Israel

Congregation Beth El supports the state of Israel and encourages its members to visit, develop, and further build relationships with the country – both its rich history and its amazing modern-day existence. We also acknowledge that American Jewish communities often have difficulty talking about Israel because of the passion it brings out in many of us – and so we strive to welcome diversity of thought and opinion, and to encourage our members to be part of the conversation. To that end, we are committed to our Teen Ascent to Israel trips, and to engaging, thoughtful Israel programming that fosters these relationships.

Teen Ascent

Thanks to generous gifts from private donors, Beth El has been blessed to lead four Teen Ascent to Israel trips in the last eight years. The congregation pays for teens in the community; adult congregants are also welcome to join us. Through these trips almost 60 Beth El members have traveled to Israel, creating experiences both powerful and life-changing. Beth El partners with Kibbutz Ketura in the Negev in ten-day tours stretching from Eilat to the Galilee. We are proud to be able to make Israel come alive for our community members and to encourage meaningful relationships between our diaspora community and the Jewish state.

Israel Programming

The goal of our Israel programming is to create engaged relationships with the land of Israel. We cannot ignore the political situation in Israel, nor can we expect agreement on the issues; rather our goal is to come together as a community for discussions in an atmosphere of trust, honesty and shared hope. In past years, these programs have included talks by Bennington and Williams College professors, and community discussions on how American Jewish communities like ours can learn to talk about Israel respectfully. We have also hosted cultural happenings featuring Israeli dancing, Israeli food, and Israeli social justice organizations. We were proud to offer this past fall, in conjunction with Bennington College and with a grant from the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, a four session class with Rabbi Michael Cohen on “The Environment as a Bridge to Peace in the Middle East.”