Reflecting on CBST's First Shabbat Shalem

Our clergy and staff are still basking in the afterglow of our beautiful inaugural Shabbat Shalem this past weekend!

When we envisioned what an all-day Shabbat at CBST would look like, we couldn’t have imagined such an incredible day. Something magical happened when we all came together, both in person and online, to extend our celebration of Shabbat as a community.

When we all gathered in the sanctuary for the first community learning session, something special took hold. Before we broke up into study groups, we asked everyone to stand up and ‘mingle, shuffle and intermix’ – literally – all around the sanctuary. To our delight, in a matter of minutes, people branched out, formed small groups, and began in-depth conversations with new faces of CBST folks. That incredible communal energy could be felt throughout the day, in every available room, nook and chair.

Profound connections were made; board games were taught, learned, and played; crafts and paints filled tables; and laughter and dancing were vibrating through the floorboards. Together, we created an incredibly full and complete Shabbat experience. A real Shabbat Shalem.