Town Hall Recordings

CBST Congregation-Wide Town Hall Zoom Gatherings for CBST Members

In response to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, we launched monthly conregation-wide town halls for CBST members to gather via Zoom and discuss topcial issues relevant to the life of the synagogue, CBST members, and the wider CBST community. 

CBST’s Town Halls help keep members informed and offer the opportunity for members to ask questions and provide valued feedback about the topic at hand.

Attendance at Town Halls is available via Zoom for CBST members only. Members receive a separate email invitation to register in advance of each Town Hall. Any questions about membership? Email membership@cbst.org or you may renew/join CBST online.

Recent Town Hall recordings:

• March 25, 2024 – CBST Members’ Town Hall – Senior Rabbi Transition Update
• February 29, 2024 – CBST Members’ Town Hall on Israel with CBST members Martin Perl, Tanya Domi, and Janet Pavloff, who have all spent time recently volunteering or working and offering support in Israel.
• February 2, 2024 – Clergy Israel Trips: Rabbi Yael Werber and Rabbi Mike Moskowitz share about their individual experiences on their two different recent trips to Israel.
• November 6, 2023 – CBST Members’ Town Hall on Israel with CBST Member Yaniv Cohen who is now in the reserves in Israel as an army medic.
• October 30, 2023 – CBST Members’ Town Hall on Israel – we hear from a dear friend of Rabbi Noa Sattath, Iris, whose niece Naama was kidnapped and is being held hostage by Hamas.
• October 23, 2023 – CBST Members’ Town Hall – Senior Rabbi Transition Update
• October 23, 2023 – CBST Members’ Town Hall on Israel – with Rabbi James, Ofer Newman (former director of IGY – Israeli Gay Youth), and Asaf Rosenheim (CBST community member in Israel)
• October 16, 2023 – CBST Members’ Town Hall on Israel – with Rabbi Kleinbaum, and CBST members Hanna Gafni, Yael Bat-Chava, Yael Weiss, and Rabbi Ian Chesir-Teran (Rabbinic Educator for T’ruah in Israel).
• October 11, 2023 – CBST Members’ Town Hall – Crisis in Israel with Rabbi Kleinbaum and Rabbi Noa Sattath (Executive Director of ACRI, the Association for Civil Rights in Israel)

Older Town Hall Recordings:

• Town Hall 30 – July 24, 2023 – Senior Rabbi Transition Process
• Town Hall 29 – April 24, 2023 – Membership & More
• Town Hall 28 – February 27, 2023 – Senior Rabbi Transition Process
• Town Hall 27 – January 9, 2023 – Senior Rabbi Transition Process 
• Town Hall 26 (recording not available) – August 22, 2022 – High Holy Days 5783
• Town Hall 25 – March 14, 2022 – Next Generation Task Force
• Town Hall 24 – February 7, 2022 – CBST’s 49th Anniversary & the LGBTQ RAN Archive
• Town Hall 23 (recording not available) – January 10, 2022 – CBST Returns to Online-Only Programming
• Town Hall 22 – November 8, 2021 – CBST Assistant Rabbi Search
• Town Hall 21 (recording not available) – October 18, 2021 – Rabbi Kleinbaum’s Sabbatical
• Town Hall 20 – August 16, 2021 – The High Holy Days at CBST, discussing in-person services plan.
• Town Hall 19 – July 12, 2021 – The High Holy Days at CBST
• Town Hall 18 – June 7, 2021 – Rabbi Kleinbaum’s Trip to Israel
• Town Hall 17 (recording not available) – May 24, 2021 – Social Justice at CBST
• Town Hall 16 – April 19, 2021 – Safe Return to 30th Street and Imagining our Post-Covid Future
• Town Hall 15 (recording not available) – March 22, 2021 – Trans Jews are Here Convening
• Town Hall 14 (recording not available) – February 22, 2021 – “The COVID-19 Vaccine” Senior Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum moderates a panel with CBST Board of Directors Executive Officer Dr. Regina Linder and former CBST President Dr. Nathan Goldstein. 
• Town Hall 13 – January 25, 2021 – Post January 20, what’s next for New York, the country, and our world. How do we bring our Jewish LGBTQ values to this moment? Senior Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum moderates a panel with CBST members New York State Senator Brad Hoylman, AFT President Randi Weingarten, and human rights scholar and activist Tanya Domi.
• Town Hall 12 – December 21, 2020 – “Let’s Get it Done – Seven Important Documents to Complete and Decisions to Make for Your Peace of Mind!” Associate Rabbi Yael Rapport in conversation with Judy Ribnick, CBST’s consulting Director of Aging Initiatives, Kenneth Karpel, CBST Board Member and Cooperberg-Rittmaster Rabbinical Fellow Deborah Megdal.
• Town Halll 11 – November 16, 2020 – “Medical updates in this chapter of COVID-19.” Senior Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum in conversation with Dr. Nathan Goldstein.
• Town Hall 10 – October 5, 2020 – “CBST Votes!” Featuring Senior Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum; American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten; Director of Social Justice Programming Rabbi Marisa Elana James; and CBST Votes initiative leaders Sabrina Farber and Harold Levine.
• Town Hall 9 – August 24, 2020 – “How CBST Will Observe the Yamim Noraim/High Holy Days This Year.”
• Town Hall 8 – July 13, 2020 – “Medical updates in this chapter of COVID-19” with Senior Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum, Dr. Nathan Goldstein, and Dr. Jacqueline Weingarten-Arams.
• Town Hall 7 – June 15, 2020 – “Reopening Schools Safely and Responsibly” with Randi Weingarten
• Town Hall 6 – May 18, 2020 – “Updates on How CBST is Doing During This Crisis”
• Town Hall 5 – May 11, 2020 – “Mental Health in the Time of COVID-19” with Judy Ribnick and Dr. Diane Burhenne.
• Town Hall 4 – May 4, 2020 – “The State of the City in the Time of Covid-19” with New York City Speaker Corey Johnson.
• Town Hall 3 – April 27, 2020 – “Social Justice in the Age of Covid-19: What Are CBST Social Justice Teams Doing, and How Can You Be Involved?”
• Town Hall 2 – April 13, 2020 – “How is CBST doing during this Pandemic” with Senior Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum, Executive Director Yolanda Potasinski, and President Gregg H. Passin.
• Town Hall 1 – April 2, 2020 – “How to Prepare for Illness, Death and Dying in these Perilous Times” with Judith Turkel, Esq., and Dr. Nathan Goldstein discussing legal and medical issues.