Dynamic clergy, diverse programming and strong sense of communityread more

I was young and without a family 10 years ago when I last reviewed the shul. Very happy to write…read morean updated review of this wonderful congregation :) Now, with 2 young children and a wife, this is absolutely the best place to go with my family for any services. I have been several times for Bar/Bat Mitzvot and other services and it has always been an impressive and beautiful synagogoe focused on community and belongingness. The rabbis and other staff members are engaging, interesting, funny, musical and provide thought provoking insight that stays with me beyond those moments in the sanctuary. I truly love CBI and will gladly rave about it to anybody who asks!

Shalom! Thank you for everything. I had a great talk with Rabbi M. Very welcoming and lovely!…read moreCannot wait to come back soon

A phenomenal synagogue with a great Rabbi who is as friendly and pleasant as they come. It's a…read moregrowing synagogue with an increasing young family base and a large Mexican Jewish community. Highly highly recommended.

My young family and I are loving this synagogue. We joined this year following the death of my…read moremother and for my daughter to start Hebrew school. Our littlest will likely start in the preschool next year. It's a very warm, friendly, diverse, and educational place. The rabbi is warm and so knowledgeable, and available to congregants. The program for kids is sweet and fun! I am loving this new community and feel so grateful we live so close.

I intend to move back to the Cardiff area and wanted to find a great reform synagogue to be apart…read moreof. I had the pleasure of visiting with cantor Billy Tiep (he took classes with my chazzan and dear family friend, Nathan Lam, at Stephen Wise and his best friend, Jackie Mendelson, who lives in NY.) Billy was so warm, kind, welcoming, and overall an über mensch. It was truly a pleasure to get to know him. I also love the fact that the synagogue has many programs for those of all ages. There are also many activities organized by the temple outside of services- classes, tikkun projects, etc. There's also a preschool on the property (always a plus)! Billy was truly a great conversationalist, informative, and very helpful... I admire his passion for cantorial arts, Judaism, and tradition. I got a little sneak peak of what he's planning for Purim, and let me tell ya, it's going to be exciting!!!! Overall, I love cantor Billy's his vision (yeah, yeah... i can kvell over the guy all day), and I can see myself raising a Jewish family at this shul. Thank you for the warm welcome, Temple Solel. I look forward to coming back! I also had a short chat Rabbi Wright! Apparently his best friend is a rabbi at my synagogue *ohhh, the jewish geography*.... such a sweet, sweet man. Birds of a feather truly flock together.

We met this welcoming congregation at our Carlsbad Village Faire that takes place annually…read more Although I am a rock solid Catholic por Vida I have four dear friends that are very close to me and are Jewish. I also learned recently I am 5% Jewish yay! I've always have held the Jewish culture highly. My mother lived with a Jewish family when she came to this country alone and very young. She said they educated her and treated her like part of the family. She has always spoken highly of their culture and passed down her values regarding all cultures and religions of the world. I look forward to visiting this wonderful congregation of humans with my friends that are located so close to our home.

Welcoming, friendly. A great place to find community,…read morefellowship, peace and prayer. Incredible Cantor! Rabbi so warm and knowledgeable

You know, I never think to review a shul bc we tend to Yelp about restaurants or businesses and not…read moresynagogues. But reviews are important for congregations too, and we've had a great experience at Beth Am over the years. I know choosing a home for Jewish spiritual life and community is very personal and subjective, and I know people who are indifferent, others who love it, and others who belong here and also have affiliate memberships elsewhere. What you can expect is a supportive congregation of welcoming neighbors with a huge emphasis on family, life cycle events, community, learning, love of Israel, tzedakah, and simply sharing in the joy of yiddishkeit. Rabbis Kornberg and Earne are compassionate, enthusiastic, engaging, and dynamic, and they put in maximum effort on many fronts each week. There's a tremendous breadth of offerings these days. On some Shabbat mornings, we might have the traditional service in the sanctuary, a separate family service for those with young kids, and another lay-led minyan in our beit midrash. There's also a monthly outdoor campfire Shabbat with music and singing, daily minyan, lecture series, learning opportunities, guest speakers, community events, women's circle, men's club, preschool, Hebrew school, and a youth lounge. Really a lot to offer. There are a lot of congregants, so even though everyone is super welcoming of new faces, it might take a while to get to know people. Come regularly, not just for holidays, to get a more heimish experience. Security is always important, and Beth Am puts tremendous efforts into minimizing vulnerabilities. The entire property is like a fortress with heavy gates, fences, and armed security, and staff is trained to coordinate with local emergency police response. It feels very very safe inside. If you're shul shopping for a conservative congregation, it's definitely worth taking a look and deciding for yourself.

