Join us for Shabbat Services: Friday at 6:00 pm, Saturday at 9:30 am
An egalitarian Conservative congregation serving the diverse Orange County Jewish Community

Welcome to Congregation B’nai Israel! We are delighted that you are considering joining our village.

We are an inclusive and family-friendly community, welcoming members at all levels of religious observance, those born Jewish, those who have chosen Judaism, and interfaith families. Our diverse, multi-generational congregation welcomes people of all ages, racial and ethnic backgrounds, LGBTQ+ individuals, and those at any point on their Jewish journey.

Belonging to the community means taking an active role in shaping our future and demonstrating your commitment to helping Judaism to flourish in OC and beyond. In addition, members access clergy support throughout life’s ups and downs, Jewish education for children – from preschoolers to teens – participation in High Holy Day services and events year-round, and a precious and priceless sense of belonging and home.

We look forward to having you as a member of our congregation!

To learn more, please see our list of contacts. To schedule a conversation, please contact the office at cbi18@cbi18.org or (714) 730-9693. We look forward to welcoming you.

We also invite you to join us for upcoming events. Information is shared in our weekly e-newsletters. To receive updates: sign up here.

Click here for our new member information form.

July 2023 – June 2024 – Click here for our membership payment form

Family Category
(please note that financial assistance is available to those with need)
Donation Amount
Couple (ages 36-67)$3,550
Single (ages 36-67)$1,950
Senior Couple (age 68+)$2,100
Senior Single (age 68+)$1,250
Young Couple (ages 35 and younger)$600
Young Single (ages 35 and younger)$330
Sharon” Families (Building Maintenance)$525
“Friend of CBI” (associate membership for those outside our area, does not include High Holiday tickets)$360
Benefactor Membership: Platinum Chai Honors Circle*$18,000
Benefactor Membership: Golden Chai Honors Circle*$11,000
Benefactor Membership: Silver Chai Honors Circle*$8,000
Benefactor Membership: Bronze Chai Honors Circle*$6,000
Benefactor Membership: Copper Chai Honors Circle*$4,500
*Honors Circle membership is accompanied by event tickets and sponsorships throughout the year.
Specific details can be found within the membership forms and documents.

Membership at CBI includes many wonderful benefits including:

  • Belonging to a community with people to share life’s joys and ease life’s sorrows.
  • Our Rabbi, Cantor, and staff are there for you through important life cycle events and every day for counseling, teaching and care.
  • Opportunities for Jewish education for children, including B’nai Mitzvah training, and continuing education for adults.
  • Priority enrollment and reduced fees at our preschool.
  • High Holy Day tickets (unless otherwise noted)
  • Opportunities to live your Jewish values by caring for others in need.
  • Leadership opportunities to become a board or committee member, or to lead worship services.
  • A varied and rich offering of events, programming and classes to enrich and engage.
  • The ability to secure a place in CBI’s section at Harbor Lawn cemetery.

CDC Update

March 11, 2021 This week, as Purim materials were packed away, the teachers began setting up the classrooms for Passover, which arrives early this year, begins on Saturday, March 27th at sundown. Last year, the children learned about and celebrated Passover at home, via Zoom meetings, and we sorely missed being together as a community.…

Faces of CBI

Our community is made up of many colorful strands, each a “face” enabling a tapestry of belonging. We are excited to bring you the first video in the series, and speaking of faces, you will see many familiar ones in this video!  To see all of our Faces of CBI videos click here.

Religious School Update

December 21, 2020 Dear Religious School Families, I am thrilled to announce that our beloved CBI Religious School faculty member, MINDY PASKIL, will be honored by the JEWISH EDUCATORS ASSEMBLY on Sunday, January 24, 2021.  Mindy has been a dedicated teacher for two generations at CBI.  Mindy teaches 6th and 7th graders and tutors many…

USY Update

Our teens have really risen to the occasion during this strange time. Despite the disappointment many of them feel with events they’ve been looking forward to all year canceled, they’ve pulled together as a team to create incredible distance programming for CBI USY. Our teens are coming to Zoom lounges and finding ways to make a…

Zoom Instructions

Zoom is a free technology for calls & videoconferences. You don’t need a personal Zoom account to use it. Zoom has step-by-step instructions on how to use it here. We will be doing many of our social events and classes by zoom during our coronavirus closing. Zoom Directions: You have lots of options with Zoom. https://zoom.us We…

Calm & Caution

This moment calls for calm and caution for this moment is dangerous. We are facing an unprecedented challenge in our lifetimes. No other illness has caused so much uncertainty. With a shudder I watch the spread of COVID-19 and feel great concern for those with the coronavirus and for all of us trying to negotiate safely. In such a moment, we are…

Responding to Uncertainty

                                This moment calls for calm and caution for this moment is dangerous. We are facing an unprecedented challenge in our lifetimes. No other illness has caused so much uncertainty. With a shudder I watch the spread of COVID-19 and feel great concern for those with the coronavirus and for all of us trying to…

Message from Rabbi Spitz

A State Of National Emergency Our country is now in a “State of National Emergency.” In that light, let me follow-up on my email yesterday with some questions and answers. How is COVID-19 different than the flu?         First and foremost it is far more deadly. The rate of death from the common…

Sweet Smells

The sweet smells of challah baking prompts anticipation of Shabbat. The delicious and beautiful braided egg bread sets the meal apart from the rest of the week, as do the candles and the blessings over wine. The recent “Mega-Challah Bake” drew over 1,200 women from our Orange County to our JCC. What a wonderful celebration…

The Zohar

We are naturally drawn to mystery. And there is no greater mystery than uncovering the pulse and purpose of life, which is the essence of Jewish mysticism. And yet, to read the Zohar, the classical mystical commentary to the Torah, is to become aware that illumination, the meaning of the word Zohar, requires patience, imagination…