Congregation Beth Israel: A Vibrant Center of Jewish Life in Vancouver

Congregation Beth Israel, located in Vancouver, British Columbia, is a vibrant center of Jewish faith, culture and community. Established in 1932, the synagogue has grown into Western Canada’s largest Conservative Jewish congregation, serving more than 770 member families. With a commitment to egalitarian worship, Jewish education and community engagement, Beth Israel offers a welcoming environment for people of all ages. Through its religious services, family programs, cultural celebrations and social initiatives, the congregation continues to preserve Jewish traditions while adapting to the needs of a growing and diverse community.

I would like to thank the esteemed Rabbi Jonathan Infield, Ariella Raff, Ritual Assistant and Tania Grinberg, Senior Communications and Marketing Specialist at Congregation Beth Israel for her guidance.

Synagogue

Congregation Beth Israel, located in Vancouver, British Columbia, opened its current building 12 years ago on the site of its former facility. The reconstruction retained only three walls of the original building, with the remainder rebuilt to create a modern and versatile space for worship and community gatherings. The beautiful Beth Israel Sanctuary features upholstered pews arranged in concentric arcs around a raised bimah, or stage. Behind the ark, a Jerusalem stone wall is framed by stained-glass windows on both sides, creating an elegant and welcoming atmosphere. The sanctuary is equipped with a built-in projector and screen, as well as audiovisual facilities. The sanctuary accommodates 320 people in its pews, with additional seating available for a total of 400 guests in a theatre-style arrangement. Its flexible design allows the dividing wall to be raised, connecting the sanctuary to the Gales Family Ballroom and expanding the seating capacity to 1,500 people.

The space can be further expanded by opening the Averbach Family Chapel, which provides an additional 80 seats. Together, the Sanctuary, Averbach Family Chapel, and Gales Family Ballroom offer a spacious and adaptable venue suitable for large religious services, celebrations, and community events.

Religious Events

Congregation Beth Israel is a growing Conservative Jewish congregation affiliated with the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism (USCJ). As an egalitarian synagogue, it welcomes equal participation from all genders. According to Rabbi Jonathan Infield, the congregation has more than 770 member families, many of whom have young children, approximately 85 per cent of whom attend Jewish day schools. Despite challenges facing the Jewish community in recent years, Beth Israel has experienced membership growth as people seek connection, spirituality and a sense of belonging. Vancouver is home to approximately 25,000 Jewish residents, making it the third-largest Jewish community in Canada after Toronto and Montreal.

Daily prayer and Shabbat services are central to Beth Israel’s religious life. The congregation strives to maintain in-person minyanim twice daily throughout the year, providing opportunities for prayer, remembrance and community connection. Shabbat morning services typically attract between 130 and 160 people, even without additional programming. The synagogue also offers activities for all ages, including musical Shabbat services, family dinners, baby programs and events for seniors. Major Jewish holidays, including Purim, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Hanukkah, feature special services and celebrations that bring together children, adults and families.

Beth Israel’s diverse membership reflects Vancouver’s international Jewish community, with many congregants having roots in countries such as South Africa, Israel, Brazil, Mexico, the United Kingdom and the United States. The synagogue celebrates this diversity through cultural events, including Brazilian-themed Friday night dinners that feature guest speakers and traditional food. It also collaborates with other local congregations to organize meaningful religious gatherings, such as the annual Tisha B’Av service. Through its inclusive worship, family-friendly programming and cultural celebrations, Congregation Beth Israel continues to strengthen Jewish identity, foster community connections and support the spiritual needs of its growing membership.

Life Cycle

Congregation Beth Israel of Vancouver, British Columbia, supports individuals and families through significant Jewish lifecycle events, from birth to adulthood. These include bris (circumcision) ceremonies for boys, baby namings and Simchat Bat celebrations for girls, and Pidyon HaBen, the redemption ceremony for a firstborn son.

The congregation also provides meaningful Bar and Bat Mitzvah experiences, allowing members to celebrate this important milestone on designated Torah-reading days, including Shabbat and weekday services. Weddings can be held in the main sanctuary, the smaller chapel or outdoor plazas, with several chuppah options available to accommodate different preferences.

 Beth Israel also offers a comprehensive conversion program led by a congregational rabbi, with weekly classes covering Jewish history, religion, customs, laws and Hebrew. For members experiencing marital difficulties, the congregation provides rabbinic guidance and support, including assistance with obtaining a get, the Jewish religious divorce.

The synagogue also supports families during times of loss, with its cemetery located at 1711 Willingdon Avenue in Burnaby. Through these services, Congregation Beth Israel helps individuals and families navigate important life transitions while maintaining meaningful connections to Jewish tradition and community.

Education

Congregation Beth Israel offers educational programs that foster Jewish identity, knowledge and community involvement among children and families. Beth Israel Hebrew School, serving preschool through Grade 7, provides small classes and individualized learning focused on Hebrew, Jewish holidays, Israel, Torah and social justice. The congregation also offers the Tallit and Tefillin (T&T) program to prepare students for Bar and Bat Mitzvah through individual instruction, group activities, family programs and community service projects.

