Welcome!

Our members come from many different religious, cultural and ethnic backgrounds. We welcome Jewish and interfaith families and individuals, including those who are new to Jewish study and practice. We are a Welcoming Synagogue, dedicated to inclusion of all gender identities and orientations. We have a full schedule of multigenerational holiday celebrations, classes, cultural and social activities. For security reasons, most of our events are open only to Temple Members and our Guests. To learn about our many events and attend as our Guest, please contact our office at templebetheleurekaca@gmail.com. We especially welcome students from Cal Poly Humboldt and College of the Redwoods.

We work together on local, statewide, national and international social and environmental issues, including climate, human rights, reproductive justice, and gun violence prevention. We seek out opportunities to support our local Native American, Black, Muslim and immigrant communities.

We both honor traditions and embrace innovation. We warmly welcome visitors to our events and our website!

War and Antisemitism

It is with heavy hearts that we acknowledge the horrific suffering of the Israel-Hamas war. We are deeply concerned by the brutality of the October 7 attack on Israel, the fate of the hostages, the staggering number of civilian casualties, destruction of infrastructure and looming famine in Gaza, and the turmoil in the West Bank.  For decades Temple Beth El has provided opportunities for our members and the public to study the issues in depth and work for peace. With awareness of the complex history and current geopolitical realities driving the conflict, we encourage diversity of opinion in our membership while advocating for vigorous diplomacy and non-violent action.

In this time of crisis we are deeply troubled to hear legitimate criticism of the Israeli government spilling over into expressions of antisemitism, some of it due to naivete or ignorance, but some of it reflecting deeply held anti-Jewish prejudices. To protect our members and guests, we are constantly strengthening our security measures.  We ask the public to help us: if you see or hear something that endangers the Jewish community, please report it to law enforcement and fill out our Antisemitism Incident Report Form. [click for form]

If you are a teacher or other community leader in need of resources on antisemitism, we recommend this excellent short film: Antisemitism in Our Midst: Past and Present (11 minutes) and these Questions for Deeper Discussion.

Rabbi Naomi Steinberg has been following many sources to give us news and opinion articles about the conflict.  If you would like to receive Rabbi Steinberg's updates, contact the temple office at templebetheleurekaca@gmail.com.

Nearly two thousand years ago rabbis of the Talmud wrote, "The sword came into the world because of justice delayed and justice denied." (Pirkey Avot 5:8)

  חֶרֶב בָּאָה לָעוֹלָם עַל עִנּוּי הַדִּין, וְעַל עִוּוּת הַדִּין
 
We will continue to learn, teach and act so that future generations may see a world of justice and peace.