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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 […]
Holding on to Holiness Rabbi Cassi Kail rabbikail@bethelsp.org The Hebrew month of Heshvan has arrived. After a month that contained four of our most significant Jewish holidays, Heshvan’s quietude is most welcome. Over the past few weeks we have eaten apples and honey as we celebrated the New Year. We asked for forgiveness, worked on […]
Rabbi Cassi Kail’s Erev Rosh HaShanah Sermon Spotlighted by the URJ Our new Rabbi Cassi Kail gave a series of moving and inspirational sermons over this year’s High Holiday Services at Temple Beth El. On Erev Rosh HaShanah she spoke of our community, its nearly century-long history, of the many multi-generational families that have been […]
Turning Fasting Into Feasting Rabbi Cassi Kail rabbikail@bethelsp.org Just five days separate Yom Kippur and Sukkot, and yet they seem light years apart. In less than a week we move from fast to feast, and from confronting our mortality to celebrating our lives. Whereas on Yom Kippur we stand in the security of our sanctuary, […]
Fighting Fire with Fire Rosh Hashanah 5780/2019 Rabbi Cassi Kail I remember it like it was yesterday. I was walking down High Street at Oxford University, where I was studying abroad. High Street is the main road connecting St Hilda’s College—my school—with Oxford’s vast libraries, lecture halls, and cultural centers. Although it was just a […]
Let Us Proclaim the Sacred Power of Our Days Erev Rosh Hashanah 5780/2019 Rabbi Cassi Kail It is such a pleasure to be standing here with all of you as we welcome in the year 5780 together. Today has many names, including Rosh Hashanah, the head of the new year; Yom HaTruah, the day of […]
Commitment and Challenge Rabbi Cassi Kail rabbikail@bethelsp.org Rarely are the Hebrew and secular calendars as in sync as they are this September. On September first, we celebrate the first day of the Hebrew month of Elul, as well. Every Hebrew month is significant, but Elul is special because of its proximity to Rosh HaShanah. The […]
Sheheheyanu Moment Rabbi Cassi Kail rabbikail@bethelsp.org I am writing this article amidst a sea of boxes, as my family prepares to move from New York to Southern California. My eight-year-old, Noam, is most excited to visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios. My six-year-old, Talia, is excited to live near the Pacific […]
