OUR CONGREGATION
Beth Israel, the Jewish Congregation of Sun City Center (and environs) is a lively and energetic community of more than 330 individual members, all of whom are committed to maintaining an active Jewish presence in our area.
The synagogue began in 1982, and occupies its own home at 1115 East Del Webb Blvd. We hold weekly Shabbat evening services on Fridays at 7:30 pm, and Shabbat morning services, followed by a Kiddush pot luck lunch and then Torah study, on the 2nd and 4th Shabbatot of the secular month.
Our worship style is egalitarian, with a lot of singing. Because our members come from backgrounds in Judaism ranging from none at all to Orthodox, our practices combine traditional observances with more contemporary liturgies. We use all the most recent prayerbooks of the Reform movement.
We also offer an assortment of classes which reflect the interests and needs of our congregants. These range from Beginners’ Hebrew to Continuing Hebrew, Bible Study, Jewish History, Worship 101, An Introduction to Christianity for Jews, Bnai Torah classes and other topics as requested.
Our congregation supports various tzedakah projects in the community and outside, such as Meals On Wheels each January, and collections on behalf of the people of Puerto Rico. We participate in the lay Interfaith Council which supports the Nearly New Shop in town, and our rabbi is actively involved with other local clergy to promote interfaith understanding and co-operation.
Our modest building houses a very busy community, with worship services, classes, and programs of all sorts, sponsored by our Sisterhood, Men’s Club, Program Committee and Library Program.
All of our members have come here from somewhere else, so we all know what it is like to be new in the area, and therefore we work very consciously to welcome newcomers and help them to feel at home in the community and in the congregation.
Come and meet us!