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Sukkot

November 8, 2011 By urjnetworkadmin in Sukkot

Sukkot, a Hebrew word meaning “booths” or “huts,” refers to the Jewish festival of giving thanks for the fall harvest, as well as the commemoration of the forty years of Jewish wandering in the desert after Sinai. Sukkot is celebrated five days after Yom Kippur on the 15th of Tishrei and is marked by several distinct traditions. One tradition, which takes the commandment to “dwell in booths” literally, is to build a sukkah, a booth or hut. A sukkah is often erected by Jews during this festival, and it is common practice for some to eat and even live in these temporary dwellings during Sukkot.

Sukkot 2021

Celebrating in our sukkah Sept. 2021:

Our Staff

October 28, 2011 By urjnetworkadmin in Our Staff

Rabbi Joshua Samuels

rabbi@bethisraelbellingham.org (360)733-8890

Kesher Co-Director Victoria Mayers

victoria.mayers@bethisraelbellingham.org kesher@bethisraelbellingham.org

Kesher Co-Director Leah Borman

leah.bordman@bethisraelbellingham.org kesher@bethisraelbellingham.org

Office Manager Sarah Cobb

sarah.cobb@bethisraelbellingham.org

Our Rabbi

October 28, 2011 By urjnetworkadmin in Our Rabbi

Rabbi Joshua Samuels

Congregation Beth Israel welcomed Rabbi Joshua Samuels as its spiritual leader in July 2012. He received his ordination from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Jerusalem and Los Angeles. Originally from San Francisco, he attended University of Wisconsin-Madison, receiving a B.S. in Marketing. For six years, prior to entering rabbinical school, Samuels worked in institutional equity sales and brokerage operations in San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Rabbi Samuels previously served Temple Beth Hillel in the Los Angeles area. During his tenure there, Samuels enjoyed teaching adult education courses, organizing annual community-wide days of social action, providing spiritual care to home-bound congregants, interacting with the early education students and leading Jews and non-Jews in prayer and Jewish ritual life.

Prior to Temple Beth Hillel, Rabbi Samuels received his ordination from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Jerusalem and Los Angeles. It was during these 5 years that he served Jewish communities in Santa Barbara and Temecula, CA. Samuels also honed his skills in providing pastoral care to hospice and hospital patients working at UCLA Medical Center and Kaiser Home Hospice. In addition, he was the recipient of The Samson H. Levey Memorial Prize for showing greatest promise in the study of Rabbinic literature and Talmud.

Rabbi Samuels attended University of Wisconsin-Madison, receiving a B.S. in Marketing. For six years, prior to entering rabbinical school, Samuels worked in institutional equity sales and brokerage operations in San Francisco and Los Angeles at Sutro & Co., Sanders Morris Harris and Stone & Youngberg, LLC.

Rabbi Samuels is originally from San Francisco. He comes to Bellingham with his wife Nicole, a registered nurse, and their two children, Eytan and Shoshana.

Click here for Divrei Torah/Sermons

CONTACT INFORMATION

Email: rabbi@bethisraelbellingham.org

Rabbi In the Community

Hospital Advisory Board

Rabbi Samuels recently accepted an invitation to sit on the Professional Advisory Board at Saint Joseph’s Hospital. This committee oversees the hospital’s Clinical Pastoral Program which trains people to become spiritual care providers.

Celebration of Hope

Rabbi Samuels recently gave the closing benediction at Interfaith Coalition’s Celebration of Hope Event event. Read his remarks here.

