Mission Statement: Congregation Beth Israel is a Jewish community dedicated to worship and spiritual growth in an environment that welcomes diversity, engages congregants, provides supportive care to members and invests in future generations through education. We promote social justice, charitable giving and lifelong learning.
Congregation Beth Israel provides Charlottesville, Albemarle and surrounding counties with a welcoming Jewish environment in which people can study, worship, socialize and take part in helping others. CBI offers both Reform and Conservative worship services.
Rabbi Dan 25th Year
CBI Celebrates 25 Years of Rabbi Dan Alexander
CBI recently celebrated the 25th anniversary of Rabbi Dan Alexander joining the synagogue with a special shabbat service and kiddush luncheon.
Camp CBI is a place for campers to create positive Jewish experiences which will last a lifetime. Our camp offers an enriched atmosphere in which Jewish themes and activities are interwoven through music, crafts, sports, field trips, swimming and more! Camp CBI offers something for everyone; from preschoolers to high schoolers. Camp CBI is a fun, interactive and exciting way for your child to spend their summer. Register today and take advantage of our early bird savings! Questions? Please contact Shelby Apple at shelbyapple@yahoo.com for campers entering grades 1-9, or Jill Clark jillc@cbicville.org for preschool campers ages 2 to Kindergarten.
CBI has created a new online calendar that anyone can use to sign up to host an Oneg or Kiddush! Just click on the link to open the calendar, add your name on the date you wish to host, be sure to save the document, and that's it! Hosting an Oneg or Kiddush is a generous and thoughtful way to contribute to the CBI community. Celebrate a birthday, wedding, or birth of a child; congratulate a fellow member on an achievement; commemorate a loved one, or just use it as a chance to meet your fellow members.
News & Information From the Union for Reform Judaism
The Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) has realeased a new video as in introduction to Reform Judaism, you can see it below, or by clicking here.
The URJ has also launched the new website, www.reformjudaism.org, which showcases Jewish life, practice, learning, and social justice from a modern Jewish perspective. Geared toward anyone who is interested in Judaism, the site invites visitors to find recipes, holiday information, read personal stories about Jewish journeys, study Torah, participate in lively discussions, advocate for a favorite cause, find a congregation, and much more.
For many, summer is a season of travel and that’s certainly true for me right now. Last week I was in Chicago, where I had the pleasure of meeting with a number of my rabbinic colleagues, synagogue professionals, and lay leaders in congregations throughout the city. This past week I was in Baltimore, where similar meetings were held. I spent Shabbat evening together with the Oheb Shalom family in this city rich in Reform Jewish history as the congregation celebrates its 160th anniversary. What a milestone! No matter the city or the congregation, though, it’s always important to get a [...]
by Toba Strauss Sisterhood women have had an incredible impact on my life. I am largely a product of the religious school system, of NFTY and URJ camping, all of which are opportunities afforded to me through sisterhood support. I feel fortunate to be a student at HUC-JIR, an institution that ordains women like me, in part because of the support (and perhaps pressure!) of the National Federation of Temple Sisterhoods/Women of Reform Judaism, and this year I have the opportunity to work for WRJ for my rabbinical internship. I am thankful to Women of Reform Judaism, and I personally [...]
by Rabbi Jonah Pesner Will synagogues continue to exist in the future? Will the next generation engage in Jewish life? Is Reform Judaism still relevant? These hard, honest questions underlie the conversations we members of the URJ leadership team have every day with leaders and staff of Reform congregations. Last week I was honored to be the ordination speaker at Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion, as a minyan of new rabbis received smicha. I addressed these questions head on, and challenged this next generation of rabbis to do the same. It is true that the data is [...]
It was just two short summers ago that URJ Camp Harlam had a teensy little garden. It was a sweet plot of land with some colorful perennials and herbs for Havdalah, plus a few rows of juicy tomato plants and other green veggies basking in the summer sun. But this summer we decided to put a stake in the ground – literally! – and declare with our sweat and muscles that we are fully committing to “greening” and “growing” at camp. It has been our Jewish vision to commit ourselves to teaching about tikkun middot and tikkun olam. This means [...]
