One of the strengths of our community is embracing you and your loved ones as you mark important and meaningful milestones & life cycle events. We are here to rejoice with you in celebration, support you in times of need, and comfort you in times of sorrow. As an inclusive, LGBTQ-friendly clergy team and community, our door is open to all, and we look forward to guiding you through every occasion.
Please reach out to the Clergy Office to speak with Rabbi Isenberg or Cantor Wallach about any of these significant milestones:
Welcoming Babies
We are excited to celebrate the newest addition to your family! We love babies so much that we even have adorable onesies for your new child or grandchild!
Traditionally, Jewish boys are circumcised and given a Hebrew name on the eighth day after their birth during a brit milah ceremony. Births of daughters are celebrated either by naming the child at the Torah (usually on Shabbat morning), or by holding a simchat bat ceremony, at the synagogue or at home, to formally welcome the child into the Jewish covenant and community.
Contact our clergy team and we’ll guide you in planning a unique ceremony for your family that welcomes your child into the Jewish covenant.
Click here for a list of Mohels.
A New Home
Welcome to the neighborhood! Such an exciting time … and we can help! Hanging a mezuzah is considered a mitzvah. Rabbi Isenberg is handy with a hammer and would love to join you in blessing your new home.
If you plan to maintain a kosher kitchen, we can answer any questions and offer suggestions of local sources for kosher food.
The Sisterhood Gift Shop in the CBI lobby has a wonderful selection of mezuzot and Judaic items.
B’nai Mitzvah
Celebrating this joyful milestone marks an important moment for your child, to be sure, and your entire family as well. At CBI, we view the B’nai Mitzvah experience as a multi-year journey that we hope is enriching and filled with learning and growth.
Formal preparation begins one year prior to the date of your simcha and includes meetings with our Cantor, tutoring, meetings with our Rabbis, and a series of community building opportunities as your day draws near. We don’t believe that one size fits all, so we look forward to shaping a B’nai Mitzvah experience to the extent possible so that it reflects your goals and aspirations. We also welcome the opportunity for your child to embark on a mitzvah project and we’ll serve as a resource in guiding you along that path.
For our guide on b’nai mitzvahs, click HERE
For information about hosting a celebratory function in the synagogue social hall, please click here for FACILITY RENTAL information.
Marriage
Sasson v’Simcha, joy and happiness! That’s our wish for all who have found their life partner. Whether you are holding the ceremony at CBI, nearby in the tri-state area, or even a destination wedding, our clergy would love to officiate on your special day and guide you through the many beautiful customs and rituals to consider. We look forward to hearing from you. Mazel Tov!
Divorce
Divorce can be a very difficult time, eliciting a range of emotions. Beyond the counseling and support that Rabbi Isenberg can provide, he can also help you arrange a clear path for a proper Jewish divorce proceeding (a ‘get‘). In Jewish law, a civil divorce is not sufficient to terminate a validly contracted Jewish marriage, but is often the first step toward Jewish divorce proceedings.
Choosing Judaism
The decision to convert to Judaism is a significant and life-changing event. This meaningful process consists of exploration and study and culminates in a ceremony that officially welcomes and recognizes the person as a member of the Jewish community.
Courses appropriate for conversion candidates are available both in New York City and in Greater MetroWest. Rabbi Isenberg will be able to direct you to the one that is appropriate for you and guide you throughout the entire process.
End of Life
When the time comes, however challenging or difficult, we are here for you and we will remain by your side. In the event of a grave illness, our clergy can assist you in making end-of-life arrangements. In the event of a sudden loss, our clergy is on-call, ready to extend step-by-step guidance and support.
Our clergy can help with Jewish mourning rituals, including shiva (the first seven days of mourning), sheloshim (the first 30 days), unveiling (when a gravestone is dedicated), and yahrzeit (the yearly anniversary of a death).
For information about pre-purchasing cemetery plots, please click here for CBI CEMETERY information.
There are a number of ways to honor those we remember to ensure a loved one’s memory will be an enduring blessing. Click here for IN MEMORIAM information.