WWU STUDENTS VISIT BI

Steve Hoffman’s “American Jewish Experience” students from Western Washington University visited Congregation Beth Israel in April 2013.

hoffmanclass1

Our Leadership

October 28, 2011 By urjnetworkadmin in Our Leadership

Executive Officers 2023-2024

President Jodi Litt, president@bethisraelbellingham.org

Vice President Erin Cohen

Vice President Jane Relin

Treasurer Karen Sloss

Secretary Tammy Dixon

Past president, Josh Greenberg

Ex-Officio Rabbi Joshua Samuels, rabbi@bethisraelbellingham.org

Board Members

Steve Ban

Jason Benhaim

Stuart Berman

Paul Blum

Tamar Clarke

Miriam Davids

Kevin Donner

Binnie Perper

Terri Weiner

About Us

October 28, 2011 By urjnetworkadmin in About Us

Congregation Beth Israel, one of the oldest synagogues in Western Washington, has served Bellingham’s Jewish community since its establishment in 1908. Founded primarily by Lithuanian immigrants coming to the shores of the far western United States, the congregation moved into the synagogue building at the corner of Broadway and Irving in 1925. We moved into our new building at 751 San Juan Boulevard in March 2018.

Although originally founded along Orthodox traditions, with men seated in the main sanctuary while women worshipped from the balcony, the congregation became more liberal after World War II. Further liberalization occurred over the next 30 years. In 1987, Beth Israel affiliated with the Union for Reform Judaism (then called the Union of American Hebrew Congregations). Read more about the history of Beth Israel.

Our members come from all walks of life and from a large region encompassing not only Bellingham and Whatcom County, but extending from the lower mainland of British Columbia to Mount Vernon and Skagit County as well as Island and San Juan Counties. Many are also newly arrived in the Pacific Northwest from other areas of the country. Beth Israel strives to accommodate the growth and diversity of its membership, providing worship and study which is both meaningful and comfortable to Jews from a wide variety of backgrounds.

Our Mission Statement

CBI is a diverse and inclusive synagogue affiliated with the Union for Reform Judaism and committed to a tradition that honors both Jewish continuity and innovation. We warmly welcome people into our vibrant community, dedicated to the study of Torah and creative Jewish learning, joyous and meaningful worship, and engaging in the sacred obligation of tikkun olam, repair of the world. As inheritors of a rich past and creators of a future full of possibility, we continually seek new opportunities to support each other in participating and growing Jewishly.

Rabbi Joshua Samuels

Congregation Beth Israel is pleased to have Rabbi Joshua Samuels as its spiritual leader. He received his ordination from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Jerusalem and Los Angeles. Originally from San Francisco, he attended University of Wisconsin-Madison, receiving a B.S. in Marketing. For six years, prior to entering rabbinical school, Samuels worked in institutional equity sales and brokerage operations in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Read more

Youth Group (BAY)

October 28, 2011 By urjnetworkadmin in Youth Group (NFTY)

About BAY

Bellingham Area Youth (BAY) is Congregation Beth Israel’s high school youth group, which is affiliated with the North American Federation for Temple Youth (NFTY). We provide a fun link between high-school students and the Jewish community. Our activities include social and spiritual events as well as Tikkun Olam. Check the congregation’s weekly e-mail for updates on activities and events.

Meet our adviser: Leah Bordman

Hi! My name is Leah Bordman and I’m the co-Kesher Director at CBI, as well as the BAY adviser!

I grew up in Vancouver, WA and went to Western Washington University for part of my undergrad studies. I actually worked at CBI as a Kesher teacher while I was in school there!

After that I moved to Jerusalem for a while, and then to Boston for graduate school. I worked as a youth adviser in Rye, NY for two years before moving home to Bellingham with my husband Brandon. We are both so glad to be back in the Pacific NW!

During the year when I’m not at CBI, I’m usually curled up reading with my dog and my cats, or making collage art in my reading journal! In the summer you can find me at URJ Camp Kalsman down in Arlington, WA.

If you have any questions about BAY, Kesher, B’Mitzvah, or Camp — reach out to me at leah.bordman@bethisraelbellingham.org!

URJ Youth and College Programs

Our family of programs for ages 8 to 26 include NFTY teen programming, URJ Camps, Israel travel experiences and social justice programming at the Religious Action Center. Click this link for more information.

