CBI Blogs

“If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

In just four days it will be Monday, October 31st. The one-year anniversary of the evening when an arsonist, full of hate for us, attempted to burn down our synagogue. I will forever feel gratitude towards...Read more...

Moadim L’Simchah! It’s hard to believe that we’re halfway through the wonderful celebration of Sukkot and just days away from Simchat Torah. Time has flown by these past few weeks. They’ve been a whirlwind of prayer, joy, community, and gratitude. As we continue to experience the wonder of Sukkot, I’m reminded of the lovely tradition of inviting ushpizin into our midst.

What, or rather who are ushpizin? This Aramaic word for “guests” refers to the people we welcome into our Sukkah in order to provide them with hospitality, a meal, shelter, a place to celebrate the joy of the holiday. In some traditions, ushpizin are spiritual guests, such as our matriarchs, patriarchs, and other ancestors we wish to bring into our Sukkah. Read more...

Last week, I looked up at the full moon and realized that we are halfway through the month of Elul. After a brief moment of panic, I remembered that this month is more than a time of frantic preparations for the High Holy Days; it’s an opportunity for personal introspection and reflection.

It might sound a bit funny, but as a rabbi, it feels harder to find moments to...Read more...

This past Shabbat we welcomed in the new Hebrew month of Elul with psalms of praise and special Torah and haftarah readings. In the special verses that made up the maftir (end of our Torah reading for the week) we were instructed regarding the sacrifices to be made:

“On your new moons you shall present a burnt offering to Adonai: two bulls of the herd, one ram, and seven...Read more...

While on vacation this summer we dedicated 48 hours to “let’s see where the road takes us.” We left my parents home on the shore of Lake Huron, stopped in London, ON (my birthplace) to pick up my mother-in-law and then ventured onward.

Jonathan found a new Craft Gin Trail that took us first to Stratford, home of the Stratford Festival, Ken’s Chip Wagon, and Justin Bieber....Read more...

“By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion” (Psalm 137:1). Like many of you, when I read this well-known verse from Psalm 137, I immediately think of this version by Boney M. from 1978. The upbeat tempo and catchy melody are beautiful, but don’t really express the devastation behind the words.

In just a few days, we will commemorate Tisha...Read more...

Hello CBI Community. 

Please allow me to introduce myself, my name is Sera Bonds. 

I am a: mother, southerner, Jew, activist, public health devotee, surfer, sci-fi geek, founder, wanderer, community organizer, lover of naps and swimming holes, rainmaker (i.e. fundraiser), daughter, sister, friend, and wife. Not always in that order, of course. 

And I am currently serving as the Interim Executive Director...Read more...

Many of you know that I grew up just down the road in San Antonio. That also means I had the privilege of attending Greene Family Camp each summer as a kid and later, as an adult. This Saturday, I will head back up I-35 to my home away from home for my 17th summer at GFC.

Camp has always been a huge part of my life. It helped shape my Jewish identity, it gave me the confidence to...Read more...

In the anthology of midrash called Koheleth Rabbah ("The Great Midrash on Ecclesiastes") we find a well-known rabbinic proverb about names:

“A person has three names:
one that they are called by their father and mother;
one that people know them by,
and one that they acquire for themselves.
The best of these names is the one we acquire for ourselves.”

The significance of the first two...Read more...

Even though we haven’t quite reached the summer solstice, with the temperature soaring into the 100’s every day this week, it’s safe to say that summer is officially here! And of course, summer brings a plethora of bugs, outdoor activities, and my favorite: the Book of Numbers.

Just last week, we started this new book of Torah. It is my favorite book because of the amazing...Read more...

This past Tuesday, May 23rd – three years ago - was a monumental day in our family’s history. Our daughter, Rebekah, attended her last day of middle school. Here is what I wrote to go along with a photo of her first day of kindergarten and, of course, a photo from that last morning of middle school:

“In order to have a new beginning there needs to be an ending. Today is not...Read more...

Our Torah portion for this week, Kedoshim, begins with the following words:

“Adonai spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to the whole Israelite community and say to them: You shall be holy, for I, your God Adonai, am holy.” (Leviticus 19:1-2)

What follows are several verses of commandments...Read more...

Dear Friends,

A Rosh Hashanah sermon that I delivered a number of years ago explored the bonds of mutual respect and mutual affection that – in the best of circumstances, at least – exist between teachers and their students. In that sermon, I retold a story about John Wheeler, of blessed memory, a brilliant physicist who was for many years was on the UT faculty. According to the story, a young person once asked Professor Wheeler...Read more...

Numbers are a funny thing. While they have often given me great anxiety in my life (there is a reason I became a rabbi!), they also have special significance in Judaism. We often see them repeated throughout important texts, suggesting that the number has special meaning. For example, the number 7 shows up multiple times in reference to the days of creation, the number of times a wedding couple circles their...Read more...

One of my favorite things to do each day is take my dog, Frank for walks around our neighborhood. I am fortunate to live in a place with many people who take great care of their lawns, so over the past couple of weeks, I’ve noticed many plants and flowers beginning to blossom and bloom. And, with the joyous celebration of Purim, I know that spring is definitely in the air!

Purim...Read more...