Join us for Shabbat Services: Friday at 6:00 pm, Saturday at 9:30 am
An egalitarian Conservative congregation serving the diverse Orange County Jewish Community

At Congregation B’nai Israel we worship and celebrate holidays together.

High Holy Days

High Holy Day services are a time for our entire congregation to come together in prayer and celebration. Our services give congregants the choice between traditional prayer, a family experience, or youth services. We celebrate together on Selichot, Erev Rosh Hashanah, both days of Rosh Hashanah, Kol Nidre and Yom Kippur Day. Yom Kippur concludes at sundown in the sanctuary with the USYers leading all the children present in a candle lit procession to the bimah for Havdallah. The entire congregation joins in, arm in arm, and awaits the final blast of the Shofar.

Festivals

Congregation B’nai Israel holds festival morning services on the first two and last two days of Pesach, on both mornings of Shavuot, the first two days of Sukkot, and on Hoshana Raba, Sh’mini Atzeret (with Yizkor) and Simchat Torah. Yizkor is recited on the last day of each festival.

On Passover we gather for a strictly kosher CBI-wide Seder, on the eve of Shavuot we study until midnight and nosh on cheesecake, and during Sukkot we welcome everyone into our Sukkah for a festive Shabbat dinner. Visit our Calendar for upcoming events.

Hanukkah

We celebrate during Hanukkah as a community by lighting candles, singing Hanukkah songs, and having a party for all ages with latkes, dreidles, gelt and sufganiot. There are also special celebrations in the CBI Preschool and Religious School.

Purim

Purim at CBI is fun for kids and adults alike. For the children we have a giant Purim carnival sponsored and run by our USY. On Erev Purim there is a special kids celebration with a costume parade, music, hamantashen and fun. Then comes Shushan dinner for the entire community, which is followed by a service with a full Megilla reading, Purim Shpiel, adult costume parade, and open bar. The evening is topped off with a party featuring hamantashen and other desserts. The day of Purim we have services with a full reading of the Megilla, more shnapps, hamantashen and a seudah.

Fast Days

We often observe the fasts of the first born, the 17th of Tammuz, Tisha B’Av, Gedalia, the 10th of Tevet, and Esther with morning services. Visit our Calendar for service dates. On the evening of Tisha B’Av we have services and read the book of Eicha by candle light while seated on the floor in the sanctuary.