A Message from Marc

Marc's Message

Marc Baker headshot
CJP's President and CEO, Rabbi Marc Baker, writes and teaches about leadership, community, and civic life, bringing the voice of Jewish tradition to contemporary issues.

 

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Resilience and Tisha B'Av

Dear Friends,

I returned this morning from four intense days in Israel as part of CJP’s Solidarity Mission. I traveled with a diverse group of CJP leaders and volunteers whose passion, curiosity, and love of Israel inspired me. I felt similarly to many others who just needed to get back h…

Freedom for What?

Dear Friends,

As we head into Independence Day weekend, I find myself reflecting on freedom.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursui…

Juneteenth

Dear Friends,

Yesterday, President Biden signed a bill establishing Juneteenth as a federal holiday. The day marks the anniversary of June 19, 1865, when formerly enslaved Black people in Texas were freed. While this has long been a day of celebration for many Black people, especially in th…

Choosing Hope

Dear Friends,

Sometimes I open the weekly Torah portion and find that the story or message speaks precisely to the present moment. This week, we read the story of the “spies” or “scouts” (the meraglim, in Hebrew). As the Israelites near the end of their journey through the wildernes…

One Nation, One Heart

Dear Friends,

This morning, many in our community came together for a virtual gathering for Israel that featured words, song, and prayer. We heard words from the head and words from the heart; words of solidarity and words of compassion; words of grief and words of hope. I am grateful to al…