Past President Kathy Chaikin Bernstein

Welcome to Congregation Beth Israel-Judea's online presence. I hope to see you at services or at an event in person. I am pleased to be starting the second year of serving our community as president of our Board of Trustees. 


Here's a bit about my Jewish background.


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My mother was born Jewish but non-observant.  My father’s family was more traditional and my most positive religious memories and associations came from them. My grandfather was a very learned man who served as cantor for the overflow service at his synagogue in Manhattan (Ansche Chesed) and was also a talmudic scholar who emigrated from Russia and became a dentist in New York.  Even when he moved 40 blocks away from his shul at the age of 70 or so, he continued to walk to services.  My paternal grandmother was the Jewish mother role model in my life, in the best sense of the word.  My commitment to Judaism came from those very special grandparents. 

In my hometown very few girls became bat mitzvah but it was something I really wanted to do when I got older.  I finally got my chance in 1997 thanks to prodding from Rabbi Morris and coaching from Cantor Greenberg, both of blessed memory.  It certainly has deepened my level of understanding and helped me understand what my kids went through a few years later.  

My commitment to BIJ has deepened over the years as I have chaired a number of committees and participated in the rabbi search.  I am both pleased and proud to be able to lead the synagogue in its transition under Rabbi Glazer and look forward to many bright years under her spiritual leadership.

Watching the Seasons, Oct. 2007

It’s the beginning of October and the seasons are changing. Last month we welcomed Jason Cinti as a new adult member of our community.  He chanted B’reishit, signaling the start of the torah for another year. Torah study had its first meeting focusing on this week’s torah portion and greeted some new participants. We welcomed Joe Guthrie back at the keyboard for Saturday morning services. And, we chanted the prayer for rain during the Amidah for the first Shabbat after Simchat Torah and Shemini Atzeret. I was so excited to hear the words again.  

It’s great to watch the seasons change and to know our Jewish calendar is so attuned to those changes. It’s comforting, too, to watch the year go by on this other level. It’s not just the school year and the calendar year; it’s the Jewish year that gives form to our lives.   

This Jewish year is starting off with a bang at BIJ. Sitting on the bima during the High Holy Days, it was easy to see all the renewed energy and enthusiasm from the congregation. Rabbi Rosalind has now been with us a full year and is hitting her stride.  She is working closely with lay leadership and our staff to institute many new programs.  Check out our themed Friday-night Shabbat services: Family First Fridays with potlucks; New Music 2nd Fridays with Rabbi and Cantor Ellen; 3rd Fridays with Rabbi and David and Inara Morgenstern; 4th Fridays with “traditional” BIJ music and guest speakers. Fifth Fridays will surprise you with new and different ways to worship.  

In addition to new worship services, we have a host of educational events planned for the year. They include a number of events, both educational and social, that will focus on different facets of Israel. We will have a speaker from AIPAC, the Deputy Israeli Consul (a Bedouin Arab) in November and an Israeli Dancing/Henna Party in February.  

Thanks to Talia Pierluissi for engaging AIPAC and to Adult Education Chair, Sonya Hicks, and her Committee for scheduling many exciting events throughout the year including the two mentioned above. Other events to watch for include a weekend with a Sofer, a torah scribe, where we will have a number of opportunities to learn about this sacred art and its context within liberal Judaism. And, we will have a scholar-in-residence weekend coming up in late February/early March.

The year will go by fast. It always does. So, take time to appreciate the little changes and enjoy all the events that BIJ provides as the year progresses. We look forward to moving through the seasons with all of you. 


Elul Thoughts, Sept. 2007

The month of Av is almost over, and we are getting ready for the month of Elul and our preparation for the High Holy Days.  Your Board of Trustees is also preparing for the New Year.  One way we are preparing is through the establishment of a Strategic Planning Committee.  Another way is by asking ourselves how to help every member of BIJ make strong connections with the synagogue, connections that are based on where you are in your lives and what your interests are.  

 So What is the Strategic Planning Committee?
As we have said before, BIJ is moving toward greatness.  It is time to think about how we will take our next steps and position ourselves for growth.  With these points in mind, the Board of Trustees, along with Rabbi Glazer, established a Strategic Planning Committee to work with the Rabbi, the BOT and the entire congregation to determine the best ways to prepare BIJ for a long and successful future.  To succeed, we need all of you.  We need you to help us determine our mission to determine the important directions we need to take.   Over the next few months, the Strategic Planning Committee will to connect with all of you and get your important input.  Then we will develop the goals and action steps needed to take us forward.

 One of the important areas we will be looking at is developing connections.  The connections you develop with BIJ are what make your membership meaningful.  We have many different constituencies, and each of them will have different needs and ways of connecting.  Are you a parent of younger children looking to connect with other parents through Tot Shabbats, First Friday Services and Potlucks?  Are you a senior interested in Current Affairs or Adult Education?  Are you looking for ways to connect through committees and other volunteer activities?

 Your Board of Trustees, along with the Strategic Planning Committee, want to work with you to define the most effective ways of connecting and to make sure we have the proper support for making connections by linking congregants to each other. We will work closely with Linda Park and our office staff to keep a record of all our members and ways they want to be involved now and over time.  We will begin with a Board Retreat in August and will share some of our key plans with you during the High Holy Days.  We will follow this retreat with some additional intensive strategic planning in October. Most importantly, after these meetings we will be reaching out to all of you.  We need all of you to help us figure out how to take the best of what we have today and blend it with new ideas and directions.  We look for a combination of the new and the familiar that will take us forward into a bright new era for BIJ.

