Mission Statement: Congregation Beth Israel seeks to be a welcoming, diverse Jewish community, that promotes spiritual growth, lifelong learning, charity, and social justice.
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.
Work for CBI Preschool Summer Camp!
Calling all rising 10th and 11th graders! Are you interested in gaining work experience and having lots of fun? Join the CBI Preschool Summer Camp and work as a Counselor in Training (CIT). Applicants must be willing to work at least 3 out of the 6 weeks of camp from Monday, June 10 to Saturday, July 20. Please email Jill Clark at jillc@cbicville.org with your interest, including two paragraphs explaining why you'd like to work at the CBI Preschool Summer Camp, and what you hope to learn from the experience. Deadline for application is Monday, April 15. Participants will be notified by Wednesday, May 1.
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.
by Rabbi Jonathan Biatch Editor’s Note: This post is the second of two about Congregation Emet VeShalom. Read the complementary post. The double air-kiss; you’ve gotta love it! It is a European custom becoming more widespread in Israel, and it’s quite contagious. You’ve seen it: once on the right side, then once on the left. By the conclusion of my first worship service at Emet VeShalom, I had received many such kisses of warmth and friendship. I quickly learned that the relatively small size of Emet VeShalom says nothing about its welcoming spirit, or its obvious passion, or its members’ [...]
Despite the fact that summer, with its hopefully slower pace, is just around the corner, the last few weeks have been packed! At the end of April, I joined 117 congregational presidents who had gathered in Atlanta for the annual Scheidt Seminar, the URJ’s unique leadership training initiative specifically designed for current and incoming presidents. During the gathering, we honored with an aliyah those participants whose parents or grandparents also had served as presidents. In a moving tribute to these former leaders, 25% of the participants stepped forward, not only to recite the Torah blessings, but also to carry on [...]
by Michele Gelman and Sheila Gold Michele Gelman is a native of New Orleans. By comparison, Sheila Gold is a relative “newcomer,” having been actively involved with her congregation for only 23 years. Despite this difference, these two women share many things: friendship, commitment to their respective synagogues, devotion to the Jewish community, and a love of pedicures. Michele: We met nearly seven years ago. We were both enrolled in a two-year leadership development program through the New Orleans Federation and a mutual friend, before we enrolled in the Federation program, invited us to dinner at the Chef’s Table at [...]
The Union for Reform Judaism is accepting donations to assist in the wake of the deadly tornado in Oklahoma. The URJ will allocate funding received to agencies on the ground that are best equipped to respond to this disaster. We’re also working closely with our congregations in the affected region to assure the safety of their congregants, their neighbors, and their structures and to determine next steps in relief work. URJ President Rabbi Rick Jacobs said in a statement released today, “We are numb with grief, and yet inspired by the heroic resilience of the people of Oklahoma. Our thoughts [...]
