P O Box 253
Stowe, Vermont 05672
802-253-1800
info@jcogs.org

 

Let me first express how thrilled and grateful I am to serve such a warm and vibrant community. We come from extraordinarily diverse backgrounds. We look to JCOGS to fulfill a wide range of religious, social, and educational needs. But we are all unified in building a strong Jewish community in Stowe.

My focus as the spiritual leader of JCOGS is religious programming. I plan and lead Shabbat evening services, generally on the third Friday of the month. (A member of our community leads on the first Friday.) I also conduct our High Holiday services, services for Sukkot and Shavu'ot, and other ceremonies throughout the year, such as the Tu B'Shevat Seder, the Purim celebration, the Passover Seder, the commemoration of Tisha B'Av, and the Chanukah celebration. My style of worship is relaxed and inclusive. I complement the traditional Hebrew prayers with ample explanations, alternative readings in English, lots of singing, and discussion. My main goal is to include everyone in our congregation, regardless of his or her spiritual leanings.

Besides directing our religious observances, I advise various segments of our community. I have developed a structured Hebrew School curriculum for our children from age 4 through 12; I work closely with our teachers and the Children's Education Committee, frequently visiting and substitute teaching in the classrooms. I supervise the training of our Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, including two youngsters in 2002. Our teenagers consult with me on COSY (Community of Stowe Youth) events, some of which I take part in. Along with the chair of Adult Education, I plan and execute adult programming; I taught a "Learn to Read Hebrew" class for adults in the fall, 2001, and I hope to develop and teach "Introduction to Judaism" in the near future.

I am available for pastoral care in times of joy and need. If you are celebrating a special occasion, I would be happy to include your simchah at Shabbat services. If you are preparing a major life cycle event, such as a Bar or Bat Mitzvah or a wedding, I would be able to officiate. If you know friends or family members who are ill or are recovering from injury, please give me their names, so that I may mention them during the Mi Shebeirach prayer, the public prayer for healing that we recite at every service. If, God forbid, you are experiencing a crisis, such as the death of a loved one, do not hesitate to call upon me for the funeral or Shiva service, or simply for spiritual counseling.

In fact, please feel free to contact me for any reason. I respond to e-mail very quickly at brianbes@tops-tele.com
. If you ever have a concern about the spiritual leadership that you do not wish to bring up directly to me, you can discuss it with any member of the Spiritual Leader Liaison Committee, whose function is to facilitate my relationship with the rest of JCOGS. (The Committee consists of: Patti Campbell Rubin, Burt Rubin, Nancy Krakower, Marvin Gameroff, Zal Stern, Steve Berson, and Bernie Nisenholtz.)

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