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Celebrate Your Roots With
Congregation B'nai Israel
Join us for three days of worship and festivities as we honor
Our extraordinary heritage
— Our vibrant present — Our promising future
Friday, May 15 Join us as we turn back the clock for a unique Shabbat service. We will honor B’nai Israel’s past presidents and enjoy liturgies and melodies of classical Reform Judaism. Rabbi Emeritus Oneg Shabbat will follow. |
Saturday, May 16 Don’t miss this amazing 150th birthday bash! Join us for an evening of cocktails and dinner, music fun and surprises. Yom Huledet Same’ach! Casual Attire 336-1858 or click here |
Sunday, May 17 Rabbi Eric Yoffie, President, Union for Reform Judaism The celebration will feature the transmission of Torah Reception will follow. |
We welcome back Join us this Shabbat Rabbi Greene will facilitate a special Israel program on Saturday at 4:00 P.M. Rabbi Greene now serves congregation Beth Tikvah in Atlanta, Georgia. |
Congregation B'nai Israel -
A Light to the Generations for 150 Years
The celebration of our 150th anniversary is in full swing. March is going to be a month full of activity:
The BIFTY Folk Rock Reunion on March 20 is described on page 9. Thanks to Val Bogner and Cantor Blum who have organized this musical evening. BIFTY Folk Rockers and the congregation will once again be led by Cantor Ramon Gilbert in song and prayer. Join us for a Shabbat to remember and be prepared to sing along.
A group of B’nai Israel young adults who are involved or pursuing careers within our Jewish world, will share Shabbat with us and give us some insights about Judaism through a young professional’s lens. Join us on Friday, March 27. See page 9 for more details. Come back on Sunday, March 29 for Chai School Musical. Thanks to Matt Chase and Cantor Blum. Please see page 6.
A couple of future “save the dates” includes the weekend of April 24 when Rabbi Fred Greene will return to B’nai Israel and join us for Shabbat. Also on Sunday of that weekend, we are planning a family event for all to share in. The weekend of May 15 will be a very special part of our celebration. Friday evening we will worship with prayer books old and new and honor the presidents of our congregation. Saturday evening join us for our 150th birthday party, an evening of food, fun and friends. Our weekend will culminate with a rededication service featuring music from our choirs and band and a keynote address from Rabbi Eric Yoffie, President of the Union for Reform Judaism.
A few final notes, we hope that you have been enjoying the articles about our history that have been and will continue in the bulletin. Our thanks to Don Hyman for researching and writing these pieces. Our archival committee is sifting through our documents and artifacts to present a historical display which should be ready in April. Last but not least don’t forget to return your quilt squares. We want every member to be represented on our congregational quilt.
We have much to be proud of and celebrate. Join us commemorating 150 years and still going forward wth involvement, worship, music, learning and community.
L’shalom,
Luise and Eddie Burger
150th Anniversary Co-Chairs
On March 20, 2009, during the regular Friday night service, there will be a reunion of the BIFTY Folk Rock group. The ‘kids’ will all be grown up, but in their hearts, as they sing, it will be like stepping back in time.
For me, it will return me to a time of transition. It was the fall of 1974 when I was new to the area and beginning a new school in my junior year of high school. My parents joined B’nai Israel and somehow I was lucky enough to be encouraged to join the BIFTY youth group, which led me to join the Folk Rock group.
Between the friendliness of the kids in the group and the fun leadership of Cantor Ramon Gilbert, the weekly rehearsals of the Folk Rock group became the highlight of each week for me. There we would sing songs, learn about the various holidays, prepare to be a part of services on a fairly regular basis and in the process, formed friendships between kids from different high schools in the area.
The group participated in weekend events with other youth groups in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania, which provided us with hours of fun and hilarity on the long bus rides. Probably not much fun for the adults who came with us, but we sure had a lot of fun! The group also performed for local homes for the elderly at the holidays.
When I rejoined B’nai Israel 4 years ago, I often thought about the various kids I knew from BIFTY and how cool it would be to have a reunion. And then as talks of the 150th Anniversary of the Temple came up, it provided a good reason to look up the old gang!
