Friday Night/Erev Shabbat Rabbi Phil Cohen leads Kabbalat Shabbat services in-person and via Zoom at 6:30 pm. Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84124865329 – Meeting ID: 841 2486 5329
Saturday Morning Rabbi Cohen leads a service in the Conservative tradition in-person and via Zoom at 10 am. We will read and discuss the week’s Torah portion.
Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84491167901 ~ Meeting ID: 844 9116 7901
Loaves & Fishes Dinner Sunday, October 31 @ 4 pm CBS Board meeting Thursday, November 4 @ 7 pm Kabbalat Shabbat with Dr. Elly Cohen Friday, November 5 @ 6:30 pm Joel Narrol’s Bar Mitzvah Saturday, November 6 @ 10 am Schlep for CBS Sunday, November 7 @ 1 pm Second Shabbos with Peter Stiepleman Friday, November 12 @ 6:30 pm Seminarion Mondays @ 7 pm – https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84417061214 Tefilah Tuesdays @ 7 pm – https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86420634509 Hebrew Bible with Howard Lidsky Sunday @ noon @ CBS
Religious School & Youth Group
Religious school meets Sunday, October 31 Hebrew school meets Wednesday, November 3 Youth Group meets Sunday at 11:30 am
CBS Board Meeting
The board will meet via Zoom next Thursday, November 4 at 7 pm.
The link will appear in next Thursday’s eShalom.
from Rabbi Phil Cohen
Yesterday, October 27, was the third anniversary of the shootings at the Tree of Life—Or L’Simcha Congregation in Pittsburgh. Eleven people were killed and six wounded in the worst attack on the Jewish community in American history. It’s fair to say that American Jewish life will never be the same.
I was attending Beth David Synagogue, the Conservative shul in Greensboro on October 27. Late in the service I availed myself of the facilities, and while there I checked my email, only to see early news of the Tree of Life massacre. I returned to the sanctuary to find that the news had already begun to spread. I was not the only one to check one’s news feed. The news filtered up to the rabbi, who announced what was known at the time to the congregation.
I’ve you’ve ever visited a synagogue or other Jewish site in Europe, you know that all of them invariably are guarded. Frequently one has to make reservations prior to attending, as I did when I was in Madrid some years ago.
Now that is the case in most American Jewish buildings. They are either guarded or locked.
It’s easy, and not unreasonable, that, as we mourn the death of those eleven, to mourn the loss of our security in this country.
But I have an addendum to that terrible event that I find heartening.
At the time of the massacre, I was serving part-time a small congregation in Albany, Georgia, quite far from Pittsburgh. In the wake of that terrible event, I organized an interfaith memorial service on a Friday night. Six clergy spoke or shared music with the congregation that night, which numbered around 150 souls, filling the sanctuary. Jews and Gentiles prayed together and mourned an act of violence in a city far away that nonetheless impacted the community in a small southern Georgia city.
One of our regulars, a retired Episcopalian priest named Father Jim Bullion asked if he could speak. I agreed immediately. It turns out he grew up in Pittsburgh in Squirrel Hill, and he well knew of the congregation. His personal reminisce of frequently walking past the shul had a great impact on the congregation. (As I wrote this, I was so touched by the memory of it, that I called Jim, who was in the midst of the celebration of his 81stbirthday.)
My point here is this. Yes, we have enemies in this country. And now, along with all the other base antisemitic acts that have been part of our history here, our enemies are ready to murder us while we are at prayer.
But that’s hardly the entire story of our lives with our non-Jewish neighbors. When one man with a gun enters a synagogue with murderous intent, tens of thousands of moral men and women respond with prayers and words of support for their Jewish neighbors. We are not alone, friends, and that’s a comfort.
Shabbat shalom, Phil
Rabbi Phil M. Cohen
Upcoming Kabbalat Shabbat Programs
On Friday, November 5 at 6:30 pm, Rabbi Cohen’s daughter, Dr. Elly Cohen, will speak to us about her work in refugee education with a focus on her current work with the thousands of Afghan refugees currently living on a military base not far from her home in Bloomington, Indiana.
Special Shabbat returns (newly hatched as Second Shabbos)
Beginning on Friday, November 12th, we will once again honor Shabbat on the second Shabbat of the month with a Shabbos bag and a speaker at Kabbalat Shabbat services.
