Join us
Come be a part of a community where family is at the center. At Bet Israel, we believe in an inclusive, open, and conservative Judaism. We are a Zionist, fully egalitarian, family-friendly community, committed to a vision of inclusive, open-minded, forward looking, evolving Judaism that optimally blends tradition and ritual with modern life and contemporary values. We invite you to join us for Shabbat services, celebrate Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, and other Jewish lifecycle events, explore your Jewish and Israeli identity, and enjoy a variety of cultural and spiritual activities. In the Bet Israel community, men and women pray together. You can sit as a family without separation in our impressive and welcoming sanctuary. We preserve the traditions of prayer while incorporating melodies and liturgical poetry. Everyone in the community can lead a prayer, read from the Torah, and participate in public duties.
Donate
If you identify with our vision of and core values, help us realize them. To donate please contact our office
Phone: 09-8624345
Email: office@bet-israel.org.il
Community Events and Activities
Congratulations to the Gutnik family on the bar-mitzva of their son Netanel.
We are not just a synagogue, but a community center. In addition to our regular Shabbat and holiday services, we also provide a broad range of educational programs, cultural events and other social activities, open to both our members and the community at large.
Yom Hashoa remarks – Bet Israel
I’d like to thank you all for attending what I hope will be a meaningful Yom Hashoa commemoration.
It is based on the writings of the late Rabbi Ervin Birnbaum, who, in addition to being the spiritual leader of our community for over 2 decades, was also a distinguished academic, and a Holocaust survivor who embarked for Palestine on the Exodus.
Two weeks ago, at the Seder Table, we asked Ma Nishtana. That question also unfortunately applies to this year’s Yom Hashoa, which is obviously very different this year, as it is taking place in the middle of a prolonged war that started with a brutal campaign of pillage, rape and massacre perpetrated by Hamas terrorists.
Over the past six months, the comparison between it and the Holocaust has become all too frequent. However murderously barbaric and despicable the 7/10 attack was, it was not the Holocaust.
In general, the term Holocaust is bandied about too often in our society, to the point where we risk trivializing it. This is an affront to the victims, and a gift to those who seek to deny and diminish it.
Am hafetz haim anahnu. We must never forget, or allow humanity to forget the Holocaust, but neither can we allow it to determine our future.
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Circle of Life Commemorations
We accompany families seeking to meaningfully commemorate circle of life events in budget-friendly ceremonies that optimally combine tradition and contemporary Judaism.
Circumcision ceremony
We are with you in the Brit Milah, which is one of the most common commandments among the Jewish people and in Judaism. As part of the circle of life, we celebrate Brit Milah and Bat Mitzvah joy
Bar/Bat Mitzvah
We are with you in the Brit Milah, Bar and Bat Mitzvah, weddings, and also in times of mourning, as part of the circle of life. Brit Milah and Bat Mitzvah joy, Bar and Bat Mitzvah ceremonies, weddings, and also moments of mourning, all as part of the circle of life
Weddings
We offer full support in the preparation and organization of Weddings, Aufruf (Shabbat Hatan) and Henna ceremonies, along with hosting family and friends in a spacious hall located above the synagogue, including equipment for significant and joyous events.
Events & ceremonies
You can host ceremonies and events together with the community in the special events hall of the synagogue. Contact us and discover how you can host an amazing event with us
Jonathan Ariel (Schwartz)
Bet Israel President
When I agreed to take on the role of President of Bet Israel, it was clear the biggest challenge facing us was the urgent need to initiate and implement a process of renewed growth. It was obvious to me, and to our previous president, Larry Hepner, that unless we changed our trajectory, within a few short years we would cease to exist.
I would like to congratulate Larry, who, despite being a new immigrant who does not speak Hebrew, was able, thanks to his experience as the president of a synagogue in the USA, to provide the leadership that enabled us to remain functional during the Corona crisis, which, because of our demographics, impacted us particularly severely.
The process of growing the community is very challenging because it requires members to be willing to step out of their comfort zone. Like most of the movement's communities in Israel, the Bet Israel community was founded by immigrants from English-speaking countries, mainly North America. During the last two decades the movement has evolved significantly. Most of the older communities have become much more native Israeli in character. In addition, dozens of new communities and chavurot have sprung up in cities, towns, and rural settlements, where there are almost no immigrants from English-speaking countries.
Bet Israel has been a laggard in this regard, one of the few communities that has remained a predominantly English-speaking community It is true that in the beginning of the wave of immigration from the FSU we opened our doors to them, establishing the Shearim community for them, but we remained essentially a community with a distinct Anglo-Saxon flavour. It is clear to all of us that if we are to survive and thrive, we must grow, and in order to grow, we must evolve. Change is always a challenging process, as it requires a willingness to go beyond our comfort zones. If our plans succeed, we will be a different community, with a different atmosphere, and a new flavor. At the end of this process, we will be a larger community, which will reflect the social mosaic that characterizes Israeli society in general, and in particular Netanya, one of the most diverse cities in Israel. I understand that leaving the comfort bubble is challenging, but without doing this, we have neither purpose nor future. Under Larry’s leadership, we had already begun to prepare for this. We sold the property we had in Independence Square, to ensure we would have the necessary resources to start this complex process.
It was clear to us that an indispensable condition for entering a period of growth and change was to have a rabbi again. After hard efforts we were able to find a rabbi, Reuben Modek, who we believe will be able to meet the difficult challenge of being the spiritual leader of a community that is about to enter a long and complex growth process. We congratulate him on the start of his term (he took office on 1/12/23), and wish him great success. In the end, there is a symbiotic relationship between his success and our success.
In my opinion, the severe identity crisis that is tearing Israeli society apart is actually an opportunity for our community to realize our plans. The majority of Israeli society is not extreme. the vast majority of Israelis want Israel to remain a Zionist state, with a clearly defined Jewish character and flavour, based on tolerance, not coercion. Most Israelis want our society to develop a natural synergy between our Jewish and Israeli identities, not tear itself apart in a conflict over which should dominate.
The fundamental values of the Masorti movement are rooted in a worldview that holds that in order to remain relevant, and successfully face the challenges inherent in the renewal of our national sovereignty, Judaism must constantly evolve. I believe these values will find a receptive ear in Israeli society.
I hope that together with Rabbi Modek, myself, and the other members of our executive committee, we will be able to give Bet Israel the energetic leadership necessary to lead these processes, and move the congregation forward.