Dear Congregation Beth Israel members and friends,

This year, the b-mitzvah students and I are studying Jewish values. At the start of the school year we focused on teshuvah, repentance or return — the value at the heart of the Days of Awe. After that, we began a unit on b'tzelem Elohim: the idea that we are all made in the image of God. As the capstone on that unit of learning, I'm showing them a documentary called Praying With Lior, about a young man with Down syndrome who is preparing to become bar mitzvah. Here's a trailer for the film for those who are curious. (If you want to watch the film, it can be streamed at Plex or Tubi with a few ads.)

The movie expresses many of the Jewish values in our curriculum. At the top of the list is the one we're studying now, b'tzelem Elohim. Most of us may not know anyone with Down syndrome, and Lior may seem different or strange. Our tradition teaches that he is absolutely made in the divine image, no less (or more) than anyone else.

But in this film and in the real communities and people therein, I also find gevurah, strength of character. I find achrayut, community-mindedness and responsibility for each other. I find hakarat ha-tov, seeing the good, cultivating gratitude, and appreciating our blessings. All of these will be part of our b-mitzvah curriculum in the spring semester. In a bigger sense, they are part of everyone's spiritual curriculum — values that Judaism asks all of us to cultivate and strengthen.

I hope that my students will take a few lessons away from the film. One is that as a community, we have a responsibility to and for each other. Another is that all of us, including people with disabilities and people who are neurodivergent, can and should be full participants in community life. A third is that becoming b-mitzvah is about growth and meaning, no matter who we are.

For those of us who are older than thirteen, I hope that these lessons still hold true. Community-mindedness, inclusion, and the invitation to growth and meaning are core to Jewish life at any age.

The word chanukah means dedication (as in chanukat ha-bayit, the dedication of a new home.) May the lights of the coming Chanukah — and the flames of our second annual Chanukah bonfire, see below! — inspire us to rededicate ourselves to these values. And in that merit, may our winter be filled with the lights of wholeness and hope.

Blessings to all,

— Rabbi Rachel

Dear Congregants and Friends,

In this season of gratitude, I want to thank all of you for being members of the CBI community and for all you do to strengthen and sustain our community. I also thank you for honoring me by re-electing me to my second one-year term as president at the recent Annual Meeting.

We have a busy and exciting month ahead. I want to highlight a few upcoming events in addition to our regular Shabbat services.

Start the December holiday season by experiencing a meditative sound bath on Sunday, December 11 at 10am, led by Chaya Schneider at CBI. The sounds of crystal bowls, Koshi chimes, and the gong will help reduce stress, facilitate deep relaxation, and promote physical, emotional, and spiritual healing as we enter this busy season. Kindly RSVP here.

Bring your children to CBI for a Chanukah cookie baking and decorating program on Sunday, December 11 at 1pm. Professional baker Caleb Wolfson-Seeley will again guide this popular program. Kindly RSVP here so we will have enough cookie dough for all. Don’t miss the fun!

And for everyone of all ages, join us on Sunday, December 18 (the first night of Chanukah) at 5:30pm for our Second Annual CBI Chanukah Bonfire & Celebration! We’ll sing Chanukah songs around the bonfire, drink hot apple cider and enjoy homemade donuts and latkes. Our CBI choir will help lead the songs. And for the kids, we’ll have a rousing dreidel-spinning contest, so help them get ready! Dress warmly and bring a camp chair, if you have one. RSVP here and let us know if you can help with clean-up.

Calling all book lovers: Our CBI Book Club meets virtually once a month, facilitated by CBI member Suzanne Levy Graver, John Hawley Roberts Professor of English, Emerita at Williams College. Our next meeting is on Wednesday, December 21 at 7:30pm. We will be discussing American Pastoral by Philip Roth, a challenging but wonderful novel. Winning the 1998 Pulitzer Prize in Fiction, many readers regard it as Roth’s finest and most ambitious novel. Please feel free to join us for an engaging conversation, whether or not you have time to finish the complete novel.

As we continue planning for the coming months, I am eager to hear what you are looking for from CBI and how you would like to get involved. Please contact me at president@cbiberkshires.com — I would be happy to set up a time to talk.

Wishing you a good month ahead,

— Natalie Matus

Friday, December 2, 5:45pm: Kabbalat Shabbat & Zuckerman Bar Mitzvah
Rabbi Rachel and her family invite the CBI community to celebrate with us as we call Drew Zuckerman to Torah as a bar mitzvah! Multi-access Kabbalat Shabbat service will be held at 5:45pm, led by Rabbi David Markus. All are welcome to join us onsite, but you must RSVP via our website if you plan on attending; please wear a mask. Service will still be available online for those who wish to participate on Zoom — no RSVP is required.

Saturday, December 3, 9:30am: Shabbat Morning Service & Zuckerman Bar Mitzvah
Rabbi Rachel and her family invite the CBI community to celebrate with us as we call Drew Zuckerman to Torah as a bar mitzvah! Multi-access Shabbat morning service will be held at 9:30am, led by Rabbi David Markus. All are welcome to join us onsite, but you must RSVP via our website if you plan on attending; please wear a mask. Service will still be available online for those who wish to participate on Zoom — no RSVP is required.

