Dear Friends,

This past year has been difficult, painful; full of loss and strife. Throughout it has been my intention to remain engaged with you, my congregational family.  Together we’ve zoomed and streamed Shabbat and High Holiday services, Havdalah, daily services,  b’nai mitzvah lessons, and when gathering was prohibited, we even celebrated a few of our b’nai mitzvah on Zoom. After long days in Zoom-school our patient students have attended religious school online, with teachers who lovingly adapted and brought new creativity to their “class rooms”. The pain of loss was never more evident due to the limitations of gathering for funerals and shivah, it has been such a lonely and disorienting experience.

My zeal for being together with you has brought me some happy moments, as when we gathered for the annual “Falafel Ball-Live from my Office” or “Shabbat Shirah from Home” which included our very talented CBT family members, Marty Angstreich, Jerry Silver, Bashe, Rafi and Liam Rosen. So many congregants facilitated and attended wonderful events, trips to Israel, game nights, the annual Interfaith Thanksgiving with our local clergy on YouTube, even a few Shabbat dinners and Passover Seders.  We are ever grateful for all of the care packages personally distributed by numerous committees, including the Covid-19 Taskforce, the Religious School Committee, and most recently Sisterhood for Purim. Thanks to my faith and my enthusiasm, I have managed to hold on, but there is always this nagging feeling that I missed something or that I “should have” done more.  I can not image how you feel, but certainly you have experienced similar challenges.

We will commemorate and celebrate Israel’s Yom Hazikarone and Yom Haatzmauut with the Falafel Ball on Wednesday, April 14th, I just do not know how yet. Ya see, as I write this letter to you, I’m still preparing for our Religious School Passover Experience and my second night Zoom Seder, I promise that it will be uplifting.  It would be such a blessing if I heard from you, I’d love to know what you’re feeling, what you need and what you’re thinking during this incredibly difficult and painful time.

Soon, as this storm has passed, we will once again stand, sing and pray together in our sanctuary. We’ve been careful and followed the advice of our professionals, yet we have paid a price. Life at CBT will be different, what we have learned from our isolation? It is my prayer that our faith has been bolstered not weakened and that our sense of community will be renewed.   I believe that we have the tools to rebuild our community but we have a lot of work to do.  We must gather our vigor and our insight; we must learn and grow together. We must do more than put out the small fires around us, we must light a flame of hope and resilience that will inspire our children and our children’s children. I love our B’nai Tikvah family.

Know that we will come together in Shalom, Peace to worship the Lord in gladness.

Cantor Bruce Rockman

Nissan 5781-March, 2021