News

We read in the book of Deuteronomy, "Blessed shall you be in your comings and blessed shall you be in your goings." In that spirit, we wanted to share with you the bittersweet news that Cantor Julia Cadrain has accepted a new position as Senior Cantor of Temple Israel in Westport CT, starting July 1. While we are overjoyed and excited for her and her family as they embark on this new journey (and with a former Central Synagogue rabbi, Michael Friedman, as their Senior Rabbi and Julia’s new colleague), we are also saddened that she will be leaving our Central family and we will very much miss her presence on the bimah. Read more

Need a fun culinary activity while staying indoors? Take a look at this Weekly Challah recipe provided by Rabbi Rebecca Rosenthal. Read more

In her recent Kveller article, Danielle Shapiro talks about the struggles of bringing her 4-year-old twins to a Tot Shabbat service. She writes, "For the rabbi whose service we disrupted, and the parents who heard our screaming, running children, and for the lady who I cut ahead of in the buffet line to get nuggets - all I have to say is I'm sorry, we have twins."

As a rabbi who works with children and families, I appreciate parents who want their children to behave and engage in our programming. As a parent of young children, I want my children to behave reasonably every time we leave the house. But I also know those are wishes, not realities.

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The world seems especially dark right now, as tragic world events combine with the early night. So when I saw that Everytown for Gun Safety and Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense were putting on a series of rallies and walks around the country to mark the anniversary of the Sandy Hook mass shooting, I knew I had to be there.

This is one of those issues that keeps me up at night-worrying about the safety not just of my own children, but of all the children in this country. At a time of year when darkness descends so early, and when most cultures celebrate light, the rally's occurrence on the last night of Hanukkah seemed like God's way of telling me that this was how I could spread the light to close out the holiday.

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With your children, generate ideas and family activities that will fulfill these four mitzvot: (1) As a family we can remember Shabbat by... (2) As a family we can observe Shabbat by... (3 & 4) As a family we can honor and delight in Shabbat by...

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We are excited to introduce to you our new senior leadership team for youth and family education at Central Synagogue. Effective July 1, Rabbi Rebecca Rosenthal will become our Director of Youth & Family Education, a new position reflecting our belief that our education programs for families with children of all ages, up to the end of college, require highly experienced and focused leadership.

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