Monthly newsletter from
Congregation Beth Elohim
in Acton, Massachusetts
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Message from our co-presidents Jaymi and Chuck | |
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It is time for us to breathe together. A moment to pause. The coming year will be a busy one and these deep breaths will help give us the strength to get through it.
We at CBE have had quite an eventful 5782. We experienced an unexpected rabbinic transition. We were fortunate to find in Rabbi Braham David a true leader for the next stage for our community. He has jumped in with both feet and we already appreciate his calm, quiet leadership.
As we enter the month of Elul, we finish up summer vacations, grabbing one last day at the beach if we are lucky. We enjoy the warm (sometimes too warm) weather, and relish the change in pace that summer brings.
Before it all starts again, we pause. We know that this will only be fleeting. We anticipate Rosh Hashanah, the start of our Jewish New Year. We will make festive meals, pray, and rejoice.But now, in the month of Elul we are taught to take this time to prepare for the coming holy days and reflect upon what they mean to us.
So, if you are still with us, it is time to breathe. We don’t know what the year will bring. But we are here, and we are together. We hope you will join us in taking this well-deserved moment. Close your eyes. Smile. And take a deep breath…
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I am overjoyed to be joining you this year at CBE as your rabbi! So many people, too many to mention, have spent their time and energy in the search and transition process. I am especially grateful to the search and transition teams for all their thoughtful work during a compressed time frame. I thank all of you for your warm welcome and look forward to meeting you soon at a class, service, over coffee, during the High Holidays or on another occasion.
I have been very impressed by many things at CBE, from your haimish culture of welcoming, your commitment to both tradition and innovation, and your dedication to making our community and our world more just and sustainable. I am especially impressed by your care and devotion to each other, and our CBE community.
We begin our journey together at the beginning of Elul, a month of introspection leading to Rosh Hashanah. The rabbis noted that the first letters of the word Elul form the acronym “Ani L'Dodi Ve'Dodi Li” – I am my beloved and my beloved is mine (Song of Songs 6:3). Elul is a month of repairing our relationships with each other and even with God through acts of teshuva (repentance). It is a time when, despite all the darkness in our world, we look with hope that change and renewal are possible. I look forward to joining you on this journey of transformation this New Year.
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Behind the scenes — Religious School Director Beth Goldstein
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Beth Goldstein joined the staff of CBE in July 2018. Since then her outgoing personality, her leadership, her creativity and her musical talent have made her a beloved member of our community. We are thrilled that she found the time to answer our questions! | | |
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You came to CBE as Director of Education and Community Engagement in 2018. What made you choose CBE?
From the moment I walked into the building and met everyone, I knew CBE was a great community. The interview felt more like a brainstorming session for the future than an interview. I knew right then this was where I wanted to be!
What were some of your challenges running religious school during the pandemic, and how did you solve them?
The biggest challenge was keeping a sense of community. Before the pandemic we had so many ways to create community in person such as weekly Z’man Kehillah, Community Time, multi-grade Hebrew and Jewish value learning and teens learning and traveling together. During the pandemic, I give a lot of credit to our amazing teachers. They taught smaller groups over zoom, extra classes like cooking and art, and worked one-on-one with our students on Hebrew. In addition, we gathered together in person outside CBE for fun activities.
What are you most grateful for?
I am grateful for the CBE leadership who continues to support me and the Jewish education of the children in the community. I am also grateful for the teachers who have created a team that supports each other and all the students. Most of all, I am grateful to get to work with the amazing students at CBE who are kind and compassionate and who always make me smile!
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What's involved in preparing for a new school year?
Over the summer we re-evaluate the last year. I work with the teachers on the curriculum for the upcoming school year and meet with new families. It is a good time to dream about what we want to do next year and for years to come.
We have all benefited from your musical talents. How do you incorporate Jewish music into the curriculum?
What many people do not know is that I went to college planning to go to cantorial school. I studied music and Jewish studies. However, after college I decided to work in a synagogue before going to cantorial school. It was there that I first began to realize I was more interested in using songleading in Jewish education and went to school for Jewish Education and Communal Service instead. Adding music to the curriculum allows the students to learn while being silly and energetic and creating a sense of community.
