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In this month's newsletter you'll find information about upcoming events, as well as Notes from the Rabbi, Shabbat candle lighting information, and more...
August 2022 | Av 5782

From Rabbi Rachel
Dear Congregation Beth Israel members and friends,

As I write these words, it isn’t yet quite August. But believe it or not, we’re on the runway to the Days of Awe.

The Jewish calendar perennially asks us to balance being in the now, and shining our spiritual headlights to illuminate what’s on the way. And what’s ahead of us now is one of the great corridors of spiritual time that each year invites us both to look inward and to make better outward choices — the two month-span between Tisha b’Av and Sukkot, chronicled so lovingly by Rabbi Alan Lew z”l in his classic This Is Real And You Are Completely Unprepared.

Runway to the Days of Awe 5783! Tisha b'Av → Seven Weeks: Lifting Higher / Reverse Omer → Rosh Hashanah → 10 Days of Teshuvah → Yom Kippur → Sukkot

Tisha b’Av is coming soon. Because the day itself falls on Shabbat (and we don’t observe fast days / mourning days on Shabbat), we’ll gather on Zoom for Tisha b’Av observed at 10am on Sunday morning, August 7.

This year’s Tisha b’Av offering will be different than before, for two reasons. I have a felt sense that in this year of crises both planetary and political, we don’t need much help to access collective trauma or grief. And we’ll be observing the holiday on the day after — which is the first day of the reverse Omer count, the 49-day journey between Tisha b’Av and the Jewish new year. We’ll harness that energy in our Tisha b’Av morning ritual, with song and poetry and spiritual practice, and let that be the springboard that propels us toward the new year.

That evening we’ll begin a seven-week Sunday night Zoom class for learning and spiritual practice, a weekly kabbalistic journey up the Tree of Life leading to Rosh Hashanah called Lifting Higher: Ramp Up Into High Holy Days. Each week will be connected with one of the sefirot (just like the seven weeks of counting Omer, except in reverse) with inner practices to support preparation for the Days of Awe. I’ll be co-teaching that class with R. David Markus from Temple Beth El of City Island, and it promises to be meaningful and sweet — I hope many of you will choose to take part! (Sign up at the TBE website, and while you’re at it, feel free to sign up for our shuls’ joint class on the meaning of shofar, too.)

At the end of that seven week journey, we’ll reach Rosh Hashanah. Behind the scenes, your leadership team at CBI is hard at work on preparing for the Days of Awe in a million different ways. (More on that soon!) While I’m always reluctant to see the summer slip away, I’m also eager to gather with y’all to celebrate the beginning of 5783 and all of the precious potential a new year brings.

For now, I hope all of you are enjoying summer’s bounty: the green hills, the glorious daylilies, more zucchini than you know what to do with… and I hope to see you soon at CBI.

Blessings to all,

Rabbi Rachel

If you would like to schedule a meeting with Rabbi Rachel,
please use our
contact form to arrange a time.
From the President

Dear Congregants and Friends,

As the summer flies by, I hope you are getting some rest & relaxation and enjoying all that the Berkshires offer this time of year. I have been blessed to have been able to finally see my daughter, son-in-law, and grandsons who live in Hong Kong. I hope many of you have also experienced sweet reunions with family and friends.

Though the pace of synagogue life is lighter in the summer, we are actively planning for the start of the new school year, which opens on Monday, September 12, and for the High Holidays in late September. The Board will be meeting shortly to review the latest COVID protocols and we will send a separate message about that. We will continue to offer hybrid services and hope to be able to increase our in-person capacity safely. For safety and security purposes, we will continue to require you to RSVP for services in advance.

Ziva Larson, serving as our cantorial assistant for the High Holidays, will be co-leading High Holiday services with Rabbi Rachel. And I am thrilled that our newly formed choir, which is practicing weekly, will be enriching our services with their beautiful melodies.

Please join Rabbi Rachel and me on Sunday, August 14 on the lawn at Tanglewood for a special pre-concert CBI picnic from 12:30pm to 2:30pm, prior to the concert featuring cellist Yo-Yo Ma. (More information is in this newsletter; please contact Tanglewood directly to purchase lawn tickets for this concert.) This is a wonderful opportunity to gather informally and enjoy a lovely afternoon of music and fellowship. Bring your own picnic and a dessert to share, if you are so inclined. Please contact me at president@cbiberkshires.com to let me know you are interested so that I can email you where to meet up.

