In spite of our large numbers, CBST feels like a family. Day in and day out, we pray and study together, eat and dance together. We're there for members when they are ill, when they mourn the loss of a loved one or the loss of a job. We're there when members celebrate a long-term relationship, a promotion, or the birth of a child. We invite you to join us in creating a true spiritual home..
At CBST, men and women are accorded equal religious privileges and honors. All enjoy equal access to positions of leadership. All participate in our spiritual offerings. Our Shabbat and festival liturgies are not tied to a God of a particular gender..
Our monthly Feminist Service experiments with liturgical innovations. Our Traditional Minyan's monthly Shabbat morning and early Shabbat eve services celebrate the rich traditional liturgy we have inherited. Here, all Jews - gay, straight, bisexual or transgendered Ð are welcome. Here, non-gay family members and friends join CBST to lend support. Here, non-Jewish partners of CBST members have a home where they are welcomed as members. CBST and AIDS Illness and death due to AIDS is a major congregational concern since we have lost so many members to AIDS and many remain infected and ill. A monthly healing service, held in collaboration with the National Center for Jewish Healing, provides support to congregants and involves CBST in the greater Jewish community. Each year, two Cooperberg-Rittmaster rabbinic interns from various branches of Judaism assist Rabbi Kleinbaum as spiritual and pastoral counselors. Our intern program also serves the larger Jewish community by training future rabbis to sensitively counsel anyone affected by the AIDS crisis..
Our members are deeply committed to tikkun olam, healing the world in a Jewish context. We strive to foster the well-being of Jews worldwide and to further the rights of gay men and lesbians of every race and every religion. We have marched in support of Soviet Jewry, celebrated Israeli Independence Day, walked in the Gay Men's Health Crisis AIDS Walk and the SHARE Walk for breast cancer. Our float in New York's Lesbian and Gay Pride Parade has won numerous awards. We raise money for numerous organizations and projects benefiting Jews, lesbian and gay people and other worthy causes. .
Our members come from a broad range of Jewish backgrounds, from secular Zionists to Orthodox Jews. CBST treasures Jewish tradition, even as we celebrate the myriad ways of expressing Jewish identity. CBST's varied minyanim (prayer groups) and wide range of programs reflect our members' different interests and needs. Our Children's Havurah holds Tot Shabbat services and holiday programs. Our under-30s group provides activities for younger members while the newly formed group for lesbians 50 and over addresses older women's concerns. All reflect our diversity..
Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum joined CBST in August 1992 as our spiritual leader. A compassionate counselor and an inspiring teacher, she provides pastoral care and officiates at life-cycle events and represents CBST in the wider Jewish community. Her life experiences echo our cultural and religious diversity. Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum grew up in a Conservative shul, attended an Orthodox high school, was ordained a Reconstructionist rabbi, and worked within the Reform movement. With her deep love of Yiddishkeit, respect for learning and passionate social activism, Rabbi Kleinbaum mirrors our vision of what we can become as individuals and as a congregation. Members of the congregation lead Shabbat and festival services, teach courses, visit the sick, assist with synagogue administration and serve on our Board of Directors. Members are welcome to join our many committees and initiate new programs..
In a lively and stimulating environment, CBST's adult Jewish studies program offers courses ranging from Torah cantillation to gay/feminist theology to Israeli dance. You can become an adult bar or bat mitzvah, learn how to make a latke or explore the depths of Torah with Rabbi Kleinbaum..
In 1996, Rabbi Kleinbaum led 30 CBST members on an educational tour to Israel which explored the essence of the land and deepened our profound connection to it. .
More than a spiritual refuge, CBST is a cultural institution that fosters social and intellectual growth. Our Community Chorus enhances many of our holiday services and participates in our annual Shabbat Shira celebration of Jewish music..
We invite you to sample CBST. Join us at 8:30 p.m. for Friday evening services. We are located at 57 Bethune Street, between Washington and West Streets, in the Westbeth Artist Housing Complex. Go into the courtyard and up the ramp. We look forward to welcoming you into our community. Shalom!
