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RABBI CASSI
Dear Temple Beth El Community,
My name is Cassi Kail, and I am both humbled and overjoyed by the opportunity to serve as the next Rabbi of Temple Beth El. This past summer I moved to San Pedro with my husband, Josh, and our children Noam and Talia.
From the moment I walked through the synagogue’s doors, I knew I wanted to be a part of the Beth El community. It was not the stunning new building that most impressed me, but rather the people within. I feel immense gratitude to work alongside the superbly talented and devoted leadership of Cantor Ilan Davidson, Racheli Morris, Carrie Hernandez and Shoni Gramcko. Conversations with lay leaders such as Gale Swartz and Eric Imley demonstrated a sense of pride in Beth El’s rich 97-year-old history. I am proud to join in their commitment to upholding this rich legacy while embracing the enormous opportunities of today.
Growing up in Brooklyn, NY, I knew from an early age that I wanted to be a rabbi. I delight in creating meaningful worship, studying and teaching Torah, interfaith work, and tikkun olam. Of all the work I have been blessed to do since my ordination in 2011, I find relationship building to be the most gratifying. It will be my top priority to find opportunities to get to know you when I arrive in San Pedro this Summer. I am so grateful for the congregational leaders who are already volunteering to open their home for informal social gatherings so that we can begin what I hope will prove to be meaningful and long-lasting connections. In Pirkei Avot, our ancestors teach, “Make for yourself a teacher, acquire a friend.” I look forward to the many years of learning and of friendship ahead of us.
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Rabbi Cassi Kail, a native New Yorker, was ordained in 2011 from the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, where she also received a Master’s in Jewish Literature. For the past seven years, she worked as a congregational rabbi for Temple Emanu-El of Utica, NY and then Temple Or Elohim in Jericho, NY. Rabbi Kail is a proud member of the Interfaith Clergy Council of Syosset and Woodbury. Previously, she served on the steering committees of InterFaith Matters, Reform Jewish Voice and the Empire State Anti-Poverty Initiative of the Mohawk Valley. While in Seminary, she co-founded a young egalitarian minyan called The Wandering Jews of Astoria, serving unaffiliated Jews in their 20s and 30s. Rabbi Kail is passionate about worship, Israel, interfaith work, and supporting people on their individual Jewish journeys. She loves teaching people of all ages, singing, and playing guitar. Rabbi Kail and her husband, Josh are proud parents of their children, Noam and Talia.
Rabbi Cassi may be reached by email at rabbikail@bethelsp.org.
Here are some of Rabbi Cassi’s recent parashot, sermons, and articles from the Kol Beit El:
Parashat Vayishlach
Friday, November 26, 2021/22 Kislev, 5782 Parashat Vayishlach Genesis 32:4−36:43 Dear Friends, The arc of Joseph’s life vacillates greatly throughout this week’s Torah portion. When it begins, Joseph feels secure as Jacob’s favorite and most trusted son. Jacob gifted him an ornamented tunic as a symbol of his admiration. Joseph wears it with pride, enjoying […]
Parashat Vayishlach
Friday, November 19, 2021/15 Kislev, 5782 Parashat Vayishlach Genesis 32:4−36:43 Dear Friends, For many, Thanksgiving brings joy as we pause from our busy lives, gather with family and friends, and offer thanks for the blessings of our lives. The Macy’s Parade, football games, catching up, lots of food, and so much more have always been […]
Parashat Vayeitzei
Friday, November 12, 2021/8 Kislev, 5782 Parashat Vayeitzei Genesis 28:10−32:3 Dear Friends, Yesterday I attended an inspiring, heartbreaking, and powerful Armistice Day event. Clergy, community leaders, military families, veterans, and community members gathered to honor people who served in our nation’s military and advocate for peace and justice. November 11th became a national holiday after […]
Parashat Toldot
Friday, November 5, 2021/1 Kislev, 5782 Parashat Toldot Genesis 25:19−28:9 Dear Friends, Parenting books universally warn against the dangers of favoritism. Unfortunately, Rebecca and Isaac missed the memo. This wasn’t entirely their fault. They lived in an age in which it was customary for the older son to receive the father’s birthright inheritance and blessing. […]
Rabbi’s Review – November 2021
Holiday Connections Rabbi Cassi Kail rabbikail@bethelsp.org In 2013, the Jewish community experienced a rare holiday: Thanksgivikkah. As you might remember, Thanksgiving was the first day of Hanukkah, so families combined the two holidays into a joint celebration. Some of us made Menurkys (A Hanukkah Menorah in the shape of a Turkey) or experimented with pumpkin […]
Parashat Chayei Sarah
Friday, October 29, 2021/23 Heshvan, 5782 Parashat Chayei Sarah Genesis 23:1−25:18 Dear Friends, Today my children went to school with big smiles on their faces. Dressed up in Halloween costumes, they wondered out loud about what their friends would be wearing for the school’s Halloween parade. Their excitement was heartwarming. After a pandemic Halloween, they […]
Parashat Vayeira
Friday, October 22, 2021/16 Heshvan, 5782 Parashat Vayeira Genesis 18:1–22:24 Dear Friends, Yesterday, I had the honor of participating in the oldest recorded religious ritual in the world. The Brit Milah, or ritual circumcision, is the first ritual we know of, dating back to the stories of Abraham. Indeed, it is such an honor to participate […]
Parashat Lech L’cha
Friday, October 15, 2021/9 Heshvan, 5782 Parashat Lech L’cha Genesis 12:1−17:27 Dear Friends, Sometimes no words are sufficient for the grandeur in our souls. Just a few days ago, William Shatner set off into space. Upon entering weightlessness, the only words he could utter were, “No description can equal this… Oh wow. Oh, my goodness… […]
Parashat Noah
Friday, October 8, 2021/2 Heshvan, 5782 Parashat Noah Genesis 6:9-11:32 Dear Friends, Noah is the only character in the Torah directly referred to as a tzaddik, a righteous man. The first verse of this week’s Torah portion says, “Noah was a righteous man; he was blameless in his generation.” (Genesis 6:9) The sages explained that […]
Parashat B’reishit
Friday, October 1, 2021/25 Tishrei, 5782 Parashat B’reishit Genesis 1:1−6:8 Dear Friends, This week we began the Torah cycle over again. Each year I am amazed to find new teachings and details I hadn’t previously noticed. “Turn it, turn it,” taught Rabbi Ben Bag Bag, “for everything is in it!” (Pirkei Avot 5:24) The Torah […]