una congregación muy cerrada a sólo apoyar y estar para quienes pertenecen ahí, no es por Dios ni…read moreles importa lo que pase afuera de lo que es su congregación

I wrote the first review back in 2016. At the time I had contacted Congregation Beth Shalom for…read moreconversion process. I'm thrilled to say that after 1 1/2 years of studying under Rabbi Shalom Bochner I had my Beit Din and Mikveh on January 4, 2018! Since then I have become a member at the Congregation and have attended Shabbat Services and many activities that the Congregation have such as Cafe Shalom, Shabbat Dinners, Art Group, Sunday Afternoons at CBS, Passover Services and Seder, Chanukah, Simchat Torah, Sukkot Celebrations, High Holidays, Purim, and much more! Now that I am a Jew, my studies doesn't stop here. I continue to attend Adult Education on Sundays followed by Adult Hebrew. What is great about Adult Education on Sundays is that we are there along with the children who are attending Beit Sefer ( Hebrew School)! Congregation Beth Shalom is a very warm and friendly Synagogue. If you are interested in conversion or simply looking for a Shul, please stop by! Here are some useful links: http://www.cbsmodesto.org/ YouTube: JewishModesto Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqREBrRdVBLhxbl7BP1EsAA Twitter: JewishModesto Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beth_shalom_modesto/?hl=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cbsmodesto/ Sundays Afternoon at CBS Concert Series: http://www.cbsmodesto.org/concert-series.html Hope to see you at Congregation Beth Shalom!

Rabbi Brod is the greatest...he has so many stories and is very learned for a young rabbi!…read more There is an alternative to the Reform Shul for Jews in Stockton and the surrounding areas. Chabad of Stockton is orthordox and is growing. Wonderful people!

I sat down on the bench. Lady came out within 30 seconds to kick me off the property. Then proceeds…read moreto call in a police squad car after I had already left the premises. I see it as poor hospitality / unhappy staff. I would not bring my children here.

CBE is a wonderful Reform synagogue. We moved to the area five years ago and left a (large) temple…read morein our old 'hood. Beth Emek was just what our family needed - a smaller temple with a vibrant Jewish community. Unfortunately, there was some political posturing that sent our favorite rabbi moving to another temple out of the area. Luckily, things have since stabilized and the new rabbi seems to be a very nice man who is extremely competent and will do an excellent job leading CBE into the future. FIVE stars...(I wonder if G-d will read this?! I suppose...)

This is a wonderful synagogue with a very compassionate rabbi. I love the music. The sermons are…read morefantastic. Will definitely go there for services again.

I go there to learn Argentine Tango on Tuesday nights from Leslie and Rich. The dancers are…read moreusually nice, I try to help newcomers.

I finally made it to the Jewish food festival. Great advertising this year and I was in town. The…read morefood was delicious and I found some great gifts for Chanukah. I got my Aunt a set of 6 dark blue, purple and outlined in gold Star of David napkins. Very unique and reasonably priced. All of the items were reasonably priced and so many unique gift items. Lots of amazing handmade jewelry. Knitted scarfs and hats, dog jackets, wind chimes, felted items, ceramics. There were also 2 Fair Trade booths. I bought the PaperLl Picado at the one my co-worker was manning. It was great to see him there. The live music was also really good. The Rabbi and her wife did a duet. Seating was scarce, but we were able to find a place every time we came with food. The food was delicious. We started out with the falafel. They had the funniest sign over it- Vegetarian. I wanted to ask where they sold the meat version and what it was like, but I resisted. After touring all of the food. I realized they were catering to those who weren't Jewish. The coconut macaroons were labeled gluten free. I loved the falafel. You paid when you got it and then took it to the condiment table that was chuck full of hummus, mustard, lettuce/cabbage, hot sauces, and Jerusalem salad. Jerusalem salad was included in all meals and you can have as much as you want along with the hummus ect. That was a huge perk. We then had the Corn beef sandwich. It was $10 and more than enough for 2. It was hot so I passed on the matzo ball soup. I heard it was great. The Macaroons were fresh, moist and delicious. They also had free tea and coffee in the back. They had lots of baked goods and frozen items. The baked goods came from a bakery, either Grand in Oakland or the Pita House. Very nice a unique selection. They had chocolate chip challah. I've a big fan of regular and never heard of the dessert variety. According to one person this event was a fundraiser to the community. The family who manned the ice cream booth was putting their earning to a family members college fund. Another booth said 10% of proceeds go to the Temple. What a nice unique fundraiser. Logistic: It was all street parking, which worked out fine. We immediately found a space. They had several parking attendants making sure people weren't parking in the shopping center's main parking. I think that's a great idea as you want a relationship with those businesses around you. With this many people I was surprised there wasn't a line a mile long to use the bathroom. There were 2 stalls and 2 in line when I went. The weather was perfect and a true blessing as most things were out doors. I can't wait to go back next year.