If you stop by the synagogue, you’ll notice that it is being spruced up — the exterior of the building is being cleaned and painted and the sheds and gazebo are being repaired. Thanks to Joe Apkin for coordinating this work, which we hope to have completed well before the holidays.

Have a wonderful month!

Warmly,

— Natalie Matus

Registration is now open for Congregation Beth Israel's Hebrew School for the coming school year! Classes will be on Monday afternoons from 3:30pm to 5pm beginning on September 12. Please visit our website for the registration form or pick one up in-person at Shabbat services. Completed registration forms should be sent with your tuition payment to CBI at 53 Lois Street, North Adams, MA 01247 as soon as possible, but by no later than August 31.

We will once again be offering classes for children in Kindergarten through 7th Grade:

  • Aleph Tav, for children in Kindergarten through 2nd Grade, will be taught by Jane Shiyah.  
  • Ne'arim, for children in 3rd through 5th Grade, will be taught by Emily Axelrod, a student at Williams College.
  • B'nai Mitzvah, for children in 6th and 7th Grade, will be taught by Rabbi Rachel Barenblat.

Please note that if your child is enrolling in Aleph Tav, you do not need to be a member of CBI (though we encourage you to consider membership). We require families of children enrolled in our Ne'arim and B'nai Mitzvah classes to be CBI members. If you would like membership information, please contact the office.

If you have any questions, please contact Rabbi Rachel or Natalie Matus. We offer scholarships for families that cannot afford to pay full tuition and are committed to providing a Jewish education to every family who wants one for their children.

We look forward to welcoming your children to an engaging, joyous, and educational experience at CBI. Enjoy the rest of your summer!

Shabbat Morning Service
Every Saturday at 9:30am (unless proceeded by Kabbalat Shabbat or otherwise noted)

Kabbalat Shabbat
One Friday evening per month at 7pm
Upcoming Dates: August 5 & September 9
For Zoom information, please check our weekly announcement emails or contact the CBI office.
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UPCOMING EVENTS

Friday, August 5, 7pm: Multi-Access Kabbalat Shabbat Service
Multi-access Kabbalat Shabbat service will be held at 7pm. CBI's new choir, led by Adam Green, will make their debut at this service — all are invited to sing along with them! Those planning to join us onsite must RSVP online and wear a mask; those who wish to join in online are welcome to participate over Zoom.

For Zoom information, please check our weekly announcement emails or contact the CBI office.

Sunday, August 7, 10am (EDT): Tisha b'Av 5782: Toward Repair (Zoom Only)
August 7 (Tisha b’Av observed, since the day itself falls on Shabbat this year) is the first day of the Reverse Omer Count, the 49-day journey from Tisha b’Av to Rosh Hashanah. There’s so much brokenness this year. Instead of using Tisha b’Av this year to help us connect with what’s broken, we’ll harness it to access the spiritual uplift of rebuilding and repair. Join us at 10am for a Tisha b’Av ritual of galvanizing our capacity to hope as we begin our journey toward the Days of Awe. We’ll meet online over Zoom only, together with R. David Markus and the Temple Beth El of City Island community. A variety of traditions connect Tisha b’Av with the sin of lashon ha-ra, slanderous or malicious speech. There’s plenty of that in our world today, from anti-vax rhetoric to misinformation and election denial. As part of our ritual we’ll enter into a covenant of lashon ha-tov, good and holy speech, and commit to using our words to bring repair. Please RSVP online if you plan on attending.

TBE's Zoom Room: https://zoom.us/j/317145140?pwd=eWIyZzlCbm9nSm4xb1lUNUtkWlJqQT09
Meeting ID: 317 145 140
Code: 971260

Sunday, August 7, 2pm: Journey Into Judaism Zoom Class
CBI's Journey Into Judaism class will meet over Zoom.

Lifting Higher: Ramp Up Into High Holy Days. A Kabbalistic journey up the Tree of Life leading to Rosh Hashanah. Seven Sundays, 7:30pm; August 7 – September 18. $72 for members / $108 for non-members. Register via TBE website (yourshulbythesea.org).

