Founded in 1843, Congregation Beth Israel in West Hartford, Connecticut, is one of the state’s oldest Jewish congregations and a vibrant Reform community serving about 700 families. For more than 180 years, it has provided a welcoming home for Jewish life, worship, learning, and tikkun olam, repairing the world, embracing people from diverse backgrounds who seek a supportive Jewish community.

I would like to thank the esteemed Jane Zande and Alison Hunt for their guidance.

Congregation Beth Israel in West Hartford, Connecticut, is known for its historic synagogue building, designed in 1936 by Charles R. Greco in a Neo-Byzantine/Byzantine Revival style with Art Deco influences. The structure is distinguished by its prominent twelve-sided dome and stained-glass windows depicting the Twelve Tribes of Israel. The building complex includes a sanctuary beneath the dome, a chapel, religious school, preschool, offices, meeting halls, a small museum, and a library. Recognized for its architectural and historic significance, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1995 and later received the West Hartford Historic Preservation Award in 2006 for its careful restoration.

Congregation Beth Israel in West Hartford, Connecticut, centers its religious life around Shabbat, the weekly Sabbath, with welcoming services open to all and available both in person and online, serving as the foundation of community worship, reflection, and connection.

Throughout the year, the congregation also observes the full cycle of Jewish holidays with services, educational programs, and celebrations. During the High Holy Days, it offers a range of worship experiences for all ages, including services for young children, families, teens, and Yom Kippur afternoon and Yizkor services, creating opportunities for reflection and participation across generations.

Seasonal festivals are marked with vibrant communal traditions. On Sukkot, members gather in the courtyard Sukkah for services and shared meals, giving thanks for the harvest and the themes of gratitude and impermanence. Purim is celebrated with a public reading of the Book of Esther, along with a lively Purim Shpiel and carnival that engage families and people of all ages in the joy and storytelling of the holiday.

The congregation also celebrates Simchat Torah by completing the annual cycle of Torah readings and immediately beginning again, marked by the unrolling of the Torah scroll and communal dancing and singing. Passover is observed with community-wide seders that retell the Exodus from slavery to freedom, while........

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