Rabbi Arthur Weiner

  Dear JCCP/CBT Family, Tomorrow, Friday December 25, 2020 is  Asarah B’Tevet , the fast day of the 10th of the Hebrew month of Tevet.  It is one of several minor fast days associated with the destruction of the First Temple in 586 BC. We observe this fast from dawn until the beginning of Shabbat .    On this day in Jewish history, the Babylonians began their siege of Jerusalem. This event marked the beginning of the battle that ultimately destroyed Jerusalem and the First Temple. It also sent the Jews into the 70-year Babylonian Exile.   The event is chronicled in the Bible.  An identical description of the tragic event is found in both the Book of Jeremiah and II Kings:   And it came to pass in the ninth year of his (King Zedekiah’s) reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, and encamped against it; and they built forts against it round about. (Jeremiah 52:4, II Ki

  Dear JCCP/CBT Family, Wednesday was a difficult day in our nation’s struggle against COVID-19.  According to multiple new outlets, three significant records were set that day.  None of them were good ones. Highest daily number of new coronavirus cases (247,357) Hospitalizations (113,069) Deaths (3656) Despite the great news about the efficacy of the vaccines produced by Pfizer and Moderna, these sad statistics remind us that the pandemic continues to spread its misery in large numbers.  Think of the number of deaths.  That is more than our nation suffered at Pearl Harbor, on 9/11, on D-Day, or even the 1928 Okeechobee Hurricane, one of the deadliest natural disasters in US history. You would have to go back to the terrible battles of the Civil War to see such large daily death tolls.   The three records set on Wednesday should be a stark reminder to all that we must continue to heed the warnings of our public health officials and the pleas of responsible el

  Dear JCCP/CBT family   Let me begin by wishing you all a Happy Chanukah. To help you celebrate Chanukah this year, we have planned several wonderful events for this Saturday night, Monday night, and Tuesday night to help us share the joy of this holiday together as a community (see below for information and links).  Though we will light our  Chanukiyot  in our homes, the synagogue is still providing a way for us to join together to observe the holiday and strengthen each other in our belief that great events occurred not only in ancient times, to paraphrase the second of the Chanukah candle blessings, but even in our own time as well. For the Chanukah blessings and songs, please click here . For a Shabbat message from our rabbinical intern, Samuel Gelman, please click here . Happy Chanukah and Shabbat Shalom, Rabbi Arthur Weiner

  Dear JCCP/CBT family, On Thursday, December 4, after several years of efforts, the first of several thousand Ethiopian Jews arrived in Israel, joining the 140,000 Ethiopian Jews who now call Israel their home. I want the members of our community to be aware of this wonderful event. Israel faces tremendous challenges at this time. As in our own nation, COVID-19 cases have spiked recently, challenging Israel’s healthcare system. While we rejoice in Israel’s amazing diplomatic achievements, establishing diplomatic relations with the UAE and Bahrain, Israel continues to face great challenges on its northern border. The political situation is similarly challenging, and there is talk about the possibility of new elections as confidence in Prime Minister Netanyahu declines. Which makes yesterday’s event so important. Amidst the myriad of challenges and even potential danger Israel faces, the work of bringing Jews from distressed communities around the world continues.