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Birchat HaGomel: Blessing of Safety Rabbi Cassi Kail rabbikail@bethelsp.org Nearly six months into our new reality, we are acutely aware of how much we have lost. Many of us know people who have died or become seriously ill from COVID-19. We lost security, routine, and the opportunity to gather and embrace one another. We’ve lost […]
Elul Reflections Rabbi Cassi Kail rabbikail@bethelsp.org The final month of Jewish year is about to begin. On August 21, we will usher in the Hebrew month of Elul. The words High Holy Days often conjure up images of Rosh HaShanah celebrations, and the solemn atonement of Yom Kippur. While these two holidays are certainly highlights […]
Standing Against Racial Injustice Rabbi Cassi Kail rabbikail@bethelsp.org Throughout my rabbinate, I have always valued interfaith partnership and community connections. When my tenure began, I was delighted to join the San Pedro Faith Consortium, a cooperative effort of five congregations working to make a positive difference in our community. Rabbi Briskin had been one of […]
Strong as Ever Rabbi Cassi Kail rabbikail@bethelsp.org As my first year at Temple Beth El comes to a close, I find myself reflecting about the moments of joy, inspiration, and and connection that we have shared. I am grateful for the way you have so graciously welcomed me into the temple family and into your […]
Counting Upwards Rabbi Cassi Kail rabbikail@bethelsp.org From weekly Shabbat candle lightings with the family to virtual play dates, daily dance parties, long walks, journaling and Peloton workouts, each of us has come up with ways to cope with the Covid-19 crisis. Each of us has found activities that center us, distract us, and give us […]
Unexpected Blessings Rabbi Cassi Kail rabbikail@bethelsp.org As I write this article, I can’t help but think of the old Yiddish phrase Mann Tacht, Un Gott Lacht, “Man plans and God laughs.” As the past few weeks have demonstrated, the future is not always what we envision. We had been prepared for a wonderful April. A […]
Knowing Where You Stand Rabbi Cassi Kail rabbikail@bethelsp.org In my childhood congregation, there was a phase that appeared above the Ark which housed the Torah scrolls, Da Lifnei Mi Atah Omed, “Know before whom you stand.” These words intrigued me. They served as a reminder that this was holy space, in which God is present. […]
World Zionist Congress Elections Rabbi Cassi Kail rabbikail@bethelsp.org As I landed in Israel for the first time, I remember feeling grateful, excited, and in awe. I had finally made it to the land on which my people became a nation, where Hebrew was spoken within its streets, and Jews were in the majority. My entire […]
Outreach Rabbi Cassi Kail rabbikail@bethelsp.org At the Union of Reform Judaism’s Biennial conference in Chicago, Rabbi Rick Jacobs offered an important message: It is time to widen our Jewish tent. He was referring to our prophet Isaiah’s call. “Enlarge the size of your tent,” he said, “For you shall spread out to the right and […]
Hanukkah Candles Rabbi Cassi Kail rabbikail@bethelsp.org Aside from Shabbat dinners and Passover Seders, lighting the hanukiyah is one of the most beloved at-home Jewish rituals. Each night, Jewish families around the world gather to say the blessings, and welcome extra illumination into our homes and our lives. The Hanukkah lights are a powerful symbol of […]
