Posts by Rabbi

Holocaust Memorial Service May 1 to Feature Music of the Holocaust

In honor of Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Memorial Day), Congregation Beth Israel will hold a memorial service and program on Sunday, May 1, 7:00pm at the synagogue on 14th Street and Hemlock. The program features Neal Brostoff, noted pianist and Jewish music scholar from Los Angeles who will speak about music of the Holocaust. The talk will be illustrated with sound recordings and video. The subject of music in the ghettos and camps, as well as post-Holocaust art music will shed light on the power Read more [...]

All About Passover

CBI Seder at Canyon Oaks The first Seder is held (at home) this year on Monday, April 18. Our second-night community Seder will be held at Canyon Oaks Country Club on Tuesday, April 19, 6:00pm. Rabbi Danan will lead a lively, participatory Seder for all ages. Canyon Oaks will cater an elegant meal including soup, salad, choice of kosher chicken or vegetarian entrée, and dessert. Reservations with check are due in to the CBI office by 5:00pm on Friday, April 8. After that date, please contact that Read more [...]

Gala Purim Celebration March 20

This year Purim, the Feast of Esther, day falls on a Sunday, March 20, and that gives us an opportunity to gather the whole community, young and old, for a festive holiday celebration! Everyone is invited to come in costume for an afternoon of fun and merriment. We’ll begin at 4:00pm with a Purim Carnival for the children and their families, at which they will play games, make hamantaschen, and do the mitzvah of making Mishloach Manot (goody baskets) for our Sages. Then at 5:00p.m., adults Read more [...]

CBI Silent Auction Feb. 5

Join us on Saturday night, February 5th, 6:30-8:30p.m. at CBI for a “sweetheart” of an evening with lots of friends, food, wine, and plenty of fun and fabulous items on which to bid. It’s all for a very good cause: supporting our CBI Religious School! This annual fundraiser is an adult event that benefits our kids. No cost for the event, but please come and bid on lots of items so that we can help our kids’ religious education!

For Trees’ New Year Help Us Plant 100!

On December 2, 2010, the worst fire in Israel's history broke out in the Carmel Mountains near Haifa, destroying 5 million trees and 12,500 acres of planted forest, natural woodland, open spaces and built-up areas. After four days of continuous fighting, the Israeli firefighters with help from many countries around the world succeeded in dousing the flames.  The road to recovery is now beginning. The CBI Religious School is participating in the Jewish National Fund's "Operation Carmel Renewal: From Read more [...]

“The Bible and American Law,” Jan. 14

UC David Law Professor To Speak On “The Influence Of The Bible On American Law And Political Ideas” “Many fundamental assumptions of American law are deeply rooted in the Hebrew Bible.” Please join us at services at 7:30p.m., Friday, January 14 to hear an exceptional talk by Ed Rabin, an Emeritus Professor of Law at UC Davis, on the subject of the influence of the Bible on American law and political ideals. After graduating from Columbia Law School, Professor Rabin practiced law for Read more [...]

Celebrate Hanukkah with CBI

On Friday, Dec. 3, we will have a special "Mishpachah" (Family-style) Shabbat of Hanukkah here at Congregation Beth Israel (14th St. & Hemlock) beginning at 5:30 p.m. with a Tot Shabbat, then a free dinner catered by the Pita Pit at 6:00p.m., followed by a kid-led, family-friendly service for all ages and then a Hanukkah dessert! RSVP to the CBI office, 342-6146 or, email admin@cbichico.org if you are coming. Join our community Hanukkah party at the ARC Pavilion, 2040 Park Ave. Saturday, Read more [...]

Hanukkah Shopping Made Easy!

Hanukkah begins Wednesday evening, December 1st. The CBI Gift Shop will be open during the Religious School hours, 3:30 – 6:00 pm on the following Tuesdays: November 2nd, 9th, 16th, and 30th You’ll find a wonderful selection of menorahs, dreidels, candles, and many more Judaic gift items. Please stop by and check out our selections. We will also be open during CBI Hanukkah Party on Saturday, December 4th, 6:00 p.m. at the ARC Pavilion. If you need additional shopping hours please contact Read more [...]

Adult Study Begins Oct. 2

Our ongoing Shabbat Shiur (Adult Study Class) resumes Saturday, Oct. 2, 9:00 a.m. at CBI. The current topic is: "An Aleph-Bet of Jewish Symbols and Sources." We will explore Jewish spiritual concepts, symbols, and related texts (Biblical, Rabbinic, Kabbalistic, Hassidic). And we'll learn something about the mysteries of the Hebrew Aleph-Bet (alphabet) in the process. Rabbi Danan teaches this class, which is free and open to the community. Note: In October, there will be no classes on Oct. 23 (Bar Read more [...]

Sukkot and Simchat Torah Events

Sukkot is the Torah’s harvest festival, which we celebrate by making outdoor huts or booths (known as a sukkah, plural sukkot), in which to spend as much of the holiday as possible. These also remind us of the huts in which our ancestors lived when we wandered in the Sinai dessert after the Exodus. Sukkot begins the evening of Sept. 22, when you are encouraged to celebrate the holiday in your own home sukkah. We will also have several fun holiday celebrations at our CBI sukkah and at members’ Read more [...]