Holly Goldberg: Standing up for Judaism Current events have illuminated how our culture has become complacent with outdated, non-inclusive policies and practices that marginalize minorities. Unfortunately, as a result most of us have faced unintentional as well as explicit forms of antisemitism. Being Jewish requires a refined inner grace to know when to not take [...]
Judy Karin: In the Fall We Build a Fort In the fall, we build a fort. I have a childhood memory: we’re stuck in traffic, on the way to visit my grandparents in Queens. I glance out the window and see a field of - I don’t know, it looks like giant ferns. It’s [...]
Daniel Hochman: The Divine Spark Our teachings tell us we are infused with a divine spark. This pinnacle of light connects us to G-d and to each other. When I celebrate the success of my friends, I share that happiness through this divine spark. When someone is grieving, I can reach out with empathy; and [...]
Cantor Mark Childs: Reflections on Reopening Just in time to end their school year, the students from our Netivot program came together yesterday morning en masse, in-person, masked, distanced and very happy (see photo below). I can’t overstate my feelings of joy, after a year plus of interacting via Zoom, over being physically together. My utmost wish [...]
Phoebe Light: Shabbat in the Time of Corona My relationship with Jewish life had always been, up until a couple of years ago, off-and-on. Jewish summer camp a couple of times. A Birthright trip. A year playing guitar at Hillel in college. Even a three-year stint living in Israel, not that I ever really explored [...]
Sharon Davidson: My Unetanah Tokef [This post shares the beautiful blessing poem by new CBB member Sharon Davidson. It was originally recorded and aired as part of her other Jewish home of Congregation Beth El in San Diego for their online High Holy Day services this year. We share it here today, thrilled to have [...]
Ken Ryals z"l: Oseh Shalom CBB remembers our beloved choir member, Ken Ryals, with this video that he recorded just days before he passed. He brought this setting of “Oseh Shalom” by Michael Ochs to life with his beautiful voice, energy, and special “Ken” flavor. His smile at the end reveals his joy in making [...]
Rabbi Steve Cohen: Yom Kippur Sermon 2020 - Helplessly Hoping Six long months ago, in late March, my sister sent me a link to a video of an Italian teen choir from Rome, singing a song from our youth, “Helplessly Hoping.” [See bottom of this post to view the video -- Ed]. I had never seen anything like it. First one young woman, Irene, singing on her own, in her apartment. She was then joined [...]
Rabbi Malka Drucker: A Different Four Questions My father wasn’t a religious man. I don’t know what he believed, only what he behaved. Along with suggesting that I not take everything so seriously, he advised, “What happens, honey, isn’t important; it’s how you deal with it. When I had a heart attack at 54, it [...]
Susan Rakov: Getting Ready for the High Holy Days at Home One year, I was sick in bed during Yom Kippur. I didn’t try to watch a whole day of services on my computer, but I did tune in for the livestream of Kol Nidre. I could see the bimah, the rabbis and the cantor, [...]