B'nai Israel Congregation

The Chief Rabbi's Funeral: The Untold Story of America's Largest Antisemitic Riot with Scott D. Seligman Sunday, June 1 2024: American Book Fest Award Finalist &; Gold Medal Literary Award On July 30, 1902, tens of thousands of mourners lined the streets of New York’s Lower East Side to bid farewell to the city’s chief rabbi, Jacob Joseph. During the procession antisemitic factory workers rained scraps of steel, iron bolts, and scalding water down, injuring hundreds of mourners. The police did not distinguish aggressors from victims, and began beating up Jews, injuring dozens. Fed up with being persecuted, New York’s deftly pursued justice for the victims, forcing change within the police department, and engineering the resignation of the police commissioner. Scott D. Seligman is a national award-winning author of narrative non-fiction with a special interest in the history and biography of Americans. He holds an undergraduate degree in American history from Princeton University and a master's degree from Harvard University.

Shavuot is the celebration of revelation, Torah, and dairy! Join us for a delicious dairy meal as we kick off our Shavuot celebrations. We will honor our teens who have participated in learning throughout the year as we usher in the celebration of Shavuot. All are invited to stay after dinner for festival services and the Tikkun Leyl Shavuot.

Explore Jewish texts in new and meaningful ways as we engage in this annual late night tradition of studying Torah on Shavuot.

Celebrate each month’s birthdays at the end of Youth & Family services with songs and treats!

B’nai Israel’s Gold Kippah Honor Society recognizes students for their proficiency in various prayers. New this year: Pre-b’nai mitzvah students will be “buddied” up with a post-b’nai mitzvah student. Older students will mentor younger students to build stronger tefillah skills while fostering friendships across grades, role modeling, and building an integrated community. Click here for more Gold Kippah information including the Gold Kippah Siddur and audio files.

Family Minyan includes spirited prayer, an engaging Torah reading, and lively conversation about the weekly Torah portion. There is no better way to prepare your child for their bar or bat mitzvah and build community connections than regular Shabbat attendance. This service is led by clergy and staff, including Rabbi Mitchell Berkowitz and Rabbi Cheryl Stone.

Designed for the youngest members of our congregational family, Tot Shabbat meets weekly to sing, learn, and pray together with Tot Shabbat leaders, Morah Juliann Goldman and Lily Pollack. Beginning July 1, this service is followed by a Family Kiddush.

At the conclusion of Shabbat morning services We will miss all of our friends over the summer who head off to camp. Join us for youth services and we will send you off with a gift for the summer. We will also honor Gold Kippah award recipients on this day.