Starting August 7, we’ll launch Jewish tradition’s seven-week journey up to Rosh Hashanah. Using the Kabbalistic Tree of Life and mussar (Jewish character traits), we’ll use each week to connect with one of the sefirot (energy centers, like the seven weeks of counting Omer between Passover and Shavuot, except in reverse), and deepen inner practices to prepare heart, mind and spirit for the Days of Meaning. No experience necessary: all are welcome!

In a first-ever partnership, CBI members can participate in this special program offered in collaboration with two other like-hearted communities (Rabbi David Markus’ Temple Beth El of City Island) and Rabbi Brent Spodek’s Beacon Hebrew Alliance). Rabbi David is a dynamic teacher and faculty at the Academy for Jewish Religion. You won’t want to miss this opportunity! Later in the Jewish new year, a class will be offered by Rabbi Rachel to members of all three shuls, and a class will be offered by Rabbi Brent to members of all three shuls.

Sessions will be via Zoom on Sundays at 7:30pm from August 7 to September 18. Registration is required via Temple Beth El of City Island's website. All CBI members will pay the “member” rate (seven-session series: $72 for members, $108 for non-members). (For need-based financial assistance, please contact Rabbi Rachel.)

Saturday, August 13, 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 bring a mask to wear 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; those joining digitally are invited to get a digital copy of the siddur, available as a free flipbook at the publisher’s website, or as a Kindle download for your Kindle, phone, tablet, or computer.

For Zoom information, please check our weekly announcement emails or contact the CBI office.

Sunday, August 14, 11:30am: CBI Choir Rehearsal
Choir rehearsal will meet outside CBI at 11:30am. All interested people are welcome, no matter your voice part or level of experience, but please wear a mask if you'll be joining us. For more information, please contact Adam Green at adamilangreen@gmail.com.

Sunday, August 14, 12:30pm: CBI Picnic & Concert at Tanglewood!
Join us at Tanglewood this summer for an afternoon of music and fun! CBI will hold a pre-concert picnic on the lawn starting at 12:30pm. Please bring your own seating, as well as food and drink to enjoy during the picnic; those who wish to can also bring a dessert to share with the group. After our picnic, we’ll enjoy a concert together at 2:30pm, conducted by Cristian Măcelaru and featuring cellist Yo-Yo Ma. Those planning to attend must RSVP online so we know who to expect. Each person will need to purchase their own ticket in order to attend. Lawn seats for this event are $32* per person; tickets can be purchased online on Tanglewood’s website or by phone at (617) 266-1200.

Saturday, August 20, 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 bring a mask to wear 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; those joining digitally are invited to get a digital copy of the siddur, available as a free flipbook at the publisher’s website, or as a Kindle download for your Kindle, phone, tablet, or computer.

For Zoom information, please check our weekly announcement emails or contact the CBI office.

Sunday, August 21, 11:30am: CBI Choir Rehearsal
Choir rehearsal will meet outside CBI at 11:30am. All interested people are welcome, no matter your voice part or level of experience, but please wear a mask if you'll be joining us. For more information, please contact Adam Green at adamilangreen@gmail.com.

Shofar So Good: The Spirit and Sound of the Shofar. 7:30pm on Aug. 23 and 30, Sept. 6 and 13, on Zoom. $36 for members / $54 for non-members.

Join members of Temple Beth El of City Island, Beacon Hebrew Alliance, and Congregation Beth Israel for four weeks of learning about the deep meanings of shofar — and how to blow one, too! What does Torah teach about shofar? What does Talmud tell us about how to make one? What do our mystics teach about what shofar “does,” spiritually? What do the different sounds represent? Why is the mitzvah to “hear” the shofar rather than to sound it? And more! We’ll learn about shofar in all four worlds of action, emotion, thought, and spirit. There will also be opportunities to practice blowing shofar in-person at each congregation.

Sessions will be via Zoom on Tuesdays at 7:30pm from August 23 to September 13. Register at the TBE website, yourshulbythesea.org. The cost to attend this four-session series is $36 for members of TBE, CBI, and BHA; $54 for non-members. (If you want to take part and the cost is prohibitive, please let Rabbi Rachel know.) If you do not have your own shofar, you may borrow one from the synagogue (while supplies last).

