless discussions about...Read more...
Elul is Here
09/01/2023 05:00:00 PM
Life seems to constantly change.
September used to be the time school began – but now many schools begin in August.
It used to be the time when summer ended – but now the weather is so chaotic – who knows what the month will bring.
Yet amidst all of this change, the Jewish calendar remains constant.
The month of Elul always comes in August/September. We sound the shofar each day during the month of Elul...Read more...
Finding Beauty Wherever We Look
06/30/2023 09:29:47 AM
Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote to, “…Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything beautiful, for beauty is God’s handwriting.” Beauty can be found everywhere; a flower growing through a crack in the sidewalk, bugs under a rock, a quiet lake, a rainbow, even a birthday cake, but do we all see beauty in the same way?
There is a lovely book, written by Naoki Higashida called The Reason I Jump: The Inner Voice of a...Read more...
Shabbat Mornings for Our School Families
06/30/2023 09:28:45 AM
Dan Leemon has been leading Junior Congregation for twenty-eight years. He shaped an entire generation of CBJ children’s appreciation of Shabbat services. His wisdom, wit, and beautiful voice created a weekly Shabbat experience that was meaningful for parents and children alike. He had a huge impact on our community.
Dan is so skilled he makes service leading seem effortless. In reality, no one can walk in front of a room of...Read more...
Turning The Pages
06/30/2023 09:21:12 AM
I am one of those lucky people who knew what they wanted to do at an early age. My 10th grade English teacher inspired me so much that I wanted to be just like her. I started working as a teacher when I was 23 years old, and I have been working in education ever since. Throughout these years I have had many different chapters in my life: I got married, had two children, made new friends, lost a father and father-in-law, earned a degree in...Read more...