Middah of the Month of November
11/01/2021 09:55:33 AM
“ Zehirut comes from the Hebrew root for the word “shine.” When we are watchful, we strive to stay “lit up” at all times without letting our attention fade; we shine a streetlamp on the road ahead of us and look carefully before...Read more...
Holy Places, Holy Times
10/31/2021 10:00:34 AM
Holy Places, Holy Times.
In a span of less than 50 days since Yom Kippur earlier this fall, with your support, we have built a beautiful outdoor amphitheater at CBE. This is worthy of a celebration! And thanks to new CBE member Russell Weisfield, I was reminded on the...Read more...
Sitting Shmira, Part 2
10/17/2021 10:48:15 AM
It’s called Shmira – the root is ‘shamar’, keeping, guarding, and Shmira relates to guarding the dead before they are ritually washed and prepared for burial. We Jews don’t embalm. There’s no idea of preserving a dead body. The coffin is of raw wood, which will degrade and become earth as will the corpse, but while the body is identifiable as a person who was alive and is now defenseless, we want to show care and...Read more...
5782 – The Year of YES
10/03/2021 10:41:21 AM
Another new beginning.
A chance to do it again and do it better.
A chance to do it for the first time and go all in.
A chance to look back and remember; to look forward and create.
I love new beginnings.
I love the freshness of them.
I love the opportunities they...Read more...
Middah of the Month of October
10/01/2021 10:51:09 AM
Hitlamdut is the embodiment of humility, opening to the truth of what we don’t know for the purpose of connection with self, others, and God. Embrace Hitlamdut as a vehicle for the transformative possibility of deeply immersing in High Holy Day rituals. And, since “pachad”...Read more...
From the Education Committee
09/19/2021 10:00:26 AM
As summer comes to a close and the school year is upon us, it’s a time for both goodbyes and new beginnings. We are excited for the return of in-person learning and holiday celebrations at the religious school. There are some big changes to report relating to the religious school and to the Education Committee. First, Sheri Pinsonneault has stepped down as chair of the committee. We would like to thank Sheri for her hard work and dedication...Read more...
High Holiday Sermons
09/17/2021 09:51:01 AM
From Uncertainty to Awe
09/05/2021 10:00:30 AM
One thing is certain, the uncertainty we’ve been facing for the last 18 plus months is not slipping quietly into the night. As our High Holidays approach, many of us had high hopes for a return to what we considered normal. But the uncertainties persist.
Will we be...Read more...Out of the Mikvah, Into the High Holidays
08/29/2021 10:46:16 AM
After many years of longing to be Jewish and three years of being “in the process of converting,” on erev Elul (one week after starting as executive director) I took the final step in binding my covenant with Am Yisrael. As part of the ritual, I waded into the ceremonial bath called the mikvah and emerged metaphorically reborn as ben Avraham v’sarah, a part of lineage of the patriarchs and matriarchs. It was a significantly meaningful...Read more...
Sitting Shmirah
08/15/2021 10:01:43 AM
What is Shmirah? Jews believe that after a person dies, his or her soul doesn't simply vanish. A part of that soul remains with the body, stuck in a kind of limbo until burial. It's the job of the shomer, or shomeret if it's a woman, to comfort the deceased's soul. Congregation Beth Evergreen assists families in mourning by providing this service when requested. I recently joined the Hevra Kaddisha Chavurah and found more about...Read more...