A Note From The President

Shalom Haverim,

It's been about five months now and I still haven't had a cheeseburger yet. Some of you may know that I am referring to the promise I made when Rabbi Amy and I had a discussion on Rosh Hashanah about reasons to keep kosher on a personal level. I have to say, every time I'm in a diner I think about giving in. After all, besides breakfast at a diner, you can't beat a cheeseburger deluxe. Of course I have eaten every other kind of treyf imaginable. Yet it's amazing how giving up one of my favorite things has made me more "mindful" as Rabbi Amy puts it. It has really made me think not only about food, but it has forced me to make a decision every time I open a menu - a decision not to do something in an effort to end up with something better. I agree; something better could be a BLT. In this case, I am talking about an appreciation of my Jewish heritage and what it means to be a Jew; to be part of a people that has valued its traditions for thousands of years.

So why am I telling you this and what does it have to do with the decision we'll make as a community about kashrut? Well, nothing and everything. My mishegas is my business. If this wacky scheme makes sense to me - well it's my life. You, as indivuals, can eat whatever you want. After all, CBH values Inclusivity. We realize and embrace our varying views on Jewish practice and varying levels of observance. In addition, Balancing Tradition and Innovation is another one of CBH's Ten Core Values: We deeply respect the traditions that unify all Jews. We balance traditional observances with innovations that reflect more contemporary social values. Let's not forget Jewish Continuity either: We are devoted to passing a strong sense of Jewish identity and pride from generation to generation.

As individuals we respect each other's personal beliefs and opinions. As a community we respect each other's personal beliefs along with the notion that what we do FOR our community may be different than what we do in our personal lives.

For the past few weeks the CBH Ritual Policy Task Force (RPTF) has been developing a strategy to bring this conversation to our community. Over the next several weeks you will have opportunity to engage in a multitude of activities that are geared towards educating our community about kashrut, as well as, giving the RPTF an opportunity to hear your opinions on this issues and what kind of policy regarding kashrut we should have at CBH. There are also options for self-guided learning, i.e., exploring the subject on your own.

Also on the website, you will find a broad overview about kashrut and a calendar of events that lists the various programs/classes/events that will be offered. I encourage you to participate and to be heard. These programs are designed to educate and share our knowledge. Through your participation the RPTF will gauge the pulse of the community. It will then make a recommendation to the Board of Trustees based on our learning together along with the opinions and concerns of our community.

This decision isn't about what any single individual wants. It's about finding a comfort level so that our entire community call feel at home in its home.

Jay Weiner

Additional Information

Kashrut main page

President's letter to the congregation by Jay

Introduction to kashrut by the RPTF

Resource information including links to other web sites and the kashrut policies of other Reconstructionist congregations.