Saturday, August 27, 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 bring a mask to wear 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; those joining digitally are invited to get a digital copy of the siddur, available as a free flipbook at the publisher’s website, or as a Kindle download for your Kindle, phone, tablet, or computer.

For Zoom information, please check our weekly announcement emails or contact the CBI office.

Sunday, August 28, 11:30am: CBI Choir Rehearsal
Choir rehearsal will meet outside CBI at 11:30am. All interested people are welcome, no matter your voice part or level of experience, but please wear a mask if you'll be joining us. For more information, please contact Adam Green at adamilangreen@gmail.com.

For even more upcoming events, read on!

Are You Interested in Chanting High Holiday Torah — Maybe in English?

Rabbi Rachel and cantorial soloist Ziva Larson are looking for one or two more people to read / chant from Torah on Rosh Hashanah morning. One option is to read or chant from the scroll; another option is to chant the English translation. We can provide a recording for you if that's helpful, and are happy to work with you to help you if this is interesting to you. If you would like to take part in this way, please let Rabbi Rachel know as soon as possible!

Stay tuned — more information about the Days of Awe will be coming soon!

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:


August 5 light at 7:49pm (18 minutes before sundown)
August 6 havdalah at 8:48pm (42 minutes after sundown)

August 12 light at 7:40pm
August 13 havdalah at 8:39pm

August 19 light at 7:29pm
August 20 havdalah at 8:28pm

August 26 light at 7:18pm
August 27 havdalah at 8:17pm

September 2 light at 7:06pm
September 3 havdalah at 8:05pm


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!

In response to the devastating humanitarian crisis unfolding in the Ukraine, The Jewish Federation of the Berkshires has joined with Jewish Federations across the country to support crisis relief efforts for the 200,000 Jews living there. 100% of your gift will provide direct relief through the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), the Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI), and WORD ORT – all of whom are currently working on the ground in Ukraine. Assistance will include food, shelter, medicine, and other basic needs to help the most vulnerable, setting up displaced person camps, and providing assistance with making aliyah to Israel. The needs are extraordinary. DONATE HERE
Knesset Israel Presents: Berkshire Jewish Film Festival. 36 Years! Mondays: July 11 through August 15, 2022. Matinee: 4pm. Evening: 8pm. Visit www.berkshirejewishfilmfestival.org for complete schedule, film trailers, live talkbacks, and online box office.
CBI Picnic & Concert at Tanglewood. Sunday, August 14, 2022. Join us at Tanglewood this summer for an afternoon of music and fun! Congregation Beth Israel will be holding a pre-concert picnic on the lawn starting at 12:30pm. Please bring your own seating, as well as food and drink to enjoy during the picnic. Those who wish to can also bring a dessert to share with the group. After our picnic, we’ll enjoy a concert together at 2:30pm, conducted by Cristian Măcelaru and featuring cellist Yo-Yo Ma. Those planning to attend must RSVP at cbiberkshires.com/calendar-of-events so we know who to expect. Each person will need to purchase their own ticket in order to attend. Lawn seats for this event are $32* per person. Tickets can be purchased online at bso.org/tanglewood or by phone at (617) 266-1200. CBI will help offset the cost of tickets for those who wish to attend and require financial assistance. Please contact Natalie Matus at president@cbiberkshires.com for more information or if you have questions. *(For more information about special discounts at Tanglewoodplease visit bso.org/tanglewood/special-ticket-opportunities.)
RSVP on our website! RSVP on our website!
Click here to purchase tickets! Click here to purchase tickets!
Rick Recht, Live In Concert with the Berkshire Jewish Musicians Collective. Monday, August 22 at 7 pm at Knesset Israel in Pittsfield. Join Rick Recht, one of the most influential Jewish artists and leaders of our time, together with the Berkshire Jewish Musicians Collective, for an evening of joyful music. Proceeds benefit the ADL’s World of Difference® anti-bias peer training program in Berkshire County Schools. General Admission $20; Young Adults under 30 $15; Kids under 18 free. Sponsored by Jewish Federation of the Berkshires. Tickets at jewishberkshires.org or (413) 442-4360, ext 10.
Living with Loss: Grief Support Group. Join us for a free bereavement support group facilitated by Lori Rogers, Spiritual Care Coordinator at the VNA & Hospice of the Southwest Region and Jamie Losikoff-Kent, LCSW and Hospice Volunteer. Bereavement Support groups often allow participants to process their grief, share and receive helpful coping strategies, and create a community with others walking a similar path. Group Support Meetings: Weekly during July and August. (Additional groups will be hosted in October, November, January, February, April, and May.) Manchester: Wednesdays 1–2pm. Bennington: Thursdays 6–7pm. To RSVP, call 802-442-0540. Free and open to the public. VNA & Hospice of the Southwest Region, Serving Bennington and Rutland Counties. www.vermontvisitingnurses.org
Have items for the September newsletter?
Please submit them to office@cbiberkshires.com by August 25.

