Ritual Observances at Congregation Bet Haverim

What is our style of services and how did it come to be this way?

In keeping with our congregation's personality, CBH religious services are egalitarian, participatory and hamish. We are a community of learners; many who frequently attend services, lead services or chant Torah or Haftarah began doing so as beginners at CBH. No one need fear they "don't know enough" to be at services here!

Since its beginnings, CBH has been The Synagogue in Yolo County, and has been made up of members primarily from Reform and Conservative Jewish backgrounds. CBH ritual life reflects the diversity of its members and the customs of those who attend services regularly -- services generally are somewhat traditional, with use of Hebrew, along with English readings and a variety of music. Although sometimes a particular service will be perceived as "more Conservative" or "more Reform," CBH services are in fact uniquely ours. This is reflected in our use of the Siddur and Mahzor Hadash prayer books, for Shabbat and High Holidays. These prayer books are not those most commonly used by either the Reform or Conservative movements, but were chosen for CBH, as they most closely meet our unique ritual mix.

Now, with the space now available in our new synagogue home, CBH is able to offer a choice of High Holiday services, comparatively more contemporary or traditional.

Where do we fall on the Reform spectrum?

The Reform spectrum is broad. It includes congregations that use much Hebrew and congregations that use little, and congregations more and less formal. It embraces many styles of music, and both traditional and contemporary ideas. In recent years, the Reform movement has begun to reclaim much Jewish tradition and many Reform congregations have added more Hebrew prayers and traditional observances. This puts CBH on the cutting edge of Reform Judaism.

What are services like on Friday evenings?

The 1st Friday each month, our popular Tot Shabbat service starts at 6:00 p.m. for families of very young children (primarily ages 2-5), with simple Shabbat rituals and lots of singing. This is followed by a Family potluck dinner (vegetarian/dairy), at 6:30 p.m., for families with children of all ages. Then our Family Shabbat Service begins at 7:30 p.m. This service is tailored for families with school-aged children. Family Shabbat services feature youth-oriented music accompanied by guitar, with most prayers sung by all. Rabbi Wolfe gives a short talk, especially suited for children.

The 2nd Friday of the month is our "Shabbat Alive" service, which begins at 6:00 p.m. and is followed by a vegetarian/dairy potluck dinner, and a program or discussion. Music at this service often includes guitar and lively melodies.

The 3rd through 5th Friday evenings each month, at 8:00 p.m., Kabbalat Shabbat services offer an opportunity to begin Shabbat and the weekend with warmth, friendship and a letting-go of work-day responsibilities. Most prayers of the service to welcome Shabbat and the evening service are sung together by the congregation, and Rabbi Wolfe offers meaningful words, often related to the week's Torah portion.

What are services like on Saturday mornings?

Shabbat morning services, at 10:00 a.m. (preceded by Torah Study, at 9:00 a.m.), are somewhat traditional, and have a devoted group of attendees, who treasure this intimate service that includes a feeling of family, along with much group participation -- many prayers are chanted or sung together. There is also an opportunity for some quiet, reflective time. The service begins with the introductory prayers and Shaharit, the morning service. These are followed by Rabbi Wolfe's comments on the week's Torah portion, the service with the reading of the Torah, and a brief concluding service. Most attendees take an active part if they wish, and those interested in learning new skills are encouraged -- any mistakes are viewed as the mitzvot of enthusiastic learners!

Besides Shabbat and High Holiday services, what other special observances do we have throughout the year?

Holidays are celebrated at CBH, often with food, music and festivity, including Sukkot, Simchat Torah, Chanukah, Purim, Shavuot and others throughout the year. CBH also holds a community Seder, the 2nd night of Passover.

How do interfaith families participate in CBH ritual life?

We welcome the participation of all members of interfaith families at CBH services and ritual events. And many have become actively involved! (There are some activities that require being Jewish by birth or conversion, such as being called to the Torah for an aliyah.)

We hope you'll join us at Shabbat services, and learn more about CBH ritual life first hand!

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Shabbat at Congregation Bet Haverim

Congregation Bet Haverim, as a Reform congregation, actively encourages our members to explore and embrace opportunities to integrate Shabbat into the weekly cycle of their lives. We believe that each of us will make our own decisions about our Shabbat practice, yet we strive for some basic communal sensibilities that respect the sanctity of the day. Judaism teaches that Shabbat is a powerful time for personal and communal renewal; a time to refocus and attend to what is of value to us on the deepest level. Shabbat is an island in time when we can put the workaday world on pause and celebrate our families, our relationships, our traditions and our lives. To that end, we have adopted the following principles for our synagogue:

1. The synagogue will not conduct business on Shabbat. No payments (money, checks, credit card charges) are to be collected or paid by any CBH organization on the CBH campus on Shabbat; this includes all representatives of the synagogue -- staff and member groups.
2. Groups planning programs that will take place at CBH on Shabbat are encouraged to embrace the spirit of Shabbat, as an island in time, and choose programs accordingly.
3. In keeping with the spirit of Shabbat as a time of rest from creation, the congregation should avoid any activities that involve construction, painting, gardening and the like.

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Kosher Food at Congregation Bet Haverim

To briefly summarize the principles underlying Kashrut at CBH: Eating Kosher is a Mitzvah, and helps reinforce Jewish identity for many Jews. It's a way to make an everyday meal into a Jewish experience. CBH has always observed Kashrut (eating Kosher), in a liberal way. CBH has allowed only vegetarian/dairy meals, as this has made it simpler to keep the synagogue Kosher. This has also ensured that all CBH members are able to eat at CBH events, which is very important for maintaining our community and preventing anyone from feeling excluded.

A few of the basics of eating Kosher: Vegetables, fruits and grains are Kosher, as are eggs, and milk from Kosher animals. Kosher animals include cows, sheep, chickens, turkeys, ducks, and exclude pigs and rabbits. To be Kosher, meat must be from a Kosher animal that has been slaughtered in a particular manner thought to cause the animal less pain, and be salted to remove blood - these teach reverence for life, for those people who eat meat. Shellfish are not Kosher, nor are fish without fins and scales. Meat and dairy foods must be kept separate - cooked separately, and not eaten at the same meal. Different sets of dishes and cooking utensils are used for meat and dairy. There are various traditions regarding how much time one should wait before eating dairy after meat.

All food brought to/served at Congregation Bet Haverim for onegs, potluck meals, snacks, celebrations, etc, including meals prepared by a non-Kosher caterer, must be vegetarian/dairy, which may include Kosher fish (e.g. salmon, tuna, halibut, most commonly eaten fish); this excludes meat, chicken and other poultry, shellfish and fish such as catfish and shark. When choosing prepared foods to serve at CBH, please check the ingredients to avoid baked goods and other foods that have been made with lard, chicken or beef fat (which can be done easily by choosing foods with a Kosher symbol on the package.)

The only exception to the vegetarian/dairy policy is that meat meals may be served at CBH congregational and celebration dinners if and only if the entire meal, including dessert, is provided by a CBH approved Kosher caterer (Bob's Butcher Block or Yair Luria, chef at the Einstein Center; both in Sacramento). Between the meat meal and any other food service at CBH functions, there must be a separation of one hour before dairy can be served.