Congregation Beth Israel of San Diego

🔸Friday June 19
6:15 pm Erev Shabbat Services, Price Family Courtyard
https://www.youtube.com/

🔸Saturday June 20
Torah Portion: Korach, Numbers 16:1−18:32, Haftarah: I Samuel 11:14-12:22

9:00 am Torah Study; Leader: Rabbi Richard Agler
Feuerstein Family Activity Center
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89686873395

10:00 am The congregation celebrates a B’nei Mitzvah Service
Glickman-Galinson Sanctuary
https://www.youtube.com/

10:30 am Shabbat Lay Led Service
Foster Family Chapel
https://www.youtube.com/

4:00 pm The congregation celebrates a B’nei Mitzvah Service
Glickman-Galinson Sanctuary
https://www.youtube.com/

Livestream and Diverse Access links: cbisd.org/programs

Join us next Tuesday for summer fun on the lower playfield! The Bill & Sid Rubin Preschool invites all families to pack a picnic, grab a blanket, and enjoy live, family-friendly entertainment, sweet treats, and plenty of outdoor joy.

Festivities begin at 5:00 pm, with entertainment starting at 5:15 pm. No RSVP needed, just come and play!

🍇 June 23 • Kathryn the Grape
🫧 July 21 • Foam Party
🎶 August 18 • 5:00 PM: Ruth & Emilia

More details: https://cbisd.org/programs/tuesdays-in-the-park/2026-06-23/

I'll admit it. I don't quite know what to make of this moment.

The announcement of a ceasefire between the United States and Iran has been met with everything from relief to skepticism. Some see it as the first step toward greater regional stability. Others worry it simply offers Iran time to regroup while leaving many of the underlying threats unresolved. Even among Israel's closest friends, there is no clear consensus about what this will ultimately mean. The framework is still developing, and many of its most consequential details remain uncertain. 

Perhaps that's why I've resisted the temptation to respond too quickly.

And as a Jewish community, we know something about living in the tension between hope and caution.

Hope is one of Judaism's greatest virtues. It is woven into our prayers, our history, and our national anthem. We are a people who have refused to surrender hope even when history has given us every reason to do so.

But [Jewish] hope has never been naïve.

It remembers. It asks hard questions. It recognizes that peace is measured not simply by the absence of war, but by the presence of security, justice, and the ability for children to grow up without fear.

So today, I find myself praying more than proclaiming.

I pray that this ceasefire truly marks the beginning of something better. I pray that it weakens - not strengthens - the forces that have threatened Israel and destabilized the region for decades. I pray that diplomacy succeeds where violence has failed. And I pray that Israel's leaders are granted wisdom, clarity, and the freedom to make decisions rooted in the enduring responsibility to protect the Jewish state and its people, and not at the exponential cost of innocents.

The prophet Isaiah dreamed of a day when "nation shall not lift up sword against nation." We cherish that vision because we know how difficult it is to achieve. Peace is not created by signatures alone. It is sustained by trust, accountability, and the courage to choose a different future.

For now, we wait. Not passively. Prayerfully. Watchfully. Faithfully.

This Shabbat, we have the profound privilege of re-welcoming a Torah scroll to our spiritual home. Rescued from the horrors of the Holocaust and preserved across generations, it stands as a powerful reminder that while history is often uncertain, the Jewish story endures.

As we return this sacred Torah to our ark, may it strengthen our resolve, deepen our hope, and remind us that even in moments of uncertainty, we remain a people grounded in covenant, guided by Torah, and sustained by faith.

I hope you'll join us as we welcome this remarkable Torah home.

Jason Nevarez
Senior Rabbi
[email protected]

Congregant Dalia Cohen and Rabbi Jason Nevarez stand alongside Rabbi Fred Greene of Congregation Har HaShem following a deeply moving ceremony in Boulder, marking a sacred moment in the journey of the Sucher Holocaust Rescue Torah as it begins its return to Beth Israel.

We invite you to join us this Friday, June 19 at 6:15 pm for Erev Shabbat services as we formally welcome this treasured Torah scroll home. Together, we will celebrate its remarkable history, honor the generations who safeguarded it, and embrace our responsibility to carry its story forward for generations yet to come.

📍Congregation Beth Israel
9001 Towne Centre Drive, San Diego, CA 92122
Glickman-Galinson Sanctuary

▶ Livestream: https://www.youtube.com/

Shabbat was fit for royalty at our Bill & Sid Rubin Preschool! 👑✨ This week's theme was Make Believe: Royal Shabbat, and our preschoolers celebrated with joy, imagination, and friendship during a special Shabbat led by Rabbi Elana Ackerman Hirsch.

Wishing everyone a Shabbat filled with wonder, kindness, and peace.

🔸Friday June 12

6:15 pm Shabbat Under The Stars - Erev Shabbat Family Service, Price Family Courtyard
https://www.youtube.com/

🔸Saturday June 13
Torah Portion: Sh'lach L'cha, Numbers 13:1−15:41, Haftarah: Joshua 2:1-24

9:00 am Torah Study; Leader: Rabbi Jason Nevarez, Feuerstein Family Activity Center
https://cbisd.org/programs/torah-study-6-13/

10:00 am The congregation celebrates a B’nei Mitzvah Service, Glickman-Galinson Sanctuary
https://www.youtube.com/

10:30 am Shabbat Lay Led Service, Foster Family Chapel
https://www.youtube.com/

4:00 pm The congregation celebrates a B’nei Mitzvah Service, Glickman-Galinson Sanctuary
https://www.youtube.com/

Nusach San Diego is a cabaret review blending Broadway melodies, popular music, Jewish prayer, and rich storytelling into one unforgettable evening. Through witty banter, surprising musical connections, and stunning performances.

Featuring Rabbi Cantor Jeremy Gimbel, Heidi Gantwerk, Becca & Danny Myers, Tasha Hokuao Koontz, Billy Tiep , and a remarkable ensemble of local artists. Nusach San Diego is part performance and part cultural journey. Funny, heartfelt, and deeply uplifting, the evening reveals how the music of synagogue, stage, and everyday life can unexpectedly echo one another.

$3 Beth Israel member promo code: BETHISRAEL. Tickets: https://sdjfest.app.neoncrm.com/nx/portal/neonevents/events?path=%2Fportal%2Fevents%2F40533