Happy 2025!

Dear Congregants,

Happy 2025! I hope everyone had a wonderful Hanukkah with family and friends. Our CSI Hanukkah Family Night on December 22th was a lot of fun, with delicious Israeli food and beautiful decorations on the tables. Many thanks to Dan Wengier, Shelley Davidson, Jeff Lehman, Marty and Elmo Koplin, Jonathan Atzmon, and everyone else who contributed to the success of the evening. That party was followed on the 27th by a lighting of our downtown Macon menorah – thanks to Elmo, Rabbi Rubinstein and Rabbi Bahar – and then an inspiring joint Friday night Shabbat service at Temple Beth Israel where both rabbis presided. After that, we enjoyed more delicious sweets and savories in TBI’s social hall. It was a week to remember.

Coming up on January 18th, we’ll celebrate David Bahar’s Bar Mitzvah at TBI starting at 10:00 am. Please RSVP for the Bar Mitzvah and the luncheon to follow so that Rabbi Bahar knows how many will attend.

At the end of January, we will celebrate our newest congregants with a New Members Shabbat dinner on January 31st. Keep an eye out for the details about this event.

As I write this, Hanukkah is winding down and various committees at CSI are gearing up for action. Ways and Means is finalizing plans for the Super Bowl Party and Fundraiser which will be held on Sunday, February 9th in the CSI Social Hall. Since the game is being played in New Orleans, the committee has decided to serve a New Orleans-style meal with games and activities starting early. Purchase your tickets by calling or emailing Stephanie in our office. Adults are $70 and kids under 16 are free.

Additionally, the CSI Book Club, sponsored by the Adult Ed Committee under the leadership of Rosalind Simson, continues to meet every 4 to 6 weeks via Zoom, to discuss a book of interest to the group. The next meeting is January 12th at 1:00 pm. January’s book is Bread Givers, by Anzia Yezierska; it is both provocative and heart-warming. The next book is The History of Love, by Nicole Krauss. If you’d like to join this group we’d love to have you, so please contact Jan or Rozy Simson for the specifics.

Remember, everyone at CSI is encouraged to attend Friday night and/or Saturday morning services. We need you to make sure we have a minyan. Saturday’s services are followed by a dairy luncheon. Please mark your calendars for Saturday, February 1st, when the luncheon will be sponsored by yours truly to celebrate her birthday.

See you at shul, and have a great month!

Shalom,
Jan