On that Friday, the Shabbos bag will include, along with a challah and accoutrements, a pint of chicken soup made with kosher chicken. No matza balls, alas. All you have to do is sign up by Wednesday, November 10, by emailing Mary at maxmax@mchsi.com, and a Shabbos bag will be awaiting you on Friday at the farmhouse between 11-1 (special accommodations are quite possible).
Also, at that service on November 12, we will host Peter Stiepleman, who will speak to us about his recent trip to Peru with an organization called Be the Change.
The service on the 12th will be conducted by the men of our shul.
Dinner for Loaves & Fishes
We still need a few more volunteers to staff the Loaves & Fishes dinner this Sunday, October 31st. We also have several openings to bring food and supplies. Thanks to all who have volunteered to bring food items thus far. These donations are vital and much appreciated.
The Second Annual Schlep for CBS is Sunday, November 7 at 1 pm, starting at Columbia’s Twin Lakes Park and continuing on through the beautiful Forum Nature Preserve. The Schlep is a run/walk/roll event with a 5K or 1 mile option.
Exciting news: our own Beatrice Lancaster has designed the Schlep T-shirt this year. See the logo with its very cool anime vibe below.
We have two requests: First, sign up your family today here. As of yesterday we have 29 Schleppers signed up. Max Cossette’s Nonna has committed $500 if we can get up to 50 participants. Participation options range from $10 – $40.
Second, ask friends and family to support you in your Schlep. They love you and we’re sure that some would love to help you strengthen Columbia’s Jewish community.
To fundraise, just follow three easy steps:
Step 1: Visit the Schlep website and hit the *Donate* button at the top of the page
Step 2: Click the “Become a Fundraiser” button and fill out your fundraising profile. This generates a unique fundraising page accessible by a single click.
Step 3: Ask your family and friends to support you and CBS – only requires them to click on this single link.
Top fundraisers for the Schlep will receive a gift card from Pizza Tree, Le Bourgeois Winery, or Top Ten Wines.
With questions, contact Paul and Kim at 314.435.3224 or pauleisen@gmail.com.
I wanted to send a special thank you to all of you who have so kindly made a donation in Ruben’s memory. We have been overwhelmed with your love and kindness through this hard time, and there are so many people that we wanted to thank and to let them know how much it means to us to be so supported by our community.
From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for bringing our family food, flowers, cards of sympathy, for your kind words, for retelling your memories with Ruben, for your warm hugs and for all that you have done.
Sincerely,
Mandana Hakimi and Family.
Seminarion with Rabbi Cohen
Rabbi Cohen’sSeminarion class has resumed on Mondays at 7 pm via Zoom.
We are discussing antisemitism, its history and how what historian Robert Wistrich called The Oldest Hatred is manifesting itself in the world today.
On November 1st, we’ll consider the Jewish Defense League and like organizations.
On November 8, CBS’s own Marc Alexander will present a history of antisemitism.
Rabbi Cohen will next present a 3-session workshop on writing ethical wills.
This is a much belated thank you for the lovely gift bag; especially loved the honey.
Many thanks to CBS!
Mary Ann
Desserts for True North
CBS helps True North feed the women and children in their shelter by supplying desserts/snacks once a week. The residents make their own meals and this helps them greatly!
If you can help, plan for around 40-50 people. Drop off the goodies between 9 am and 7pm Thursday through Saturday for the week you sign up. Since they keep their address private (due to the nature of their services) please call ahead and let them know you are on your way: 573.875.1370. Ring the doorbell and tell the staff that you are from CBS, dropping off food for the residents.
Please label your treats with any allergens – dairy, nuts, etc., in case a resident has an allergy.
In memory of Ellen’s beloved mother
David & Ellen Gardner
In memory of Ruben Hakimi
Bonnie Margolis
In memory of Al Oxenhandler
Joan Luterman
In honor of Judy Schermer’s birthday
Joan Luterman (sacred music fund)
Donations to CBS are a good way to remember or honor people and special life events. Your gift can be directed to the CBS general fund, the rabbi’s discretionary fund (RDF), the library, the Sasha Yelon book fund, the school scholarship fund or the sacred music fund.
Send a check to CBS, 500 W Green Meadows Rd, Columbia 65203, with a note with details about honorees and where you’d like the notification sent. We’ll send a handwritten card as you direct.
Tell & Kvell!
Have you received an award or a promotion, welcomed a new child to your family, or otherwise have reason to kvell? Share your good news with your CBS friends. Send an email to Mary at maxmax@mchsi.com to include in eShalom.
