Two new members have joined the CAA Board of Trustees, approved by membership at the annual meeting in June. For many in the congregation, they are familiar faces: Toni Tinberg, a member of the congregation since 1993, is serving her third stint on the board; this time around, she will oversee and support ritual and Continue Reading »
Member renewal forms were mailed out in June. Please return them quickly so we can update our records and budget plans. Thank you for being part of our community!
Good evening. On behalf of CAA’s Social Action Committee, I want to thank the Rabbi, the Board and the community for the opportunity to talk about this pilgrimage. I’m excited to share with you my reflections on the Pilgrimage, entitled “Deconstructing Racism to Reconstruct Judaism.” This pilgrimage was an opportunity for me to explore my Continue Reading »
The Community Health Committee (CHC) met on March 28, 2023, to review the survey data regarding masking, to revise the Matrix guidelines and to make recommendations to the Board. In review of the data, most respondents to the survey on masking want to see masking optional. The (CHC) agreed and revised the Matrix guidance accordingly. Continue Reading »
“This is amazing!” Those words were heard over and over at a gathering to celebrate Congregation Agudas Achim and its community. Dubbed the “Incorporation Gala,” the March 11 party was organized to celebrate the preservation and restoration of the congregation’s original articles of incorporation, a document dating back to 1911. Molly Jacobs, the synagogue’s current Continue Reading »
Congregation Agugas Achim seeks a creative, energetic individual for part-time Director of Congregational Learning. We are a small, vibrant congregation whose school has as its goal, growing our children into Jewish adults, while simultaneously focusing on building community and family learning. Responsibilities include: Education Director: hire and supervise teachers and madrichim, collaboratively set curriculum and Continue Reading »
Yom Kippur 2022 at Congregation Agudas Achim Teshuvah: what to do when there is a lack of resolution Rabbi Talya Weisbard Shalem Last night I spoke about how we each need to hear a different message from Yom Kippur, and gave an example about how during the confessional prayers, while some of us may indeed Continue Reading »
Kol Nidrei 2022 at Congregation Agudas Achim The Vidui: We each need to hear our own message from it Rabbi Talya Weisbard Shalem Jacob ben Wolf Kranz, a famous Lithuanian/Belarussian Jewish storyteller and teacher of the 18th century, taught the following parable (which is quoted in our machzor on p. 9): A man came to Continue Reading »
Rosh Hashanah I 2022 at Congregation Agudas Achim How to connect to prayer, regardless of your beliefs about God Rabbi Talya Weisbard Shalem A recent New York Times guest essay by University of Michigan law and philosophy professor Scott Hershovitz, entitled “How to pray to the God you don’t believe in,” contains the following anecdote: Continue Reading »
Erev Rosh Hashanah 2022 at Congregation Agudas Achim Ways of Relating to God and Holiness Rabbi Talya Weisbard Shalem Shanah Tovah! In preparation for leading these services, I have been thinking a lot about the liturgy, and especially how God-focused many of the High Holiday prayers are, and contemplating how best I can help everyone Continue Reading »