Are there any long term goals you have for the religious school?
My hope for the religious school is that we continue to grow as a caring community, that we are able to continually re-evaluate and re-imagine what the school looks like, and that the students are inspired to be lifelong learners.
Is there anything that the congregation can do for the 2022-23 Religious School Year to make for an even better experience for our kids?
Last year, due to COVID, adults, who were not staff, were not allowed into the building during religious school. This year we will be open for everyone to be together in the building. We cannot wait to see parents and other community members joining us for Z’man Kehillah, at family education mornings or just hanging out in the community court having coffee together on Sunday mornings. This shows our students what being part of a Jewish community is like throughout their lives. So please stop by during school hours to just say hi!
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New member profile — Evan Shechter | | |
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The Shechter-Taller family: Anya, Lucy, Evan, and (in front) Stella | | |
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Thanks to Membership co-chairs Frank and Linda Cohen for facilitating this interview..
What were you looking for when you joined CBE?
Like many, we were looking for a religious school and a place to attend services. I grew up in a pretty observant conservative family, but had not been connected to any congregation since college. I've gone through various degrees of observance over the years, but having children rekindled my desire to participate. When we had our first child Stella, we began taking her to toddler and children's services at a couple of different synagogues and really enjoyed it. When it was time to enroll Stella in religious school, we decided to join CBE. The experience here has been all around far more engaging and fulfilling than we had hoped to find.
How does CBE help you connect to your Judaism?
Foremost is religious observance. My kids and I are Saturday morning regulars - and have found an amazing community, both in the Shabbat morning crowd and in the congregation at large. Our Saturday routines have been transformed since joining, and I now have a day of reflection, learning-- and rest that continues after I return home.
What are some of the most fulfilling parts about being a member for you and/or other family members?
Feeling like we are part of and invested in the community. Being part of a minyan feels like I'm doing more than just showing up; I'm helping others and the others there are helping me by being present. There are other fulfilling things as well: Though shy at first, my daughters quickly became comfortable in the synagogue -- in the building, with the people, as well as with Rabbi Mike (they still need to meet Rabbi David!). Finally, I love seeing and hearing Stella's excitement about what she does and learns each Sunday in religious school, with the knowledge that being part of a Jewish community is a regular part of her life.
What are your favorite programs or services offered by CBE?
I loved the special events that were held over the course of the year that bring people together, like the ice cream social, food truck day, of course the Purim festivities, etc. I also heard some fascinating speakers at a few of the zoom breakfasts (listening on my headphones while walking my younger daughter Lucy in her stroller).
Are there any synagogue groups that you belong to? Have you participated in classes or volunteering? Tell us about memorable experiences that you have had at CBE.
My most memorable experience was not at CBE at all, but on the way there. We live close enough to walk – and last fall when we had gotten into a rhythm of going most Saturdays and Sundays, Stella began to look forward to it and enjoyed the quiet walks we took together to shul. I remember vividly when she told him how much she loved those walks and gave me a big hug. It was perfect!
What would you be excited to have CBE offer in the future?
I would love to grow Saturday morning services (we often have a wonderful kiddush!) and our vibrant community. I absolutely loved the prayer leader training that Cantor Sarra led and look forward to other educational programs. Finally, a dream of mine is finding a group that enjoys learning and singing niggunim – not for an audience but for fun and spiritual connection.
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What's up at the CBE Early Learning Center | | |
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The Summer ELC program was busy practicing tikkun olam, repairing of the world, the past few months. A big toda roba, thank you, to all the ELC families for the generous food donations that were collected and delivered to the Acton Food Pantry.
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While Waky was taking a very well-deserved break from hosting the weekly ELC Shabbat Services during the summer session, CBE's Administrator, Shoshana Zuckerman, got to lead Shabbat storytime with ELC friends this summer. The students read Koala Challah by Laura Gehl and learned about a koala's favorite food, eucalyptus.
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In these photos, the students are practicing how to make challah and pretending to be the challah dough in its various stages of rising!
ELC Teacher Namita Chaudhuri says “whenever I invite Shoshana to come to pre school, her answer is always, YES! She does a phenomenal job with preschool students and fills my heart with joy.”
