Purimspiel & Party
2026-03-02 17:00 (America/New_York) | Congregation Beth Israel, 53 Lois Street, North Adams, MA, 01247, United States
Join the CBI community and Rabbi Rachel in your favorite costume as we re-enact the Purim story, drown out the name of Haman, and rejoice in the “light and honor” the megillah promises will be our people’s future. We’ll participate in a spirited retelling of the megillah of Esther and wrap up the evening with homemade hamentaschen and other sweet treats! All ages are welcome to attend this event.
Funding to help support this event has been provided by the Harold Grinspoon Foundation.

Liberating Passover: Seders & Spirituality of Freedom | Session 1
2026-03-03 19:00 | Virtual Event (Zoom)
☆ To join us ONLINE, please CLICK HERE to register via Google Forms

Join Rabbi Rachel Barenblat and Rabbi David Markus (Congregation Shir Ami) for a three-part mini-series preparing for Pesach in heart and spirit. We’ll take a deep dive into parts of the Passover haggadah, exploring some core prayers and motifs both historically and spiritually. We’ll also learn about some core practices: what we do and also why we do it – and what its intended impact on us might be. These sessions will offer deeper insights into a ritual most-practiced among Jews worldwide and will prepare you for a Pesach of meaning and spirit.
Registration for all three sessions (Tuesdays, March 3, 17, & 31 at 7pm) is free for members of either shul and $108 for non-members. Advance registration via Google Forms is required to receive the Zoom link.

CANCELLED | First Friday Shabbat Zoom Gathering
2026-03-06, 2026-04-03
Please note that this month’s First Friday Shabbat Zoom Gathering has been cancelled — we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this change may have caused. Instead, please plan to join us on Friday, May 1. Thank you for understanding!

Shabbat Morning Service
2026-03-07 09:30 - 11:00 | Congregation Beth Israel, 53 Lois Street, North Adams, MA, 01247, United States
Join us on Shabbat morning as we celebrate Shabbat with prayer, song, and poetry. We’ll hear some words of Torah (and some words about Torah) as we bask in Shabbat’s sweetness. Our spiritual tools include traditional liturgy, contemporary poetry, chant, and song… as well as the spectacular views from our sanctuary, which connect us with the natural world and with our Source.

Soul Spa | Zoom Torah Study
2026-03-07 10:00 - 11:30, 2026-03-14 10:00 - 11:30, 2026-03-21 10:00 - 11:30, 2026-03-28 10:00 - 11:30, 2026-04-04 10:00 - 11:30, 2026-04-11 10:00 - 11:30, 2026-04-18 10:00 - 11:30, 2026-04-25 10:00 - 11:30 and 2 more dates | Virtual Event (Zoom)
Join us for our new Shabbat morning Zoom Torah study every Saturday! Jointly led by Rabbi Rachel Barenblat (CBI) and by Rabbi David Markus (Congregation Shir Ami), we’ll be exploring the weekly parsha through the lens of women’s commentaries and midrash. If anyone is observing a yahrzeit and needs to say kaddish, we’ll close with Mourner’s Kaddish.
☆ Please click here to join us online in Shir Ami’s Zoom room; all sessions will also be archived on Shir Ami’s website.

Kabbalat Shabbat Service
2026-03-13 19:00 - 20:00 | Congregation Beth Israel, 53 Lois Street, North Adams, MA, 01247, United States
All are welcome as we celebrate Shabbat together with prayer, song, poetry, and heart. Expect music, poetry, Torah teaching, and an opportunity to ritually let go of the week as we move together into sacred time.
Please RSVP via our website for onsite service only; please check our weekly announcements for information on how to attend online via Zoom.

Liberating Passover: Seders & Spirituality of Freedom | Session 2
2026-03-17 19:00 | Virtual Event (Zoom)

CBI Book Club with Author Barbara Viniar
2026-03-19 19:30 | Virtual Event (Zoom)
☆ To join us ONLINE, please CLICK HERE to register via Zoom

Our next meeting of the CBI Book Club, facilitated by Dr. Suzanne Levy Graver, Professor Emerita at Williams College, will take place over Zoom on Thursday, March 19 at 7:30pm (EDT).
Join us for a discussion with Barbara Viniar, Berkshire resident and author of Little Bird, the story of a girl who finds the courage to forge her own path to womanhood.
In 1910, fearing escalating violence against Jews in Russia, Feige’s father arranges for his daughter – Barbara’s grandmother – to marry a wealthy cousin in NYC. As she adapts to life in America, Feige goes from being an obedient daughter to a dutiful wife, even allowing her new husband to change her name to Fannie. Longing to make her own decisions, her husband’s cruelty finally pushes her to risk leaving him. She parlays her embroidery skills into a job and finds the man she believes is the love of her life. When he betrays her, she refuses to forgive him, disregarding advice to overlook men’s lapses. Finally, she meets a man who both loves and respects her. Can she give up her hard-won independence?
The novel is available to purchase online in multiple formats.
This online event is free and open to the public. All are welcome to join the author online via Zoom.

CANCELLED | Kabbalat Shabbat Zoom Service
2026-03-27
Please note that this week’s Kabbalat Shabbat service has been cancelled — we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this change may have caused. Those who wish to say Mourner’s Kaddish are welcome to join us online for Soul Spa on Saturday, March 28 at 10am (EDT). Thank you for understanding!

PASSOVER SEDER REGISTRATION DEADLINE | Saturday, March 28, 2026
2026-03-28
REMINDER: If you would like to join us this year for our annual Second Night Community Passover Seder on Thursday, April 2 at 6pm, you must register by no later than Saturday, March 28, 2026.