We’ve heard from over 30 people since I started putting feelers out to see who’d be interested in a reunion performance and I’m so looking forward to seeing people from my group, as well as meeting people from years before and after.
Cantor Gilbert has graciously agreed to get us into shape in a pre-service rehearsal, as well as lead us in the service and join us in a celebratory dinner with the alumni afterwards. It should be a very special evening for us all.
I hope there will be a good turnout from our congregation for services on Friday March 20th, 2009. You’ll be in for a treat. Not only will you see a group of people reunited after many, many years. You’ll get the opportunity to see how the commitment of a Cantor provided a fun connection to Judaism to a bunch of kids and how some of those ‘kids’ are coming together to show our appreciation.
This is just one of the many events happening throughout the year in honor of our Temple’s 150th anniversary.
It’s not too late to be a part of this! If you were a member of Folk Rock or know someone who was, please contact Val Bogner at either: bogie4@gmail.com or 203-521-0182.
Hope to see you on March 20th for a fun service filled with good music!
Beth Schafer In Concert
November 15th 2008, 7:00 pm
See the video of our recording session with Beth Schafer!
November 15 and 16 |
asd | Musical Scholar in Residence Beth Schafer |
December 7 |
Mitzvah Connection Help perform a social action mitzvah at our annual Mitzvah Connection centered around our anniversary celebration of 150 years and our connections to our local Bridgeport community. |
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January 15 |
HUC President Rabbi David Ellenson |
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March 20 |
Folk Rock Reunion and BIFTY service Rock on at a Shabbat service featuring our Cantor Emeritus Ramon Gilbert and a reunion of BIFTY and Folk Rock alumni and current BIFTY members. Following services, Rabbi Emeritus Arnold Sher will share his B’nai Israel memories. |
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March 27 |
Our Future Leaders Today Come and hear our future leaders from our congregation – our 25-30ish year olds – who are studying to or have recently become Rabbis or are professionally active in Jewish life. |
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March 29 |
Chai School Musical Our Junior Choir performs an “original” musical under the direction of Cantor Sheri Blum. |
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April 24 |
Rabbi Fred Greene Rabbi Greene, our former assistant rabbi, will visit from Atalnta, GA and discuss his years at B’nai Israel. |
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May 15 |
Shabbat Services A Shabbat service adapted from The Union Prayer Book, The Gates of Prayer, and Mishkan Tefilah |
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May 16 |
Birthday Celebration Join in the fun and let’s celebrate our Birthday! Only 150 years young |
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May 17 |
Service of Rededication With Rabbi Eric Yoffie |
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Programs subject to change, and more to come! |
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A Light to the Generations
- A special publication to celebrate our anniversary and support our congregation
As you know, this year marks B’nai Israel’s 150th year…and what a year it is shaping up to be!
Outside of the many events, speakers and gatherings planned, we are also publishing a wonderful historical book entitled A Light to the Generations, which is also the theme for our 150th year.
As such, the goal of the book is to create a unique keepsake to include historical facts, anecdotal stories and other personalized content that describes the rich history that has shaped our congregation. A Light to the Generations will be professionally bound so as to assure the quality and beauty of a book worthy of passing down from generation to generation.
The book is meant to be both historical and personal. We want you to have a hand in making it special, so we have enclosed a donor form to allow you to contribute to this project. A Light to the Generationsis a big part of our 2009 fundraising and your generosity will help us to reach our financial goals. All contributors to this project will enjoy a name listing which will ensure your place in this piece of B’nai Israel history forever.
The book is meant to be both historical and personal. We want you to have a hand in making it special. You will find enclosed a form to help you pull together your story for publication and to help ensure your place in this important piece of B’nai Israel history.
You may feel free to submit your stories and/or contribution to the temple office directly. It would be greatly appreciated if all submissions and contributions are received by March 30, 2009.
If you have any questions at all, please contact us and we will be glad assist you in any way that we can.
Thank you for making B’nai Israel the warm, inviting and special place that it is. We thank you in advance for your generous contribution and commitment.
Jim Greenberg & Jeff Siegel
Co-Chairs 150th Fundraising Committee
Please click here for a form for your participation in the project!
