Congregation Beth Israel

Join Us We are an inclusive and welcoming Reform Jewish congregation from diverse backgrounds joined together to celebrate Jewish culture, education, and the arts MEMBERSHIP

Gather With Us Congregation Beth Israel’s mission is to be a welcoming and inclusive center for Jewish life in the Monterey Peninsula area.

Learn With Us As a center for Jewish life in our area, accessible to Jews of all backgrounds and their families, Congregation Beth Israel will serve as a house of prayer, a house of study, and a house of community, consistent with Jewish values and ethics. EDUCATION

Worship With Us Congregation Beth Israel is the dynamic, vibrant center for Jewish life in the Monterey Peninsula area. Our members celebrate and nurture relationships with God and with each other while respecting and wrestling with our Jewish tradition. Our doors are open to all who seek the guidance of our Jewish faith. We strive to make a positive impact on our community, the environment, and on the human condition through Tikkun Olam. WORSHIP

Your Feedback Matters!

Thank You for Your Support

As we step into the next phase of CBI's clergy transition, we are asking for your input. This survey is the beginning of the process of finding a new rabbi. Please take some time to be part of the process. Everyone's input is needed to make this successful. Please click the link to the survey. It should take less than 10 minutes to complete and the impact for CBI will last much longer.
The survey will close on May 27, 2024.

Join Us for These Special Events

Click Any Event Below for Information & Registration

All Events

Sunday ,
MayMay 19 , 2024

Chevra Kadisha Training Temple Beth El, Aptos, CA
Sunday, May 19th 10:00a to 3:00p
Chevra Kadisha Training: Introduction to Tahara and Shmira Sunday, May 19, 10 am-3 pm Temple Beth El, 3055 Rodeo Gulch Road, Aptos, CA The Chevra Kadisha is a centuries-old Jewish ritual, often called ‘Burial Society,” but better translated as the ‘Sacred Society’ or better yet, ‘Holy Friends.’ In a congregational setting, the mitzvah of guarding (Shmira) and ceremonially preparing our own deceased for burial (Taharah) brings the reality of life’s fragility into sharp focus. Far from depressing, it can awaken us to the exquisite preciousness of life. Members of the Temple Beth El Chevra Kadisha in Aptos are offering this introduction to the central practices for those wishing to learn the tradition and to build a Chevra Kadisha here in Monterey County, strengthening our resources in the north and south as one collective community in the Monterey Bay. Those with medical backgrounds are especially encouraged to consider attending. This event is jointly sponsored with Chadeish Yameinu, the Jewish Renewal Community of Santa Cruz. Reservations are required; for more information, please email chevrakadishasantacruz@gmail.com and cantoralisa@carmelbethisrael.org Those willing to carpool, please contact Donna in the office at 831-624-2015 or donna@carmelbethisrael.org .
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Wednesday ,
JunJune 5 , 2024

Lunch with Our Clergy
Wednesday, Jun 5th 12:00p to 1:00p
This month join Rabbi Greenbaum when he leads the discussion on Wednesday, June 5 at noon at Baja Cantina, located about one mile east of CBI. This month the discussion will focus on “A Jewish Response to Campus Protests” Are our Jewish students safe on our American College Campuses? Are the protests anti-Semitic or pro-Palestinian or both? Why are so many students supporting Hamas? How should we respond? Come prepared to offer your thoughts. Register online orcCall the CBI office at 624-2015 to RSVP. We will order off their regular menu so expect lunch to cost approximately $25.
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Saturday ,
JunJune 8 , 2024

Women's Shabbaton
Shabbat, Jun 8th 10:00a to 2:30p
Prayer & New Moon blessings led by Cantor Alisa and Rabbi Leah and Torah study led by Dr. Beryl Levinger. The Book of Ruth is the traditional reading for our upcoming Shavuot Festival. Our session will focus on one of the “plot elements” of Ruth: leaving and returning home. What does home and homeland mean to us? What, if anything, about Ruth and Naomi’s journey, mirrors our own lives? What are some Jewish texts that can help us expand our thinking around home and homeland? 10:00 AM to 2:30PM. Lunch provided by CBI with a suggested donation of $18.00 to offset costs. No one will be turned away due to lack of funds. Kindly register online at below or call the office at 831-624-2015 so we can plan accordingly!
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Tuesday ,
JunJune 11 , 2024

Erev Shavuot Teaching with Rabbi Bruce
Tuesday, Jun 11th 6:30p to 9:00p

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Wednesday ,
JunJune 12 , 2024

Best Years: An Offering of Love Songs and 'First Fruits' in Celebration of Shavuot!
Wednesday, Jun 12th 1:00p to 3:00p
Rabbi Eli Cohen of Chadeish Yameinu in Santa Cruz and opera singer Akindele ‘Akiva’ Bankole join Cantor Alisa Fineman and Kimball Hurd in concert, offering a program of love songs in celebration of Shavuot. Our Sages liken Shavuot to a wedding anniversary, when we stand together again at the mountain as one people, one heart, to receive the gift of Torah— our k’tubah (wedding contract)—between the Divine and the Jewish people, alluding to the quality of relationship we can experience with our Creator, the Source of Life. Open to all CBI Members! Rabbi Eli Cohen, spiritual leader of Chadeish Yameinu Jewish Renewal of Santa Cruz, grew up in a Conservative Jewish home infused with Yiddish language and culture. After practicing law as a public defender, he received smicha (ordination) from Rabbi Zalman Schachter- Shalomi and the Aleph Rabbinic Program in 2005. In the lineage of his teachers, Rabbi Eli brings a strong commitment to bridge religious and progressive values, and to carry the depth and joy of Judaism into the emerging paradigm. Akindele ‘Akiva’ Olanrewaju Bankole, a German-born Nigerian- American, began his formal singing with the Sacramento State University Opera Workshop where he had his Opera debut in the lead role of ‘Smiley’ in the Jumping Frog of Calaveras County, a story by Mark Twain. Bankole later joined Sacramento City Opera and thereafter, Opera San Jose. As a composer, Bankole writes his vocal lyrics in several languages, including Yoruba (his native language). He has written several arts songs; piano, vocal, choral, and orchestral works and is currently working on an Opera Lola’s Wedding. As part of his compositional repertoire, Bankole combines his traditional Yoruba tribe tonal and rhythmic melodies with western classical genre, which he calls “Classical Fusion”. FREE EVENT - Please register below or by calling the office.
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Sunday ,
AugAugust 4 , 2024

CBI Annual Meeting
Sunday, Aug 4th 11:00a to 1:00p

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Sunday ,
AugAugust 25 , 2024

Jewish Food Festival 2024
Sunday, Aug 25th 10:00a to 3:00p
We're thrilled to announce the return of our much-loved Jewish Food Festival, scheduled for August 25, 2024! Get ready to indulge in a tantalizing array of traditional Jewish dishes, cultural performances, and family-friendly activities.
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