For more information or to register for NFTY NW events please visit www.northwest.nfty.org

NFTY photos from 2019-2020

Youth Programming

October 28, 2011 By urjnetworkadmin in Youth

Congregation Beth Israel involves youth from birth through high school. Choose from the Youth menu to learn more about our many programs.

Sisterhood

October 28, 2011 By urjnetworkadmin in Sisterhood

The Sisterhood of Beth Israel will not be an active auxiliary of CBI as of Fall 2019. The last several years has seen a decline in memberships and other than a very successful “New Kitchen Shower” in 2017, meetings/planned gathering have had minimal attendance.

Small groups, such as Book Group (see online calendar or Shofar newsletter for dates/locations and see a list of previously read books updated January 2024) and Knitting/handwork Group will continue. These have been Sisterhood sanctioned versus official Sisterhood events.

A walking group gets together weekly for easy trail walks. In September 2021 we visited Big Rock Garden Park, where a sculpture is dedicated to congregant Anne Brown, z”l.

The remaining monies in the Sisterhood account will be used to purchase kiddush cups for b’nei mitzvah through at least the next class, help offset some of the cost of the Break the Fast and purchase the annual calendar until such a time there are not sufficient funds.

We welcome your input but please, do not send us dues!

Thanks for all your support over the decades!
Respectfully,
Miriam Davids
Joan Wayne

Directions

October 28, 2011 By urjnetworkadmin in Directions

Congregation Beth Israel

751 San Juan Boulevard

Bellingham, Washington 98229

Call: (360) 733-8890

Fax: (360) 733-9842

Email: office@bethisraelbellingham.org

Look at Google map

How to get to Congregation Beth Israel

About Social Action (Tikkun Olam)

October 28, 2011 By urjnetworkadmin in Tikkun (Social Action)

Social Action Throughout the Year

Social Action Committee projects include collecting donations for the Food Bank, making hats for the homeless and other volunteer opportunities throughout the year. Watch for information in our weekly newsletter to members.

Anti-Racist Pledge

Congregation Beth Israel, centered in Bellingham, Washington, stands with Jews all over the world in affirming the principles of equal justice and equal respect underlying the declaration that Black Lives Matter. Believing in the dignity of every individual, we deplore the structural racism that has denied people of color the rights and opportunities enjoyed by their fellow citizens. We strongly support the Constitutional right to peaceful assembly and condemn all forms of violence against peaceful protestors.

Our Bible and our sages, our liturgy and our vision of a just society, teach us the value of every human being. The centuries of defamation and oppression Jews have suffered help us understand the suffering people of color have endured in the United States from the founding of our country to the present day.

Those of us who are white Americans may have wittingly or unwittingly contributed to that suffering. We will work to eradicate any traces of racism in our lives as a congregation and as individuals, and will take any steps within our power to promote the equality our founding documents proclaim as the right of all people.

— Approved by CBI Board of Directors, Nov. 10, 2020

Fighting Hate Together July 2023

Congregation Beth Israel’s Social Action Committee hosted One Whatcom’s Fighting Hate Together event, on on July 29, 2023, at the synagogue. The countywide anti-racism event included collaboration with the Chardi Kala Project, BetterTogether Lynden and Connect Ferndale. These anti-racist groups wanted to honor Holocaust survivor Noemi Ban (z’l) and also offer support to our Jewish community in the face of rising anti-semitism, by making connections, creating and deepening friendships between our organizations, sharing a meal and coming together to fight hate crimes. Here is an article about the event, published in the Salish Current:

One Whatcom forms local network to counter violence and racial intolerance

Pride Parade July 2023

Congregation Beth Israel continues to represent at Bellingham’s annual Pride Parade, showing Bellingham a welcoming Jewish community. Looking forward to next year!

Read about Congregation Beth Israel’s initial participation in the 2016 Bellingham Pride Parade, in this letter from Rabbi Samuels:

Letter to Communty from Rabbi Samuels