Congregation Highlight: B'nai Israel

Written by Helen Nusbaum

Congregation B'nai Israel is a reform synagogue, nearly as old as Sacramento itself, having been founded in 1849. Our location changed over the years until we found our final home in 1954 on Riverside Boulevard across the street from Land Park.

B'nai means "descendants of" and is pronounced like the word "belay," but with an "n" instead of an "l." So, B'nai Israel means "descendants of Israel." But, who is Israel? Israel is the name chosen for Jacob in the Bible and it means "one who strives with God."

Social Action is an integral part of the culture at B'nai Israel, as members participate in many ways to fulfill the mitzvah (meaning "commandment") of tikkun olam (meaning "to repair the world"). We believe that we are called upon to make the world more just, peaceful, tolerant, and equal through acts of charity, kindness, and political action.

And one of the mitzvahs that we are most proud of is our participation with Family Promise. We have been a Family Promise host congregation since 2010 and we continue to sponsor three weeks each year. We have, hosted a Hanukkah party at the Tiny Homes site sharing food, games and stories with the families.

In January, we had a crew of over 20 folks doing multiple tasks at the Safe Harbor Tiny Home site – tree trimming, gazebo staining, priming the bathroom walls, organizing the storage shed and weeding.

We were also thrilled to represent our congregation at the recent Family Promise Dinner.

It has been a joy to watch families come through the program and graduate into housing. Thank you so much for the opportunity to work with you!

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