How We’ve Engaged the Community Beyond our Walls By Paul Zakrzewski, Congregation B’nai B’rith
Even as the COVID-19 pandemic forced Congregation
“Unable to travel to others’ homes for seder, many of
B’nai B’rith to close its building earlier this spring, we
us had to think about creating one in our own homes
found ourselves springing into action, responding
for the first time,” says Cantor Mark Childs, who helped
to our community’s needs in entirely new ways…
spearhead the effort. “It was our goal at CBB to provide as
sometimes for the first time in our 92-year history.
many resources as we thought useful for a successful and
This response has run along three tracks: the transition
meaningful home celebration — everything from ‘How
to online events; the expansion of our outreach
to set your seder table’ to ‘How to sing Chad Gadya.’”
to our most vulnerable members and those in the local community; and raising money for members through a “COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund.”
MOVING TO A VIRTUAL CAMPUS One of the first and most dramatic changes after our entire campus closed was CBB’s move to virtual events. Suddenly, the word “Zoom” was on everyone’s lips. Clergy and volunteer teachers have helped lead classes
… first ever Zoom community seder…firstever “Zoom mitzvah”
like Lunch & Learns, including Israel Then and Now
In early April, CBB partnered with Rincon Catering to
with Steve Zipperstein, Jewish prayer with rabbinic
offer Passover in a Box festive meals for 475 people,
intern Debi Lewis, Jewish music with Cantor Childs,
including 80 donated by congregants. One highlight
Monumental Events in Jewish History with Richard Hecht,
this spring was the sight of dozens of cars rolling
and Jewish short stories with Mashey Bernstein.
through CBB’s parking lot, everyone keeping socially
Special one-time events like a discussion on the
distanced as the boxed meals were distributed.
rise of popular Israeli and Jewish streaming shows
Another highlight from this difficult spring? Surely it
like Unorthodox (cosponsored by UCSB’s Taubman
was the sight of 13-year-old Ethan Somer reading from
Symposium), or a panel by physicians in our community
a Torah at his home — with dozens of people joining
on COVID-19 have drawn over 100 participants each.
online — for CBB’s first-ever “Zoom mitzvah.”
“It was inspiring watching the CBB community shift almost immediately to the online platform,”
CBB’S CARING COMMUNITY CONNECTS MEMBERS
says Rabbi Daniel Brenner. “Within the first two
While the world moved online, we felt it was
weeks, we had more people on Zoom than we had
important that our members not feel isolated and
at the synagogue the whole month before.”
alone. Aided by CBB’s Caring Community, a second
“Of course, it wouldn’t have been possible without community member and Zoom employee Noel Cohen,
initiative also sprang up in mid-March: outreach calls to every member by a clergy, board, or volunteer.
who provided both technical support and hardware. Our
Led by longtime volunteer coordinators Audrie Krause
community owes him a great deal of thanks,” he says.
and Nick Woolf, along with Mariela Socolovsky, Director
Weekly services and Jewish holidays have also moved online. We held our first ever Zoom community seder, with Rabbi Stephen Cohen leading more than 250 people through the Passover rituals — just like millions of others around the world. Additionally, CBB clergy and staff created an online resource of videos of Passover songs, encouragement, and more. 20 | SHALOM SANTA BARBARA | 2020–2021
of Engagement, volunteers have been assisting members with grocery shopping and weekly check-in calls for those feeling particularly isolated. Above: CBB’s first-ever Zoom mitzvah with Ethan Somer and his parents on May 2, 2020. Photo by Jen Lewis
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