Saturday, December 10, 9:30am: Multi-Access Shabbat Morning Service
Multi-access Shabbat morning service will be held at 9:30am. All are welcome to join us onsite, but you must RSVP via our website if you plan on attending. Singing will be permitted, so please wear a mask during service. (Please note that we will not be holding a kiddush / oneg at this time.) Service will still be available online for those who wish to participate on Zoom.

Sunday, December 11, 10am: Meditative Sound Bath Experience
In this meditative sound bath experience led by Chaya Schneider (Sound Healing Academy Level I certified), crystal bowls, koshi chimes, and the sound of the gong will help reduce stress, facilitate deep relaxation, and promote physical, emotional, and spiritual healing. You can feel free to lie down or stay seated in a comfortable position for the duration of the experience. Please bring a yoga mat, blanket, pillow, eye pillow, water bottle, and anything else you would like to ensure your comfort. This event is onsite only; please RSVP via our website if you plan on joining us.

Sunday, December 11, 1pm: Cooking with Caleb – Let’s Make Cookies for Chanukah!
Join professional baker Caleb Wolfson-Seeley as we prepare for Chanukah! Families will learn how to make cookies and be able to take them home to enjoy together. Please RSVP online by Friday, December 9 if your family plans to attend; masks are required. This event is free for all!

Friday, December 16, 7pm: Multi-Access Kabbalat Shabbat Service
Multi-access Kabbalat Shabbat service will be held at 7pm. All are welcome to join us onsite, but you must RSVP via our website if you plan on attending. Singing will be permitted, so please wear a mask during service. Service will still be available online for those who wish to participate on Zoom.

Sunday, December 18, 5:30pm: Chanukah Bonfire & Celebration
Folks of all ages are welcome to join us on the first night of Chanukah for our Second Annual CBI Chanukah Bonfire & Celebration! We’ll sing Chanukah songs around the bonfire, drink hot apple cider, and enjoy homemade donuts and latkes. The CBI choir will help lead the songs, and we’ll have a rousing dreidel-spinning contest for the kids! Dress warmly and bring a camp chair if you have one. Please RSVP via our website if you plan to attend.

Wednesday, December 21, 7:30pm (EST): CBI Book Club
For December, the CBI Book Club will meet virtually to discuss American Pastoral by Philip Roth. Winning the 1998 Pulitzer Prize in Fiction, many readers regard it as Roth’s finest and most ambitious novel. It tackles the subject or what happened to America in the decades between World War II and Vietnam, between the complacencies of the 50’s and the confusions of the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. With the story of Seymour "Swede" Levov, Mr. Roth has chronicled the rise and fall of one man’s fortunes and in doing so created a resonant parable of American innocence and disillusion. Seymour Levov’s evolving and complex devotion to his beloved daughter Merry, whose increasingly radical political convictions lead her at age 16 to commit her first terrorist act, in large part drives the plot. The increasing tensions today between the ways older and younger generations view America give American Pastoral a resounding quality. For more information and to RSVP, please email Suzanne Levy Graver at sgraver@williams.edu; information about how to join online will be provided upon RSVP.

Saturday, December 24, 9:30am: Multi-Access Shabbat Morning Service
Multi-access Shabbat morning service will be held at 9:30am. All are welcome to join us onsite, but you must RSVP via our website if you plan on attending. Singing will be permitted, so please wear a mask during service. (Please note that we will not be holding a kiddush / oneg at this time.) Service will still be available online for those who wish to participate on Zoom.

Saturday, December 31: Please note that we will not be holding regular Shabbat Morning Service at CBI this weekend. Please click here for a list of local Kabbalat Shabbat and Shabbat Morning Services available to join over Zoom and in-person; for more information, please visit their websites.

Friday, January 6, 7:30pm (EST): First Friday Shabbat Zoom Gathering
Stay connected with CBI friends and neighbors, or meet new ones, as we gather together around the Zoom table to celebrate the Jewish traditions of Shabbat and light the candles and bless the wine and challah. Please RSVP via our website if you plan to attend.

Saturday, January 7, 9:30am: Multi-Access Shabbat Morning Service
Multi-access Shabbat morning service will be held at 9:30am. All are welcome to join us onsite, but you must RSVP via our website if you plan on attending. Singing will be permitted, so please wear a mask during service. (Please note that we will not be holding a kiddush / oneg at this time.) Service will still be available online for those who wish to participate on Zoom.

CBI will be presenting a Greek tragedy in April for Passover! In 250 BCE a Jewish poet in the Greek city of Alexandria in Egypt wrote Exagoge (Exodus). This Greek tragedy is an amalgam of Jewish and Greek culture. It presents Moses as a tragic hero and will include music composed and directed by Adam Green. The play will be directed by Dr. Len Radin. There are three adult speaking roles and a number of singing roles for the Greek Chorus. Rehearsals will start in January. For more information, please contact Len by email at lenradin@gmail.com.

Shabbat & Havdalah Times

If you want to light Shabbat candles and make havdalah at the halakhically-accepted times, the times for the upcoming month can be found below:

December 2 light at 4:01pm (18 minutes before sundown)
December 3 havdalah at 5:01pm (42 minutes after sundown)

December 9 light at 4pm
December 10 havdalah at 5:01pm

January 6 light at 4:15pm
January 7 havdalah at 5:17pm

If it is your practice to light candles at a different hour of the day (perhaps not quite so early as halakha indicates during the winter, and not quite so late as halakha indicates during the summer), that's also a legitimate Reform Jewish choice. What's most important is that you're finding a way to incorporate Shabbat into your life!