It was a week before Rosh Hashanah, and we were still assigning aliyot to the Torah and other honors. It is a big honor to open the Ark on Rosh Hashanah, like opening the gate of heaven. We pack all our prayers in and then send them off throughout the High Holidays, all the way [...]
Many thanks to all of you who joined us online and in person for the High Holidays. The hybrid services were a special experience this year. The number of people who participated in person was truly surprising, and for those who were on Zoom, it was fantastic to be able to provide everyone the opportunity to [...]
One Jewish year is ending, and another is about to begin. This will be my 10th year celebrating the High Holidays with CTI. If we were a TV show, we would renew for a 10th season (Even Seinfeld was only nine seasons.) Every year is different, each with its own blessings and challenges. In 5782, [...]
Lechayim! To life! Our shul is 120 years old. For Jews, 120 is a special number that symbolizes completion, a complete life. Scripture tells us that Moses, our greatest rabbi, lived 120 years. “Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died; his eyes were undimmed and his vigor unabated.” (Duet. 34:7) According [...]
On May 25, many Black communities and their supporters commemorated the one-year anniversary of the death of George Floyd. I participated in the local candlelight vigil at the Clinton Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church in Greenport. It was a well-organized and respectful gathering, presided over by Pastor Natalie R. Wimberly. It included several local clergy, a [...]
Every Shabbat morning, just before we open the Holy Ark and take out the Torah scrolls, we sing: “Source of compassion, favor Zion with Your goodness; build the walls of Jerusalem.” Throughout Jewish history, the walls of Jerusalem have represented the barometer of Jewish wellbeing. It’s the fence around the beating heart of our people. When [...]
For a long time, one of the top items on my bucket list was to climb down into the Grand Canyon. It was love of first sight 12 years ago, when I first visited, and again three years ago. On those visits, I was able to see the Canyon from the South Rim and then from [...]
One of the things I love most about traveling in the United States is going over big bridges. Bridges help us pass over otherwise arduous obstacles, a hand of God lifting us over on wings of eagles. Passing over a bridge is a journey into the unknown, a journey of hope and clarity, from the clouds [...]
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you, the members of CTI, for your continued support of the successful contract extension process. As we begin another chapter on our journey, it is nice to look back at the achievements of the past year, as we traversed the rough waters of Covid. Normally, [...]
There are times in life when we need to make a decision. Do we want to move forward or not? Do we seek revenge or do we seek forgiveness. Do we let our anger hold us back or do we turn it into fuel for building. Every January, the Greenport Ecumenical Ministries (GEM) holds a service [...]