Ever since moving here from the East coast, I've consistently found myself asking "Where my Jews…read moreat?!?" Seriously, the Jewish population out here just ain't like it is back in NYC (insert rant about lack of good pizza options in CA here). Anyway, I stopped by Congregation Beth Shalom for their annual Jewish Food Faire (highly recommended--they have everything from babka and lox to homemade latkes and matzoh ball soup. Oh yeah, and Dr. Brown's soda!!) As a fair-weather Jew myself, I walked in here with very little intention of becoming a regular community member. But then, every single interaction I had with the congregation members was so positive for me. It made me WANT to become involved in the Jewish community again, knowing that such a fantastic place for the Jewish-inclined exists right here in Sacramento! This is the type of place I love to see, and in earnest, it's what a place of worship SHOULD be but too often is NOT nowadays. What can I say, you won't hear me kvetching about Congregation Beth Shalom. I'm smitten!

Although demographically I don't feel like I totally "fit" (single, early 30's) this is home to me…read more The congregation is warm and welcoming, Rabbi Schulman is everything you'd want your Rabbi to be, and despite moving and trying other congregations I still travel from Dublin back to Fremont when I need to re-center myself. If you're over the age of 50 or have a young family you'll fit in nicely. After attending services here off and on for 15 years this is home. Compared to other reform congregations TBT seems a bit on the conservative side, which I personally like. This is a culturally diverse, open minded community that still is very strongly attached to its heritage and tradition, a perfect blend. I don't have kids yet, but I can very much see myself raising them in this community.

From the owner: Temple Beth Torah is a Reform Jewish synagogue dedicated to serving the spiritual, intellectual,…read moreand cultural needs of the Tri-City Jewish community. We offer innovative worship services, preschool through adult educational programs, and social events. We deeply value our community and embrace the diversity of our Temple family.

Very friendly and outgoing people. The Rabbi is a dear! Not to mention her 'angelic' voice!read more

Lana is right about the setting at CBT. It is peaceful and understated with a beautiful big tree…read morethat you glimpse from the pews and that shades the sweet little outdoor amphitheater. Though more importantly to me, it is a welcoming community of friendly and down to earth people. Our family has made many good friends at CBT over the years. When we were "temple shopping" the friendly manner and helpfulness we encountered from the front office was an immediate plus. Adding to that, the Cantor has a beautiful voice, the Religious School Director is full of positive energy and the Rabbi always greets you with a smile (and usually by name). Though we have friends at several local synagogues, CBT feels like home to us.

I moved to Sacramento from the Bay Area and I did not find the people or rabbi at B'nai Israel to…read morebe welcoming. My experience has been that when I've gone to a new temple the rabbi is intentional in meeting with new potential members. That was not the case here. I visited that synagogue because my research showed that its' held values included "social action and communal care" and I connect with those values. The rabbi's sermons were excellent and the cantor has a truly beautiful voice but in my three Friday night Shabbat visits no one approached me to talk and the approaches that I made went nowhere. Disappointing.

I joined this temple over 5 years ago and it has been such a blessing not only for my family but…read morefor myself as well. I have never felt as if i "Were Home" before at another temple then I do here at B'nai Israel. My son just had his Bar Mitzvah on August 26th, 2017 and it was one of the best days of my life. If you and your family are looking for the best temple for your family look no further. We have the best of any staff around, not to mention our Rabbi and Cantor both are sent from Heaven up above and are not like any you have ever seen before. Really this is the best you will ever see or find.

This is a nice synagogue. The new rabbi seems like a good fit for a typical reform community. If…read moreyou are looking for a mainstream congregation that is comfortable and familiar, this would be a place to consider, especially if you live nearby.

Synagog in my own backyard, for someone who's been wary of organized religion most of my life. This…read morecould be a good starting point, very friendly and welcoming to all, and they don't mind the husband is a gentile ( he was more into the Friday Shabbat service than me). I look forward to going to future events. Rabbi Mike spoke poetic words regarding the recent terrorist attack in Paris, and reference of freedom and lives lost. And the always lingering reminder that no matter where you live you are in danger of being targeted as long as you are a jew.