Rabbi Arthur Weiner

May has been a busy month at the JCCP/CBT.   We observed Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Memorial Day), and celebrated Yom Ha’atzma’ut , (Israel Independence Day). We celebrated two wonderful Bnai Mitzvah , enjoyed several successful events in the synagogue, said farewell to our Rabbinic intern Sami Vingron (now Rabbi Sami Vingron!)   and mourned with members of the synagogue community who suffered losses.   I was in Washington for a conference sponsored by the Zionist Rabbinic Conference (which I wrote about last week ).   And if that was not enough, I also oversaw the completion of several Gittin (Jewish divorce proceedings) in my role as a Mesader Gittin (Jewish divorce specialist).   I’m one of three dozen rabbis throughout the world authorized to conduct Jewish divorce proceedings for the Conservative Movement.   Yes, there is a lot going on.   But before the month of May ends, I want to say a few words about Jewish American Heritage Month (JAHM), an op...

Recent events have caused many Jews to wonder. Where have all our allies gone?   Are we doomed to face the impact of October 7 th , and the threat of rising antisemitism by ourselves?   Where are our friends when we need them? Are we alone? The threats and challenges that we face are unprecedented in our lifetime. Once again, we must defend our own existence. It is painful to see Israel’s legitimate security concerns dismissed as expansion, paranoia, or worse.   It is infuriating to see Israel’s noble mission to defeat Hamas and bring back the hostages castigated immorally as a genocide.   It is maddening to see Hamas’ murderous intent compared to Israel’s right to defend itself.   How can we not be resentful when we see anti-Zionist Jews lionized in the media and in the very progressive spaces that so many Jews once called their political home, or when every minority community is encouraged to define their own lived experiences, except Jews. I’ve been feeli...

Last Shabbat, the JCCP/CBT sponsored a kiddush luncheon in honor of our Rabbinic Intern and his many contributions to the synagogue over the past two years. I would like to share my remarks which I delivered at the event. I want to take a moment to thank and acknowledge our Rabbinic Intern, Sami Vingron for his two years of service to the JCCP/CBT. Sami has taught in our Hebrew school, led Shabbat services, and shared Divrei Torah and sermons. He has participated in our High Holiday services, and accompanied me on various life cycle events throughout the community. I like to think that I've taught Sami a few things about how a Rabbi serves his congregation, and interacts with his synagogue community and beyond. I am grateful for his interest and his passion, and his willingness to laugh at my jokes, which while not a requirement for the job, is nonetheless always appreciated. Sami is blessed with tremendous intelligence and energy, a desire to learn, to grow and to teach about...

I just finished watching President Biden's remarks on the ongoing demonstrations at dozens of American universities and colleges. While I appreciate the President's measured words condemning the antisemitism and lawlessness which have characterized so many of these protests, we didn't need him to tell us the obvious. We've got a full-blown crisis on our hands that shows no signs of stopping any time soon. I spoke about this issue at our recent Yizkor services. As many of the readers of my weekly Shabbat message know, the JCCP/CBT has a tradition that at our Yizkor observances on Passover, Shavuot and Sukkot, we make an appeal for a worthy and important Jewish organization or charity. At our Yizkor services for Passover earlier this week, I made an appeal for two organizations, Hillel and Stand With Us that are doing outstanding work with Jews on college campuses. This is especially important now as so many Jewish college students are feeling threatened and aban...