CBI Blogs

Shalom Chaverim,

Rabbis Levy, Young, and I get asked to participate in a lot of meaningful moments – whether they be joyful or sad – in the lives of our greater temple family. Sometimes we are naming babies, bringing two lives together underneath the chupah, or calling a young adult to the Torah. We also get to be there when a scary test result has been confirmed, the decision to bring in hospice care has been finalized, or a loved one needs to be buried. The pastoral care of our portfolios is broad and remarkable, and we are grateful to be called upon for all the joys and oys that life brings.

A couple of weeks ago, while I was at URJ’s Greene Family Camp serving as a faculty member I was so pleased to be asked to participate in a joy. I was working in my camp room when Rabbi Levy forwarded on an email: “Any chance you can go to this? I'll be at opening day for second session...” After quickly checking my calendar, I wrote back with a resounding yes.

Juliette Wood, a young adult in our congregational family who was called to the Torah in June 2023 when our bimah was set up in Huffman Hall at St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church, had written to invite Rabbi Levy to attend a dedication ceremony being held during Sunday morning worship on July 7^th. You see, Juliette had chosen, as her Girl Scouts Silver Award project, to work with St. Matt’s on planting a tree to thank them for the remarkable kindness they showed us when the arson on October 31^st, 2021, closed our sanctuary doors.

Juliette said it best in the beautiful words she shared on Sunday morning (if you would like to watch Juliette deliver her words and the blessing The Reverend Katie Wright delivered afterwards you can find it at minute 41 on the YouTube livestream found here):

Good morning, everyone. I’ve been looking forward to this day for a while and I am so happy to share it with all of you. I’ve been a Girl Scout for the past nine years and have always wanted to earn a Silver Award. A Silver Award project is done in middle school and is intended to be a service project that makes a lasting impact in a community. 

For my silver project, I wanted to say thank you to Saint Matt’s for offering their space to Congregation Beth Israel after our sanctuary was damaged by arson in 2021. The relationship between St. Matt’s and CBI is particularly meaningful to me. My dad was raised Episcopalian and is a member of St. Matt’s and my mom is Jewish. So I have been in the Saint Matt's and CBI community for as long as I can remember. Although my parents decided to raise me Jewish I come to Saint Matt's services every Easter and Christmas. Then, last year, when I became a Bat Mitzvah, my service was held here at St. Matt’s. All of my family and friends came here to witness this important ritual. St. Matt’s will forever have a place of honor in my journey to adulthood.

For my project I decided to plant an olive tree to represent peace and friendship, and because olive trees are mentioned in the Old Testament. Another reason is that olive trees can live for around 500 years so I hope this little tree – and the friendship between CBI and St. Matt’s – will be here for many generations to come. The rocks around the tree were painted by children at CBI. This represents the next generation of kids that will keep our friendship alive. 

Before I leave I would like to thank some people. First of all I would like to thank my mom for helping me through every step of the way. Unfortunately, my dad had to work and couldn’t be here but he has cheered me on along this whole journey. Thank you to Rabbi Levy, Sarah Avner and Carly Cera for supporting this project. My deepest appreciation to Mr. Hanson and Ms. Harding for being so receptive to the project from the beginning, and for providing your time and your input. I am so grateful to Armando Ruiz who rolled up his sleeves to help us plant the tree and to David Duran for his landscaping expertise and for keeping our little tree alive. And finally thank you to the entire Saint Matt’s congregation for opening your doors and your hearts to CBI. Out of darkness has come light.

I am still beaming with joy from this morning. It was wonderful to reconnect with our St. Matt’s family. While we have gathered informally often over the past two years seeing our friends leading their community in prayer, teaching words from the Gospel, and soaking in the spirit of the worshippers around us was soul-filling. It will never be okay that an act of hate evacuated us from our sacred worship space but, as Juliette so eloquently said, “out of darkness has come light” and from The Reverend Katie Wright, “We are a fellowship forged in fire and continued in love.”

Shabbat Shalom

P.S. If you would like to see more pictures of the tree planting, please be sure to find me at the end of services this Friday night.