Fundraiser to Honor Will Robertson

We don’t sell tickets to Shabbat Shirah since it’s our Shabbat service. Instead, we’re asking you to donate to CBH in honor of Will’s work over this last year and throughout the pandemic. 

Here’s a partial list of incredible things Will has brought to CBH in the last few years: 

1. Will has been a stabilizing presence throughout many transitions at CBH. He has served as our institutional memory and an anchor to who we are at CBH, while also creating space for and supporting new leaders and new ideas. He holds the pieces together that most of us don’t even know are there. The amount of thinking and planning that Will puts into every meeting, every rehearsal, and every service is what makes it so fulfilling to participate in anything he has created. 
    
2. Will is The Original CBH Music Man. He’s been chorus director since 2008 and Interim Music Director over the last year. As Interim Music Director, Will led high holiday planning with a new rabbi and with a team of mostly new lay cantors. He’s also led the music at band shabbats, Simchat Torah services, Britot Mitzvah, and more. As chorus director, he’s led weekly rehearsals, increased chorus membership, expanded our repertoire, and even written new music. His thoughtful leadership and attention to detail is a huge part of what’s made the last year full of the music and warm CBH vibe you love.
    
3. Will has served as our Multi-Access Wizard, working with a team of people to design and install a system of high-quality cameras, speakers, monitors, a giant TV, and a new mix board. This has significantly improved the audio and visual quality of our online multi-access services, which is so crucial to our staying connected during the pandemic. He also cleared out all the wires and cables from our sanctuary to make our home not only high-tech but also tidy. Outside of CBH, he makes sure we sound great at CCUC and St. Bart’s, both of which have unique sound requirements. 
    
4. Will kept us all singing during the pandemic. How many of us Zoomed in on Friday nights to dance along with Will on “Oseh Shalom” or pray for those in need of healing with Will’s own “Misheberach”? As a chorus, we finished recording Red Thread, then learned a whole new technology to bring our voices together over Zoom for High Holidays in 2021. All of these things were made possible by Will’s expertise, encouragement, and deep belief in the spiritual necessity of music. 
    

Will is not only the glue that has held us together, but he is also a mensch. No matter the challenge, Will always shows up with a warm heart, a kind smile, and sometimes a music joke that only three people understand.

We’re asking that you consider making a donation to honor Will’s contributions to CBH. As a special incentive, my daughter, Elena, will be baking a special box of treats for the first 10 people who donate $540 or more. Please scroll down to make your donation.

We look forward to singing and dancing with you at Shabbat Shirah, and we hope you will join us in honoring Will for all he brings to our community. Please register here to attend in person or by Zoom.

With love and appreciation,

Ariela Freedman
CBH Chorus Member and Lay Cantor