This weekend I’m off to the CBI Adult Retreat. Its an annual event which takes place in the hills west of Napa. The site is quiet, simple, and most important out of cell phone range. The Adult Retreat is an annual opportunity to stop for a weekend and contemplate the bigger things in life, spend time with old friends, and, of course, eat well.
I mention this remarkably cheap event as one of many little gems I’ve found at CBI. These are little opportunities to connect with the spiritual and educational sides of Reform Judaism. They offer avenues into our community.
Torah study is another of the little gems I’ve found. I suppose when I started I had this image of a structured environment where “the one” interpretation would be forced on the participants. Our Torah study is anything but that. It is a free flowing conversation which starts from the weekly Torah portion but travels the route of human experience. The conversation is greatly enhanced by the seemingly infinite knowledge of our Cantor and our amazing lay educators. We do have a congregation with an amazing depth of knowledge.
There are many other little gems hiding in the fabric of CBI. We are a congregation of multiple interests and tastes. What I find binds them all together are community and a respect for (and debate over) Jewish values.
I would welcome expressions of interest in activities, existing and proposed, and any other comments on the community which is CBI.
