Welcome to Beth Israel Synagogue
We are an independent, egalitarian Jewish community that welcomes all spiritual seekers. Proud of our ancient faith, we combine the study of our sacred texts with prayer that is engaging emotionally and spiritually. In our charming, 115-year-old building, we nurture a caring and joyful community.
Shabanukah Celebration
Celebrate Our Tradition
What has become of your grandfather’s tallit? What’s your favorite tune for L’cha Dodi? Which holiday do you most enjoy spending with your children?
Tradition is not merely “the way our ancestors of yore” did things. It is the way our parents and grandparents taught us to do things. Respect for tradition is not something we owe to the dim past, but that which animates our present: filling us with memories and connections to those we love.
Viewed this way, we view tradition not as stodgy but as very dynamic. And it means we must be continually engaged in the process of reevaluating that which we do, in order that those elements that are essential can continue to speak to us across the decades. In that way, respect for tradition means a continual willingness to embrace change.
As a more than one hundred year old community, the members of Beth Israel understand that everything we do must be grounded in tradition. But the purpose of that grounding is not to weigh us down, but to allow us to soar by making our innovations an authentic expression not only of who we are, but from where we come.
Connect with God
How does one connect with God?
It might be through the exuberance of our ancient prayers.
It might be through the insights gained in the study of our sacred texts.
It might be through the sense of having sanctified time by fulfilling its commandments.
It might be through sanctifying another’s joys or pains by being present.
Connecting with God is never easy. It requires a commitment and a kavanah - an intentionality - that is often missing from our day-to-day lives. But this expectation - that we will light the path of our daily lives by setting aside moments to encounter the divine - is at Judaism’s heart.
Beth Israel is committed to creating these moments of light in our lives through prayer, through study, through observance of the holidays and adoption of the mitzvot. In this way, we seek ways for each of us to connect with God.
Tue, July 15 2025
19 Tammuz 5785
Upcoming Services
A Cry of the Heart
I have been asked by several congregants to comment on the horrific murder of two employees at Israel’s embassy in Washington DC on Wednesday. What is there to say about this tragedy that I have not already said about the last one?
There is this:
Come to synagogue. Come every Shabbat. Learn the prayers. Learn the blessings before and after the reading of Torah. Read the Torah portion each week, and come to Torah study. Light candles on Friday night. Find out who in our community is lonely and visit them. Plan a special event for us. Or at least show up to one. Start a Jewish book club. Get involved with the Rosh Chodesh group - or help get a Men’s Club off the ground.
Perhaps most importantly, demand more of me. Ask me questions. Ask that I teach more. Challenge me by being present in my life with your own needs and wants.
Make Beth Israel Synagogue a thriving hub of Jewish life. Because the only way to make the Jewish community in America stronger and safer is by Jews acting Jewishly. Another email from me bemoaning the last antisemitic atrocity won’t do it. Another sermon detailing my observations on my latest trip to Israel won’t do it.
The only thing any of us can do to make Jewish life in this country safer and more meaningful is to be an active part of a thriving Jewish community.
You say you don’t believe in God? Judaism has always survived on deeds over faith. You say you don’t know the prayers? I’ll teach you. You say you have other things to do on Saturday morning? None is more important than this.
For those of you whom I see every week - or even every other week - or even once a month: thank you. You are making our community vibrant and vital and making the Jewish world stronger.
For those of you who have no plans to see me until September: please come sooner. We need you. And frankly - if what happened in Washington on Wednesday night matters to you - you need us too.
Our board of directors wants me to assure you they are taking every precaution to keep the synagogue safe. But I can offer you no better words than those of Moses to Joshua: “It is Adonai who will go before you. He will be with you and will not fail or forsake you. Fear not and be not dismayed!” (Deuteronomy 31:8)
Rabbi Alpert
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PO Box 536
Wallingford, CT 06492
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