Life Cycle Events
Bar/Bat Mitzvah
The Beach Shul is a popular Bar and Bat Mitzvah venue for member and non-member families alike.
We are an egalitarian congregation, following the Conservative tradition. The child must be Jewish according to religious law, i.e. the child’s mother must be Jewish by birth or conversion. If not, you may wish to consider a ritual conversion for your child. On request, we can refer you to a Rabbi to guide and oversee the process.
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There is no charge for Members celebrating Bat and Bar Mitzvot in our Sanctuary. An Annual BHI Family Membership is reasonably priced and is fully tax receiptable..
Our Cantor is the designated officiant for all Shul services. Your arrangements for his time and involvement must be negotiated directly with him.
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Shabbat morning, Mincha, Havdallah, Rosh Hodesh and Monday or Thursday morning services are all possible.
We recommend that the families familiarize themselves with the order of services in the months leading up to the Simcha.
We will advise and help you to Zoom the ceremony, for family and friends unable to physically attend.
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The Non-Member fee for the one time use of the Sanctuary is $950, which is equivalent to the cost of an Annual BHI Family Membership, and is also fully tax receiptable. For more information, please contact the shul office.
Aufrufs and Weddings
Aufrufs
Traditionally, grooms would come up for an aliyah to the Torah on the Shabbat prior to their wedding. In our shul, both brides and grooms come up for their aufruf. This custom enables couples to celebrate their union with the wider community beyond their invited guests, and to publicly affirm the Jewish character of the marriage they are entering into.
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Weddings
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It is so meaningful to celebrate one’s wedding with a richly traditional Jewish ceremony.
If you would like to hold your aufruf or wedding ceremony at the Beach Hebrew Institute, please contact the shul office for more information. Please note that interfaith weddings are not performed in our shul.
Baby Naming/Brit Milah
Bringing new life into the world is a joyous occasion. The Beach Hebrew Institute is a place where this can be celebrated in a warm and traditional manner.
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For boys: Brit Milah is celebrated on the eighth day after birth. It celebrates the entrance of baby boys into the covenant of Abraham through circumcision. If you would like a recommendation for a mohel, please contact the shul office. Following the Brit Milah, parents are welcome to come up to the Torah for an aliyah to celebrate the arrival of their new son with the congregation. If you would like to celebrate your son’s Brit Milah at the Beach Hebrew Institute, please contact the shul office.
For girls: The arrival of a daughter is celebrated through a ceremony in which the girl formally receives her Hebrew name and is entered into the covenant of her people. Parents come up for an aliyah to the Torah with their daughter at a Shabbat service for the ceremony. If you would like to celebrate your daughter’s naming at the Beach Hebrew Institute, please contact the shul office.
Mourning and Cemetery
When a death has occurred, our Cantor is available to provide advice about mourning customs, to officiate at the funeral service, to perform the eulogy or to help you in any other way that you require. Please contact the shul so that we can notify the community about the passing of your loved one and coordinate the necessary support.
The Cemetary Committee oversees the Beach Hebrew Institute cemetery plots, which are located at Pardes Shalom Cemetery and Pardes Chaim Cemetery. For inquiries, please contact the shul office.
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The shul also provides reminders about yahrzeit and the many ways in which members can commemorate a loved one, including a plaque on our commemorative board, giving a dvar torah, or tzedakah opportunities.