Mission, Vision, and Values
Our Mission
Congregation Beth Israel, the historic center of Jewish life in San Diego, is an inclusive Reform congregation that offers a warm welcome and a nurturing home to all who seek a meaningful and enduring connection to Judaism.
Our Vision
To fulfill our mission, we aspire to the following:
Connection
To build a strong sense of Jewish community and to open doorways to a deeper understanding of Judaism through our observances, programs, services, and relationships.
Spiritual Enrichment & Worship
To provide diverse opportunities to find inspiration, meaning, comfort, and spiritual enrichment, both personally and communally.
Lifelong Learning
To pursue excellence in Jewish education for members and non-members of all ages, and to cultivate a congregational culture of lifelong learning.
Inclusivity & Outreach
To build upon our historic legacy of outreach to interfaith couples and families, and to welcome members of every age, race, sexual orientation, background, lifestyle, situation, and level of observance.
Caring Community
To acknowledge and engage our members at every stage of their lives, and to offer compassion and acts of loving kindness to individuals and families during times of need.
Social Action
To help our congregants and the greater San Diego Jewish community to become informed and effective in the pursuit of social justice and tikkun olam.
Israel
To enhance our congregants’ understanding of the unique connection between all Jews and the State of Israel, to express our commitment to our Jewish homeland, to advocate for Israel, and to support the Reform Movement in Israel.
Sacred Partnership
To evolve this shared vision for our congregational future through a partnership of clergy, lay leadership and senior staff that is grounded in mutual respect and collaborative spirit.
Our Values
Our congregation’s core values are rooted in Jewish text and tradition:
Mah tovu ohalecha Ya'acov...
"How goodly are your tents, 0 Jacob…" (Numbers 24: 5a)
Congregation Beth Israel welcomes all who seek to enter our gates. We are an embracing Jewish community … a refuge, a wellspring, a dwelling place on life's sacred journey.
V'asu Ii mikdash, v'shachanti b'tocham.
"Let them build Me a Sanctuary, and I will dwell among them" (Exodus 25:8)
Congregation Beth Israel has created a sanctuary to welcome God's presence through prayer, memory, music, meditation and celebration.
Eitz chayim hi lamachazikim bah…
"It is a tree of life for those who hold fast to it…" (Proverbs 3:18)
Congregation Beth Israel is committed to offering abundant opportunities for learning, recognizing that lifelong Jewish study connects us to our history and traditions and ensures our future.
Al tifrosh min hatzibur…
"Separate yourself not from the community" (Mishnah Avot 2:4)
Congregation Beth Israel is a community within greater communities. As part of (K'lal Yisrael), we value our connection to Israel and world Jewry and to all humankind. We are dedicated to pursuing (tzedek), justice, and to performing (mitzvot).
Al sh'loshah d'varim ha'olam omeid: al ha Torah, v'al ha'avodah, v'al g'milut chasadim.
"The world stands on three things: Torah, worship, and deeds of loving-kindness" (Mishnah Avot 1:2).
Our synagogue is supported by the pillars of God, Torah and Israel. We rely upon the foundation of our teachings, values and beliefs to guide our actions and decisions on the path of (derech eretz) … kindness, justice and integrity.
Our Seven Commitments
Inclusion & Belonging
Our vision is to ensure our congregational mission and values reflect the commitments that emerged in the strategic plan, and that our worship, programs and educational offerings are aligned strategically to embrace diversity and inclusion at every point of entry.
Service
Our vision is to practice excellence, agility and efficiency in our offerings by establishing regular goals and priorities, ensuring greater cohesion and partnership between staff and volunteers, and embracing service, to one another and the community at large, as a core tenet.
Music
Our vision is to increase our insight of our members’ experience and preferences our member experience around music and cultivate new opportunities that will enrich that experience.
Innovation
Our vision is to use thought leadership and technology as a strategic resource by researching and analyzing cutting edge opportunities, multi-modal community building and digital offerings that meet both our short and long-term goals.
Financial Stability
Our vision is to achieve financial independence by continuing efforts to build a philanthropic culture and strengthen financial platforms such as the endowment and building fund that ensure our near-term and long-term sustainability.
Robust Communication
Our vision is to ensure robust communications both internally and externally by bolstering and broadening our brand across all platforms and modalities.
Lifelong Learning
Our vision is to create and maintain connective threads in a lifelong learning journey for our membership. At any stage of life, our community members will have the opportunity to gain new knowledge, exploring and deepening what it means to be Jewish.