Committees

Committees

Hazak

HAZAK is Congregation Beth Shalom’s programming organization for all adults over the age of 55, representing the Hebrew acronym for wisdom (Hokhma), maturity (Ziknah), and forward-looking adults (Kadima).

We seek to provide social, educational and religious opportunities for our members that celebrate our Jewish heritage, history and culture.

We love to see new faces, so please feel free to join us at our events and programs and give us a try. We can’t wait to meet you.

Diane Hornstein & Cindy Marder, HAZAK Co-Chairs

Israel Committee

Our Mission

The mission of the Israel Committee is to enhance each congregant’s relationship with Israel through education, awareness and support.

Learn About Israel

Israel in Depth is an in-depth lecture series that covers a wide range of topics centered on gaining a unique perspective on Israel’s economy, politics, and culture. Jewish News of the World is a weekly discussion of events in the Jewish world including Israel. For more information on learning opportunities, click here.

Visit Israel

CBS conducts periodic trips to Israel led by our clergy. Different trips cater to first-time visitors to Israel, seasoned visitors to Israel, young families, and theme trips. 

Apply For Financial Support To Visit Israel

Several CBS funds are available to provide financial support to members who want to send a child to Israel, or to Camp Ramah in Israel. For more information, and to apply, please click here.

Advocate For Israel

CBS is a proud supporter of the American Israel Political Affairs Committee (AIPAC), an organization that works with the US Congress to strengthen the US-Israel relationship. For more information about AIPAC you can visit AIPAC.org or email the CBS Israel Committee.

Donate To Israel-Related Causes

CBS has adopted the Israel Defense Force unit known as Palchod 890 – a first strike combat unit of the IDF Paratrooper’s 890 brigade. A replica of their flag is displayed in the lobby of the synagogue. Cash donations are collected to purchase needed personal items (e.g., cold weather fleece jackets, hot weather t-shirts, etc.) for the soldiers. To make a donation directed towards supporting Palchod 890, please contact the CBS Israel Committee

A list of other Israel-related not-for-profits can be found by clicking here. Please note that CBS does not verify the status of any Israel not-for-profit listed, so please consider carefully before donating directly to any of the organizations listed. 

Len Rubin, Israel Committee Chair

Pride@CBS

“I will bring them to my holy mountain, and I will cause them to rejoice in My house of Prayer, their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be acceptable upon my altar, for My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples. (Isaiah 56:7)”

We honor the constant reminder in our tradition that “you were once a stranger in the strange land” as a decree by God; an obligatory action which is closely associated with the 36 times in the Torah when it commands us to be kind and welcoming to the stranger.

The Pride@CBS Committee works to foster a sense of belonging in our home for the larger lgbtq community and know that all potential members, who identify with our faith, enrich our congregation through their diversity. We celebrate every individual’s identity and encourage their active participation in the congregation. Our goal is to create a normative culture in which this CBS community will cherish and celebrate the uniqueness of each person, as we do with the youngest infant to the eldest of our elders; those who struggle with mobility or emotional challenges; those who may have come to Judaism through conversion or families with multi-faith partnerships. We strive to make our building a joyful and safe place for all to be themselves and, through interaction with our leadership and membership, come to know the fullness of true equality.
  

Guest Speaker Rev. Nanette Sawyer @ CBS Pride Shabbat — July 1, 2023 from Congregation Beth Shalom on Vimeo.

A dialogue between Rabbi Aaron Melman and Rabbi Warner Ferratier celebrating Pride Shabbat at CBS, June 26, 2021

Social Action

Social Action is an important part of who we are at Congregation Beth Shalom. We offer a variety of ongoing opportunities all year long.  Join the Social Action Committee and help us identify new opportunities for individuals or families.

During the year, we plan Mitzvah Day events, Blood drives and special collections.  Watch for information on this website, our weekly Byte or the CBS lobby monitors.

HUGS (Healthy Understanding Growing Spaces)

Jewish holiday and Shabbat programs for children and adults with special needs and their families. Most programs are free of charge and open to the Jewish community (registration is required).

For more information, please contact Susie Field at or Tami Rokni at

Keruv – Interfaith Initiative

The purpose of the Keruv – Interfaith Initiative at Congregation Beth Shalom is to welcome people whose lives are touched by, or who are involved in, interfaith relationships. Our goal is to make them feel a part of, rather than apart from, the synagogue. This includes both existing and potential synagogue members.

Keruv exists to meet people where they are and to help them make Jewish choices through education and participation in the life of CBS. It seeks to educate the congregation-at-large about the importance of Keruv by fostering an understanding of its purpose, and its benefits to the synagogue, the Conservative Movement, and the Jewish people. It also exists to aid the non-Jewish member of an interfaith relationship in supporting the Jewish partner’s observance of Judaism. Finally, Keruv exists to welcome the non-Jewish partner and to encourage his/her participation to the extent desired.

We invite interfaith families to participate in a broad range of CBS programs and events in order to enable you to understand and experience firsthand the rich, diverse, and compelling programming we offer, and to experience all aspects of our community. Some of these programs include ShabbaTONE, the Distinguished Speakers Series, special holiday programming and a wide variety of adult education classes. 

Dr. Bob Spector, Keruv-Interfaith Initiative Chair