To learn more about the CBE Early Learning Center visit www.cbeelc.org
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The People of Chelm Want to Know... | | |
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For many years, the People of Chelm column has challenged STAR readers with questions drawn from the long and rich history of Judaism and the accomplishments and the trials of Jewish people. The digital STAR continues this tradition, with abundant thanks to congregant Bob Ferrara..
Illustration by Maurice Sendak.
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QUESTION: At the end of this month, the High Holidays will be here once again, presenting us with a special time for reassessment, reflection, and judging our behavior and the direction of our lives. The scholars who assembled the Babylonian Talmud gave these issues much thought. They can help us think about what is important in our lives, not only for annual new year introspections but also for just about any occasion where we want to reflect on how we are conducting our lives. In one tractate, they even provided (yet another!) four questions that each of us is to be asked when we go before the heavenly court for judgment. Please arrange these questions below in their original order in the Talmud, an order which provides some idea of the relative importance the sages assigned to each. The four questions are:
- Did you set aside regular time for Torah study?
- Did you look forward to the world’s redemption?
- Did you conduct your affairs honestly?
- Did you work at having children?
Ponder your response – and find the answer below!
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Lifecycle and milestone events in our community | |
Has your family celebrated a recent simcha or milestone? Send us a photo along with a caption (limited to 80 words) so we can include your simcha in our next newsletter. Email communications@bethelohim.org. | |
What's happening at CBE this month? | |
The congregation thanks our members, their relatives and friends, and the larger community for donations received through August 25. If you do not see your donation, please look for it in our next newsletter, or contact communications@bethelohim.org. | |
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Amy Naparstek Israel Scholarship Fund
Chips and David Naparstek / In honor of Linda and Denis Friedman, on the occasion of their 54th wedding anniversary, given with love
Chips and David Naparstek / In memory of Chips’s beloved mother, Rosalie Harris, on the occasion of the first yahrzeit
Cantoral Fund
Fred and Doris Goldstein / In memory of Bernie Goodman, beloved brother of Rachel Spierer and uncle of Jonathan and Cantor Sarra, with deepest condolences
Chesed Fund
Dan and Shelley Klein / In memory of Grandpa Louie Berkwitts
General Fund
Fred and Doris Goldstein / In sweet and loving memory of Manya Rosenkopf, mother of Doris Goldstein, and of Sidney Goldstein, father of Freddy Goldstein, from grandchildren Carri, Alicia, and Emily
Fred and Doris Goldstein / In memory of Stella Saks, beloved mother of Ronni Kenger and grandmother of Adam and Elysa, with deepest condolences
Rabbi's Discretionary Fund
Susan and Stuart Wachter / In honor of the Interim Rabbi Search Committee and to Welcome Rabbi David to the CBE Community
The Rosenman Family / Welcoming Rabbi David to CBE
Ethan Sokol and Kristine Fong
William and Leslie Schroeder / In honor of Rabbi David. Welcome to Congregation Beth Elohim.
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The People of Chelm Want to Know... | |
ANSWER TO QUESTION POSED ABOVE: “Jewish Wisdom”, another of Rabbi Joseph Telushkin’s wonderful works on Judaism, opens with an explanation of the four probing questions from the Talmud’s tractate Shabbat. These are the four that are to be asked each of us when we go before the heavenly court for judgment. They are also questions we can reflect on at times like the upcoming High Holidays or when creating New Year’s resolutions. The first and most important question is “Did you conduct your affairs honestly?”. The Talmud clearly asserts the primacy of ethics and fairness in life. In another passage, it is written “If one is honest in business dealings and people esteem him, it is accounted to him as though he had fulfilled the whole Torah”. The next question should be no surprise - “Did you set aside regular time for Torah study?”. In other words, did you study and continually seek to expand your knowledge. Next is “Did you work at having children?”. In today’s world, this may also mean did you help in raising children as a relative, teacher, or simply as a caring friend. And finally, “Did you look forward to the world’s redemption?”. The wording may seem strange; it might translate today as “did you do your part in repairing the world”. | | |
Feedback/get in touch with us! | |
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Until next time,
The Star editorial and design team —
Gary Budiansky, Maida Fund, Rick Green, Beth Schrager, Lauren Solomon, Shoshana Zuckerman
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