November 21, 2022 | General News | Messages From Leadership

On Shabbat, we celebrated the installation of Cantor Jenna Pearsall and officially welcomed her to the Central Synagogue community. Our worship is uplifted by Cantor Pearsall's beautiful voice and ruach(spirit), and we are proud and grateful to have her on our bimah.

November 10, 2022 | General News

We are proud to share that the Central Synagogue sanctuary is now home to a stunning new site-specific installation, Where Lines Converge, created by artist Nell Breyer. As part of Central’s “Get Inspired. Get Connected. Get Shabbat” initiative, Breyer’s temporary installation adds a new visual dimension to our place of prayer, offering us a unique opportunity for individual, communal, and spiritual reflection.

November 9, 2022 | General News | Programs and Events | Worship and High Holidays

When many of you hear “Shabbat,” you might immediately think of our Friday night services. But Shabbat can offer so much more – there are 25 hours in which to stop and restore our souls, to “be a blessing,” as Rabbi Buchdahl encourages us. Her powerful sermon kicked off “Get Inspired. Get Connected. Get Shabbat,” a new initiative at Central Synagogue that welcomes our community to embrace Shabbat as a meaningful experience that brings more depth to our lives.

October 6, 2022 | General News | Worship and High Holidays

During the High Holy Days, we turn our attention to a special section of our Hebrew bible from the book of Jonah that tells the story of the Hebrew prophet who is sent by God to prophesy the destruction of Nineveh, but tries to escape this divine mission. This is the haftarah portion for Yom Kippur afternoon. This year, in order to hear the message of Jonah's prophecy anew, we invited a poet to offer an interpretation on the themes of the story. We were thrilled to have acclaimed Japanese-American poet, writer, filmmaker, and the co-director of Project VOICE, Phil Kaye, perform his moving interpretation.

October 3, 2022 | General News | Worship and High Holidays

On Yom Kippur afternoon we read a section of the Torah known as the holiness code. This section, found in chapter 19 of Leviticus, is at the heart of the Torah and contains some of the most moving commandments within our tradition. We asked two of our members to reflect upon one of these commandments. They did so just after we chanted from the Torah. We are grateful for their personal and moving insights which we are pleased the share.