August 2025 - Building Bridges

I met and have sung with Nick Page, a well-known singer, conductor, composer, song leader, and music educator in the Boston area. One year at the Jewish Choral Festival (which I attend every summer) he introduced us to a song entitled “Building Bridges.” Here are the lyrics:

Building bridges between our divisions, I reach out to you, will you reach out to me? With all of our voices and all of our visions, Friends, we could make such sweet harmony. Listen to the song HERE.

During my decade here at Beth Samuel Jewish Center I have had many opportunities to create and build bridges between interfaith communities, as the song suggests. I’ve been a guest speaker (and singer!) at several churches in our area and just beyond, and at peace gatherings of all sorts here. This is such holy and necessary work. At my previous synagogue, the Rabbi dubbed me the “Interfaith Connection.”

We at Beth Samuel have had a long and supportive relationship with Rev. Carino Casas, the Executive Director of the Church’s Ministry Among Jewish People. Rev. Carino recently returned from a Mitzvah Mission to Israel (as I call it), one of the many in which she has participated. I am delighted to say she has graciously agreed to come to our Shabbat service on Saturday, August 16th, and tell us about her trip. I’m sure her first-hand account of working and volunteering in Israel will be fascinating.

She will speak during our service on August 16 and we will then have our usual delicious Kiddush for everyone, afterward. Come at 10am and be ready to be enlightened by our friend and colleague, with whom we are always gratefully building bridges.

B’shalom,
Cantor Rena