| Dear CBO Family,
The words we use to describe God really don’t do God justice. The Source of every particle in the known universe, that which sparked matter into being, is beyond the words that my puny little brain can conjure. We strive, envision and create metaphors to grasp God. They are constructs with walls to describe the Infinite. When our tradition teaches a text in which God says, “Make for me a sanctuary and I will dwell among you (Exodus 25:8),” we need to stop and marvel at the absurdity that the Infinite could be contained in a dwelling. It is for this reason that our sages focus on a key part of the verse which says, “among you” not “within the sanctuary.” It is not expected that God exists in the building. It is between people that the Force that makes for Salvation abides. The building and the requirements of its upkeep are connecting points for human beings to come together. The building itself is merely metal, wood and cloth. The project of the building is what allows God to dwell among the people.
All of us witness the best and the worst of people. It comes out in the stress of life. This happens even within the synagogue setting. But when the project of our building, our learning, and our coming together becomes a conduit for discontent, rather than fulfillment and connection, then our project has gone askew. Each of us is a part of the whole, a great contributor to our communal project.
Our community has grown so much over the last few years and I am in awe of what we have accomplished. We continue to grow. Every day, when we speak to someone, we have the opportunity to sow seeds of positivity and support for one another. We also have opportunities to bring people down with our tone, with our whispers, and with our attitudes. It is our choice to build a community that invites the source of connection into our sanctuaries, whether they are our communal buildings, our homes, our phone calls, or conversations in car rides.
Tomorrow is a new day with infinite possibilities to create and build relationships, rather than sit in isolation. If you are looking for connection, you can reach out to me or Cantor Kowitz at the shul. You can join one of our classes or services, come to a dinner or bring your family to a service. We can only create a holy community if you decide to take a step towards connection. If each of us does that, then we can combat loneliness and stress. If each of us does that we can conduct love and spiritual elevation.
Shabbat shalom,
Rabbi Bernstein
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Affiliated with United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism