Below you can find the descriptions of the services that occur on a regular basis at Congregation Beth Israel. For holiday services, please look under the menu item holiday from above. In the calendar, which can be found under calendar and on the main worship page, you'll find the details for each of these services if there are any changes.
Hearing Enhancement For Worship Services and Special Programs: Hearing enhancement devices are available both in the Sanctuary and in Smith Auditorium. If you would like to use one, please ask one of our friendly greeters.
Visiting Groups: Groups interested in attending worship services should contact our Clergy Assistant, Cynthia Orr, at (512) 454-6806. Letting us know that you are coming will help us make you feel welcome!
New to CBI? If you are unfamiliar with our services and would like to sit with someone who can help orient you, our friendly greeters will be happy to match you up with someone who can help ... just let us know how we can help!
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Every Friday at 6:30pm, we offer our contemporary, "haimishe" services in our newly-remodeled Sanctuary. These services are led Rabbi Folberg and Rabbi Olshein. During this service, we strive for a balance between Hebrew and English prayers and invite congregational singing and participation throughout. This service is also offered on the THIRD Friday of each month at 8:00pm.
Children are invited up to the bimah every Friday night to share in the Kiddush and then remain on the bimah for a blessing given by the Rabbis. Each week, Rabbi Folberg or Rabbi Olshein delivers a short sermon/d'var Torah designed to teach, connect, and inspire.
Our talented group of Lay Cantorial Soloists works with Rabbi Olshein to prepare a mix of familiar and modern music to enhance Shabbat worship.
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Our weekly Shabbat morning services begin at 10:30am, immediately following Torah Study which begins at 9:15am. Our Shabbat morning services are participatory and inclusive and we are fortunate to have many congregants who participate in leading worship and reading from the Torah and Haftarah.
On some Saturday mornings, a student celebrating becoming a bar or bat mitzvah will assist with leading worship and reading from the Torah, however, our worship is always intended to be a community celebration of Shabbat and at least one Aliyah is reserved for members of the community not related to the student. We look forward to seeing you at one of our warm and inclusive Shabbat morning services!
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Tot Shabbat – 2nd and 4th Saturdays at 9:30am
Rabbi Folberg and Rabbi Olshein share the leading of our exciting and engaging Tot Shabbat services. Held on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of each month from September through May, this service begins at 9:30 a.m. in our Sanctuary, followed by a snack, craft projects, and play time with other kids on our beautiful playground. Filled with songs, stories, and sometimes even dancing on the bimah , this interactive service is designed for families with children age 0-5 … older siblings are always welcome, but the service is geared towards our youngest congregants. Like all of our worship services, this program is open to the entire community!
Child Development Center Shabbat Program – Fridays at 10:30am
Every Friday at 10:30 am, Rabbi Folberg or Rabbi Olshein leads a short Shabbat program consisting of the Shabbat blessings, a story or teaching, and singing. Designed for children age 0-5, this program is open to the entire community, not just families with children enrolled at our Child Development Center. (There are occasional Fridays when this program does not occur due to CDC closings or holidays. Please check the Calendar for more details.)
Pajama Havdallah Services with CBI’s “Young Family Connection”
Designed for families with children age 0-5, these services introduce Havdallah to our smallest worshipers in a fun atmosphere. Rabbi Olshein and our Child Development Center Director, Shauna Goldstein, will be leading this program.
Bring your children in their PJs for a short Havdallah service, singing, and a bedtime story, ending with graham crackers and milk. Come learn how to turn your bedtime practices into a fun Jewish experience! More details soon about when these fun events will occur.
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Classical Reform Service – Most Second Fridays at 8:00pm
On the Second Friday of the month from October to May, we offer a “Classical Reform” service at 8:00pm in our Chapel. For this service, we use the original Union Prayer Book, with the service readings being primarily in English. We use more "classical reform" melodies during this service (almost all of the music for this service was written before 1970). Accompanied by Greta Gutman on the piano, Rabbi Olshein leads this service each month with Lay Cantorial Soloist Shari Nichols and occasional additional guests.
Torah Service – Most Fourth Fridays
On the Fourth Friday of the month, we typically take the Torah from the Ark and read some of the portion of the week. During this service, we also invite those who have celebrated birthdays, anniversaries and other happy events during the month to join us on the bimah, recite the “Shehechayanu” and share their good news with the congregation.
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At 6:00pm each Friday, we invite you to join us at our "Proneg," consisting of wine, cheese, crackers, and fruit, along with an opportunity to meet new people or catch up with old friends before services. This is a great opportunity to transition from the hectic work week to Shabbat, beginning with our beautiful Shabbat worship experience at 6:30pm.
On the first Friday night of each month, CBI’s Sisterhood provides Shabbat dinner for the entire congregation after services. There is no charge to attend dinner and no need to RSVP, but Sisterhood always appreciates donations to help cover the cost of dinner.
All of our Shabbat services are followed by an Oneg Shabbat, where the entire congregation is invited to enjoy coffee, tea, lemonade, and special treats to extend the joy of celebrating Shabbat. If you would like to sponsor a “Proneg” or an Oneg Shabbat to honor someone you love, please contact Jennifer Smith, CBI’s Executive Director, at jsmith@bethisrael.org.
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Our Wednesday afternoon service starts at 5:45pm and lasts approximately 30 minutes. This service, led by Rabbi Folberg, gives people an opportunity to meet and worship in the Chapel in a relaxed atmosphere. The service often includes elements of Jewish meditation practice as well as traditional liturgy. It’s a great way to “check in” spiritually and find some stillness and community in the middle of a hectic work week!
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Judaism has much to teach us about healing the mind, body, and spirit. Rabbi Olshein and Lay Cantorial Soloist Sarah Avner lead our Healing Services, which focus on the power of community and prayer to bring comfort to anyone seeking healing. This year, we will offer Healing Services this year on Yom Kippur afternoon, with the possibility of additional services during the year. This service lasts approximately 45 minutes and is open to the entire community.
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