☆ PLEASE CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE TICKETS FOR THIS EVENT ☆

Liberating Passover: Seders & Spirituality of Freedom | Session 3
2026-03-31 19:00 | Virtual Event (Zoom)

Second Night Community Passover Seder
2026-04-02 18:00 | Congregation Beth Israel, 53 Lois Street, North Adams, MA, 01247, United States
☆ PLEASE NOTE THAT THE REGISTRATION DEADLINE HAS ALREADY PASSED. As this is a catered event, we will not be able to accommodate late RSVPs or walk-ins; all payments from parties who do not register before the deadline will be refunded. Thank you for understanding!
If you had already registered but are no longer able to attend or if you would like to be added to our waitlist, please contact the office as soon as possible.

All are welcome to join us on Thursday, April 2 at 6pm for our family-friendly Second Night Community Passover Seder! Relive the Exodus through ritual, poetry, song, and story. We’ll savor familiar melodies, stirring poetry, an impromptu Exodus play put on by community kids, and more. A full kosher-for-Pesach meal will be provided (with vegetarian option); bring your own kosher-for-Passover table wine if you would like something other than Manischewitz.

☆ Tickets are $50/adult & $8/child (ages 5-18); children ages 4 & under are free. Please include the first & last names of all members of your party when registering. (Please use the email address of their parent/guardian when registering children.) If you would like to attend but the cost makes you hesitate, please contact Rabbi Rachel as soon as possible.
Tickets must be paid for in full at the time of registration. Though our online payments are processed via PayPal, you do not need a PayPal account in order to pay online; to pay with a credit or debit card, choose the “Donate with Debit or Credit Card” option when prompted. (Please note that we are not able to process credit or debit card payments by phone or in-person — thank you for understanding.) For other ticketing questions, please contact the CBI office.

Kabbalat Shabbat Service
2026-04-10 19:00 - 20:00, 2026-05-15 19:00 - 20:00 | Congregation Beth Israel, 53 Lois Street, North Adams, MA, 01247, United States
All are welcome as we celebrate Shabbat together with prayer, song, poetry, and heart. Some weeks the CBI choir and musicians will join Rabbi Rachel in leading prayer. Expect music, poetry, Torah teaching, and an opportunity to ritually let go of the week as we move together into sacred time.
Please RSVP via our website for onsite service only; please check our weekly announcements for information on how to attend online via Zoom.

Shabbat Morning Service
2026-04-25 09:30 - 11:00 | Congregation Beth Israel, 53 Lois Street, North Adams, MA, 01247, United States
Join us on Shabbat morning as we celebrate Shabbat with prayer, song, and poetry. We’ll hear some words of Torah (and some words about Torah) as we bask in Shabbat’s sweetness. Our spiritual tools include traditional liturgy, contemporary poetry, chant, and song… as well as the spectacular views from our sanctuary, which connect us with the natural world and with our Source.
Service will still be available online for those who wish to participate on Zoom; those joining digitally are invited to purchase a digital copy of the siddur if you’d like to follow along.

First Friday Shabbat Zoom Gathering
2026-05-01 19:30 - 20:30 | Virtual Event (Zoom)
Please join us for our final monthly gathering of the season around the Virtual Shabbat Table! We will gather together to share community and conversation as we celebrate the Jewish traditions of Shabbat, light the candles, and bless the wine and challah. Stay connected with CBI friends and neighbors, or meet new ones, as we enjoy the joys of fellowship and comfort of camaraderie.

Green Up Day
2026-05-02 10:30
Join us in Bennington for Green Up Day! Vermonters participate every year on the first weekend in May to help clean up our community. We will gather together and learn about the Jewish values around taking care of our earth, then head outside for an hour to clean up trash together.
Please RSVP via our website if your family plans to attend; location details will be sent to those who RSVP in advance. For more information, please contact learning@cbiberkshires.com.
This event is a partnership between Congregation Beth Israel & Nefesh, with major financial support from Sally Gottesman & the Harold Grinspoon Foundation as well as funding from other private donors.

Jewish Journeys Shabbat
2026-05-09 10:00 - 11:30 | Congregation Beth Israel, 53 Lois Street, North Adams, MA, 01247, United States
Join us for a special family Shabbat service to celebrate Shabbat in community as we interweave the morning service with opportunities for our Jewish Journeys students to share what they have learned. Please consider bringing a vegetarian dish to share at our potluck following the conclusion of services.
All are welcome! Please note that this service will be held onsite only.
This event is a partnership between Congregation Beth Israel & Nefesh, with major financial support from Sally Gottesman & the Harold Grinspoon Foundation as well as funding from other private donors.

Shavuot Art-Making | Adult & Teen Session
2026-05-09 18:00 - 20:00
Come explore the wisdom of Torah through creative study and art-making! Drawing from the Jewish Studio Project’s creative process, we’ll study a Jewish text and use paint, pastels, and collage to reflect on its meaning, giving expression the themes of Shavuot. The first session on Saturday, May 9 is for adults and teens, and the second session on Sunday, May 17 is for children. Our process will culminate with an art exhibition and reception on Sunday, May 24.
We will meet at a studio space in Hoosick Falls for all three dates. Please RSVP via our website if you plan to attend any of these sessions; location details will be sent to those who RSVP in advance. For more information, please contact learning@cbiberkshires.com.
This event is a partnership between Congregation Beth Israel & Nefesh, with major financial support from Sally Gottesman & the Harold Grinspoon Foundation as well as funding from other private donors.

Shavuot Art-Making | Kids Session
2026-05-17 10:30 - 12:00