Our Labyrinth Is Open Even When The Shul Isn't!

You are welcome to come anytime during daylight hours and walk our meditation labyrinth. It is a beautiful practice that can be calming and centering. (Here's more about our labyrinth and about the practice of labyrinth walking.) During this time of pandemic, we ask that if you see others using the labyrinth, you maintain "social distancing" and stay six feet apart from each other.

Mi Sheberach

CBI sends blessings for refuah shleimah (full healing) to those who seek healing. May they have the fullest recovery possible in body, heart, mind, and soul.
Aryeh ben Malkah
Rachel Shiyah-Satullo
Shira bat Malka
Shoshana bat Shoshana
Tziviah Miriam bat Chaya Liba
David Frazer
Mark Penner
Lois Simpson
Chuck Beard
Yocheved Shoshana bat Hana
Cindy Polinsky
Jami Pytko
HaRav Aviva Elisheva bat
Gavriela Simcha ve-HaRav Simcha
Chris Kelly
Margaret Larabee
Dave Mangun
Amalia bat Elka
Eva Rollnik
Rachael Hermann
Karl Levy
Mary Ann Calhoun
Jack Troia
Kobey bat Bina v'Yonatan
Kathy Goodrich
Mary Kirby
David ben Rivka
Rori Bergere
Bruce Dumouchel

Jane Ostacher
Susan Hogan
Katie Polebaum-Freeman
Harry Sheehy
Shoshana bat Mindy
Peter Murphy
Fred Golob
Alan Calhoun
Yonah ben Leah
Channah bat Rachel
Rabbi Ellen Dreyfus
Randall Reiner
Miriam bat Teya
haRav Fraydel Rivka bat Zlata Rayna
Marcia Satun
Travis Denton
Zowie Martin-Levesque
Olivier Meslay
Keturah bat Miriam v'Yosef
Ed Sedarbaum
Robert Mendelsohn
Sosia bat Rachel
John Mueller
HaRav Rachel Gavriela bat Leah v'Me'ir
Shmuel Caleb ben Avraham v'Sarah
Shmuel ben Avraham v’Sarah
Gail Rudin
Erika Sacks

CBI keeps Healing List names for a month, subject to renewal. In case of a request for confidentiality, only clergy will know; names will be kept private. To add or renew a name, please email rabbi@cbiberkshires.com.
Happy Birthday to those who are celebrating in August!
Corry Buckwalter
Laurie Dolphin Shapiro
Karen Kelly
Sadie Lentzner
Suzanne Levy Graver
Roger Matus
Adam Pomerantz
Maude Rich
Alice Rudin
Sam Ryan
Rachel Shiyah-Satullo
Pamela Smith
Paulette Wein
Johanna Williams

Happy Anniversary!

Shirley Brandman & Howard Shapiro
Carrie Greene & James McAllister
Liz & Steven Miller
Carol & Ed Oshinsky
Len & Darlene Radin
Stuart Shapiro & Laurie Dolphin Shapiro
Amy & Ben Sosne
Dustin & Beth Wees

THANK YOU TO THOSE WHO MADE RECENT DONATIONS!
Jane Shiyah … in memory of Eugene Weinstein
Amely Smith … in wishes for Rabbi Rachel's full recovery
Larry Wein … in memory of Eugene Wein
Paulette Wein … in memory of Eugene Wein
DONATIONS WELCOME!

Donations to CBI are always welcome and may be directed towards:

Ongoing Support for CBI
Building Fund
Cemetery Fund
Chesed Fund
Education Fund
Rabbi's Discretionary Fund
Take & Eat (on hiatus)
The L'Dor V'Dor Legacy Society
Upkeep & Care for CBI's Grounds & Gardens
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