Congregation Beth Israel is a

Reform Reform ( lat, reformo) means the improvement or amendment of what is wrong, corrupt, unsatisfactory, etc. The use of the word in this way emerges in the late 18th century and is believed to originate from Christopher Wyvill#The Yorkshire Associati ...

synagogue A synagogue, ', 'house of assembly', or ', "house of prayer"; Yiddish: ''shul'', Ladino: or ' (from synagogue); or ', "community". sometimes referred to as shul, and interchangeably used with the word temple, is a Jewish house of worshi ...

and member of the

Union for Reform Judaism The Union for Reform Judaism (URJ), known as the Union of American Hebrew Congregations (UAHC) until 2003, founded in 1873 by Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise, is the congregational arm of Reform Judaism in North America. The other two arms established ...

located at 301 East Jefferson Street in

Charlottesville, Virginia Charlottesville, colloquially known as C'ville, is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is the county seat of Albemarle County, which surrounds the city, though the two are separate legal entities. It is named after Queen Ch ...

.Synagogue website
Accessed August 23, 2012. Founded in 1882,History
, Synagogue website. Accessed January 19, 2010. it grew out of Charlottesville's Hebrew Benevolent Society, which was created in 1870. , Synagogue website, About CBI, History. Accessed July 20, 2008. The congregation's 1882 building is the oldest synagogue building still standing in Virginia.Mark W. Gordon
"Rediscovering Jewish Infrastructure: Update on United States Nineteenth Century Synagogues"
''American Jewish History'', 84.1 (1996) 11-27
2019 article update
It joined the

Union of American Hebrew Congregations The Union for Reform Judaism (URJ), known as the Union of American Hebrew Congregations (UAHC) until 2003, founded in 1873 by Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise, is the congregational arm of Reform Judaism in North America. The other two arms established ...

in 1927. The synagogue has an active youth group called BITY (Beth Israel Temple Youth), participating in events with the synagogue throughout the year. It also has a preschool, and religious/Hebrew school. Congregation Beth Israel offers adult education in the form of lectures, films, and

Beit Midrash A ''beth midrash'' ( he, בית מדרש, or ''beis medrash'', ''beit midrash'', pl. ''batei midrash'' "House of Learning") is a hall dedicated for Torah study, often translated as a "study hall." It is distinct from a synagogue (''beth kness ...

text study. Worship services include Traditional Egalitarian Shabbat Morning Service,

Kabbalat Shabbat Jewish prayer ( he, תְּפִלָּה, ; plural ; yi, תּפֿלה, tfile , plural ; Yinglish: davening from Yiddish 'pray') is the prayer recitation that forms part of the observance of Rabbinic Judaism. These prayers, often with i ...

Service, and

Mishkan T'filah ''Mishkan T'filah—A Reform Siddur'' is a prayer book prepared for Reform Jewish congregations around the world by the Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR). ''Mishkan T'filah (משכן תפלה)'' is Hebrew for "Dwelling Place for Prayer" ...

(Reform) Services. These services are intended to be appropriate across ages and household composition. CBI is also involved in

mitzvot In its primary meaning, the Hebrew word (; he, מִצְוָה, ''mīṣvā'' , plural ''mīṣvōt'' ; "commandment") refers to a commandment commanded by God to be performed as a religious duty. Jewish law () in large part consists of discus ...

and acts of

tikkun olam ''Tikkun olam'' ( he, תִּיקּוּן עוֹלָם, , repair of the world) is a concept in Judaism, which refers to various forms of action intended to repair and improve the world. In classical rabbinic literature, the phrase referred to leg ...

through association with and grant funding for local Charlottesville non-profits. As of 2022, the Senior

Rabbi A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as ''semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of ...

is Tom Gutherz, and the Associate Rabbi is Jessica Kerman. Daniel Alexander, Rabbi Emeritus, served as rabbi from 1988 to 2016, and his retirement led the

Virginia House of Delegates The Virginia House of Delegates is one of the two parts of the Virginia General Assembly, the other being the Senate of Virginia. It has 100 members elected for terms of two years; unlike most states, these elections take place during odd-numbe ...

and

Virginia Senate The Senate of Virginia is the upper house of the Virginia General Assembly. The Senate is composed of 40 senators representing an equal number of single-member constituent districts. The Senate is presided over by the lieutenant governor of Virg ...

to issue Joint Resolution No. 381, commending Alexander's service to the Congregation Beth Israel and the Charlottesville community for 37 years.

References

1882 establishments in Virginia Buildings and structures in Charlottesville, Virginia Reform synagogues in Virginia Religious organizations established in 1882 Synagogues completed in 1882 {{US-synagogue-stub