 As we move into Elul and prepare for the Days of Awe, we hope you will take some time to think about how you want to connect with BIJ, what BIJ means to you and what you would like to share with your Board of Trustees and Strategic Planning Committee to help us move into an exciting future.  

 L’Shalom,

Kathy Chaikin Bernstein

Passover 2007 Thoughts

This article by President Kathy Chaikin Bernstein first appeared in the May-June Bulletin:

As I write this column Passover is just around the corner.  This week at Shabbat morning services, I realized we are almost finished with the prayer for rain we say during the Amidah.  It’s daylight savings time (a bit early, perhaps) and the seasons are definitely changing.

Along with the change of seasons, we are seeing some changes at our own synagogue.  This past Friday night we celebrated our first Intergenerational Shabbat.  Members of the board and other congregants provided rides for seniors so they could join our special celebration.  Parents with young children joined together before services to share snacks and songs.   Then we all moved into the sanctuary for Kabbalat Shabbat.  We used our new children’s siddurim as David Morgenstern and our Religious School 5th graders led us in prayer and song.

We were there together, multiple generations not necessarily related by birth but all part of the BIJ family.  We were there together enjoying a healthful Shabbat meal (lovingly prepared by BIJ members) and being beguiled by special stories from Bruce Bierman and our very own Rabbi Rosalind.  Little ones were running around the Social Hall and into the sanctuary as our older members looked on with pleasure.  

It was so wonderful to see the diversity of our community all there in one place celebrating the joy of Shabbat together.  Thanks so much to Rabbi, Shelley Karpaty, and David Morgenstern for making this such a memorable event.

Families with pre-school and school-aged children have an important role to play in the future of our synagogue.  A group of parents met a few weeks ago to talk about ways BIJ could become a more welcoming home for them and their pre-schoolers.  Stay tuned for more information about Tot Shabbats—Saturday mornings at the synagogue for BIJ parents and young children.  A wonderful group of parents will be working with Rabbi, Cantor, and the rest of our staff to make this happen.  

If you are interested in finding out more and want to get involved, please contact Linda Park for more information.  This is not only an opportunity for parents but a great place for grandparents to take their grandchildren on Shabbat morning.

Let’s also remember our seniors.  We are so fortunate to have the gift of Shabbat.  Every week.  If you are able to drive at night, don’t forget those members of our BIJ family who would love to join you on Friday nights but are just not comfortable making the drive themselves.  

Please call the office and ask them who might need a ride.  Call your BIJ bubbies and zaydies.  Let’s make every Shabbat an Intergenerational Shabbat at BIJ. 

Jun 6, 2007 1:54 PM

Intergenerational Shabbat

This article by President Kathy Chaikin Bernstein first appeared in the March-April Bulletin:

It’s hard to believe it is almost Spring and we have just celebrated Tu B’Shevat with a wonderful congregational Seder.  With Spring always comes the hope of the new, a chance to fulfill the dreams and plans for the future.

One of my hopes for the future is for all of you to share the joy of Shabbat together with our BIJ family.  A number of weeks ago we gathered in the Fireside Room for Social Action Shabbat.  After that evening, one of the Social Action Committee leaders remarked about how meaningful it had been to be there with our rabbi and our community at Shabbat services.  She later shared her thoughts as follows: “I found it hard in my life to come to Friday night services because my weeks are long and it was one more duty and it was burdensome. Last night when you [Rabbi Glazer] welcomed us into the Sabbath, and acknowledged our busy week, I came immediately into that moment.”  

I can certainly understand those sentiments.  I am sure you can, too.  Our weeks are so packed with work and family responsibilities. Sometimes it’s all we can do to get from one weekend to the next.   My weeks are pretty packed as well but when I enter the synagogue on Friday night or Saturday morning and see Rabbi, Cantor and my BIJ family, the cares of the week often just melt away.  I can feel refreshed and at peace.  I can know the meaning of Shabbat.  I can come “immediately into that moment.”  How special it is that we are commanded to rest and renew ourselves every week.  I, too, thank Rabbi Glazer for welcoming us into the spirit of Shabbat every week.

It is not always easy for everyone to join us at services.  Some of our members with young children are looking for the right way to get together and share Shabbat at BIJ.  A group of Board members is working with the Religious School Committee to find ways to make services more welcoming to your families in terms of both service times and content.  Please let us know if you have thoughts or want to help in this effort.  

Another important group is our older, long-time members.  Some of these members have made it a habit to attend services. Now, these same members find it difficult to get to synagogue.  On March 23rd we will have our first Intergenerational Shabbat Dinner with service and storytelling.  Our Board of Trustees will be inviting senior members to services that night and offering rides.  We encourage seniors who need rides to let us know by calling the office.  We will put together a list of members who need rides with a list of members who can provide rides so everyone can enjoy the spirit of Shabbat together. 

Shabbat.  It’s a special time each week to give thanks for the beauty of the world, for friends, family and community.  It’s a time to renew and refresh.  What would our weekdays be like if we didn’t have this special Shabbat time?  TGIS.  Thank God It’s Shabbat.  Thank God For Shabbat.  I look forward to seeing you all at shu

Copyright Congregation Beth Israel-Judea 2008