Our local SHUL:Warm and welcoming home to over 600 Jewish families mainly from the Carmel Valley…read moreneighborhood. Just came back from an awe inspiring Rosh Hashana services.... I have been a member there since 1998....and loving it...and so do my two kids who have BOTH graduated the JLC-(Sunday School program)

If you are a minority wanting to convert to Judaism, do not come here. The rabbi I worked with…read morecalled out how I was different looks-wise from day 1. I ended up getting converted at Beth Israel, where they are far more accepting and welcoming. This was a few years ago. Remembering to post this review now because I'm part of a new community where we moved and it's nothing but warmth and love. Made me realize how bizarre and unwelcoming Beth El was to me. Their loss because I am committed member of the Jewish community.

Certainly it is paradoxical to profile & review a house of worship on electronic media built to…read moreshape business; however we inhabit intimate communities within larger communities looking for meaningful spiritual centers. Beth El has worked very hard over decades to find a loving balance between being eclectic and still traditional, progressive while deeply historic, inclusive on all gender relations and mixed religion couples, socially responsible beyond the synagogue and inwardly caring, family friendly and exciting for younger adults. A mile away from UC San Diego, the congregation benefits by the proximity. The synagogue is warm and welcoming. The land was once a horse polo stables in the 1960s. The physical campus is aesthetically beautiful on hilly terrain captivated by a delicately modern, translucent sanctuary. The synagogue is neither too large in membership nor too small. Nice to know that there is a very solid, vibrant Hebrew School for members' children which eventually leads to Bat/Bar Mitzvah. Rabbi Avi Libman has been there for over a dozen years; he's totally committed to every human being. His pastoral manner is exquisite and he's brilliant with kids, quietly wise, highly intuitive with the elderly. Former senior Rabbi Phillip Graubart - a top scholar, wholly engaging with the community and superb sermon writer - retired two summers after 14 years and there is a new gifted senior Rabbi - Ron Shulman - who brings decades of caring experience, erudition and compassion. Tikkun activities include providing temporary shelter in December to San Diego's homeless. Dues is flexible. A very fine model for California and the entire country.

We came to Temple Emanu-El for Seudat Havraah -- the meal of condolence -- following the interment…read moreof a friend's father a few weeks ago. The location is on a hilltop with easy access from College Drive, north of I-8. Understandably, we had to pass through security and metal detector before entering the Temple courtyard from the parking lot. The grounds are lovely, and the building interior is warm and well maintained. Rabbi Benj Fried was approachable, considerate, and attentive to the mourners who attended the luncheon.

Very caring,very clean,and people,were ,really nice people,would recomend this temple.read more

We enjoy attending the synagogue for Shabbat and holidays. There is Tot Shabbat that is geared…read moretowards the younger kid that is fun for our family. As an interfaith family we feel very welcomed. We enjoy meeting other interfaith families like ourself as well as people from varying levels of Judaism. We sent my daughter to the Ganon Gil Preschool from ages 2-5. The teachers were kind and nurturing. She had a great experience. Pre-K helped prepare her for kindergarten. We plan on sending our daughter to Mosad Shalom for Hebrew school.

This is a very welcoming congregation. A few years ago I walked through the doors and remembered…read moreimmediately feeling very at ease with the open non pretentious vibes. I had been to a few area temples and this one was the one that really drew me in. The services are a mix of classic Reform sings and even some traditional tunes with a non judgmental tone. Even though I live in Oceanside, the beautiful sanctuary, warm people and services brought me back and won my full membership. Congregants are interested in you, and are engaging. The Rabbi and Cantor love kids and welcome families and don't mind if the children want to run around and be themselves. The Rabbi is very relaxed but also has a depth of understanding of classical Jewish texts and subjects for those who want to study. Its a modest size Reform Jewish synagogue with alot to offer relative to the size of the congregation.

This congregation has a loving and supportive group of congregants, a Sunday school and Hebrew…read moreschool. They support mixed religious marriages and accept all who wish to pray. I have been a member for almost 5 years.

I joined because they accept interfaith couples and now I've been a member for over13 years. Both…read moreof my kids went through the Hebrew School and had their Bat/Bar Mitzvahs as well. Everyone at this synagogue - from the President to the school principals to the office secretary - cares about the temple and congregants. If you're looking for your spiritual home, this is it!