November 9, 2022 | General News | Programs and Events | Worship and High Holidays

When many of you hear “Shabbat,” you might immediately think of our Friday night services. But Shabbat can offer so much more – there are 25 hours in which to stop and restore our souls, to “be a blessing,” as Rabbi Buchdahl encourages us. Her powerful sermon kicked off “Get Inspired. Get Connected. Get Shabbat,” a new initiative at Central Synagogue that welcomes our community to embrace Shabbat as a meaningful experience that brings more depth to our lives.

October 6, 2022 | General News | Worship and High Holidays

During the High Holy Days, we turn our attention to a special section of our Hebrew bible from the book of Jonah that tells the story of the Hebrew prophet who is sent by God to prophesy the destruction of Nineveh, but tries to escape this divine mission. This is the haftarah portion for Yom Kippur afternoon. This year, in order to hear the message of Jonah's prophecy anew, we invited a poet to offer an interpretation on the themes of the story. We were thrilled to have acclaimed Japanese-American poet, writer, filmmaker, and the co-director of Project VOICE, Phil Kaye, perform his moving interpretation.

October 3, 2022 | General News | Worship and High Holidays

On Yom Kippur afternoon we read a section of the Torah known as the holiness code. This section, found in chapter 19 of Leviticus, is at the heart of the Torah and contains some of the most moving commandments within our tradition. We asked two of our members to reflect upon one of these commandments. They did so just after we chanted from the Torah. We are grateful for their personal and moving insights which we are pleased the share.

September 27, 2022 | General News | Worship and High Holidays

During the High Holy Days, we turn our attention to a special section of our Hebrew bible from the book of Samuel that tells the story of a woman named Hannah. This is the Haftarah portion for Rosh Hashanah. Over the past few years, we have welcomed members of our congregation to speak about Hannah from a different perspective. This year, we are returning to the retelling of this powerful text told as a story by fellow members. We are grateful for Susan Levin Schlechter and Ali Marsh Weller for their personal interpretations of this incredibly moving story which we share below.

September 8, 2022 | General News | Worship and High Holidays

We sat down with Central's own Shira Kobren to ask about the inspiration and process behind her new single "Know Who Came Before," finding joy in remembering family members who are no longer with us, the song's connection to the Central Synagogue community, and more.