Beth Israel also provides youth programs for different age groups. Atid serves Grades 4 through 5, Kadima supports Grades 6 through 8 through social and regional activities, and United Synagogue Youth (USY) engages teens in Grades 8 through12. In September 2026, the congregation is introducing D.R.E.A.M. (Destination, Reflection, Engagement, Adventure, Meaning), a Jewish high school program featuring twice-monthly sessions, community service, field trips and a planned New York experience in May 2027. These programs encourage meaningful friendships, lifelong Jewish learning and active participation in the community.

Programs

Congregation Beth Israel of Vancouver, British Columbia, promotes Jewish identity, spirituality and community engagement through programs for all ages. Activities include family-friendly Shabbat dinners, Purim and Hanukkah celebrations, young professionals’ gatherings and senior programs. The synagogue also offers adult education through Lunch and Learn sessions, Jewish meditation, Talmud study and its Law and Learn series for lawyers.

Family programming helps congregants celebrate Jewish traditions through holiday events, Havdalah gatherings and pre-Passover activities. Young adults can connect through social events and Shabbat dinners, while seniors benefit from opportunities for learning and social interaction. These initiatives encourage meaningful relationships and strengthen connections within the Jewish community.

Beth Israel also supports community members experiencing food insecurity. In partnership with Jewish Family Service Agency and other organizations, it maintains a community garden that produces approximately 1,000 pounds of food annually. Additional initiatives include the One Heart Dinner, which provides free monthly meals to eligible community members, and a volunteer-led soup program. The garden also hosts educational activities and Jewish holiday celebrations, reflecting the congregation’s commitment to community service and social responsibility.

Facility

Congregation Beth Israel of Vancouver offers a variety of versatile event spaces suitable for religious ceremonies, weddings, receptions and community gatherings. The Gales Family Ballroom features elegant wooden panelled walls, high ceilings, large windows and audiovisual facilities, accommodating up to 500 guests for seated events or 700 in theatre-style seating. The Boxer Family Celebration Plaza and Eastern Courtyard provide attractive outdoor settings for receptions and ceremonies, while the Atrium offers indoor-outdoor flexibility, with seating for 60 people or standing room for 200.

The intimate Averbach Family Chapel accommodates 80 guests and is suitable for weddings, bris ceremonies and baby namings. The chapel can also be connected to the sanctuary to create a larger event space. In addition to these facilities, the synagogue includes classrooms and a youth lounge, supporting its diverse religious, educational and community activities.

Historical Backgrounds

Jewish individuals first arrived in Canada during the late 17th and 18th centuries. Among the earliest recorded arrivals were Joseph de la Penha, who landed in Labrador in 1677, and Esther Brandeau, who arrived in Quebec in 1738 disguised as a boy. Jewish settlement in Vancouver began in 1872 with the arrival of Polish-born merchant Louis Gold, known as “Leaping” Louis Gold, in the Granville area, now part of Gastown.

The history of Congregation Beth Israel dates to the 1920s, when growing numbers of young Jewish families settled around the Fairview Slopes and Oak Street areas. At the time, the Orthodox synagogue on Heatley Street in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside was the only synagogue serving the local Jewish community, creating a need for a congregation closer to the growing population in other parts of the city.

Which brings us to 1932.

Congregation Beth Israel was established in 1932, during the Great Depression, a period marked by economic hardship, widespread unemployment and political unrest in Vancouver and across Canada. Despite the uncertain circumstances, a group of Jewish families demonstrated determination and courage by establishing a new congregation to better serve their growing community. They sought a synagogue closer to their homes where men and women could sit together during services, some prayers and readings could be conducted in English, and their children could receive a Jewish education. To realize this vision, the founding families affiliated the new congregation with the Conservative Jewish movement, establishing the foundations for Beth Israel’s commitment to egalitarian worship, Jewish learning and community life.goals for their shul, the new congregation joined the Conservative movement.

After meeting for years at the Jewish Community Centre at Oak Street and 11th Avenue, Congregation Beth Israel dedicated its first synagogue building at 27th Avenue and Oak Street in 1949, following delays caused by the Second World War and the resettlement of Holocaust survivors. Under Rabbi David Kogan, the congregation became a spiritual and social centre, offering religious services, children’s education, adult learning, dances and community activities. Its growth reflected the expansion of Vancouver’s Jewish community in the postwar years.

In 1964, Rabbi Solomon and his wife, Phyllis, began a 30-year period of leadership that strengthened Beth Israel’s religious education and community programs. By 1989, the congregation had become the first major Conservative synagogue in Canada to adopt full egalitarian practices, allowing women to receive Torah honours, count in the minyan and lead prayers. Following the arrival of Senior Rabbi Jonathan Infeld, construction of a new synagogue began in 2012, and the building was dedicated in 2014 on the original property. Today, Beth Israel continues to serve as a centre for daily prayer, Jewish education, holiday celebrations and activities for all ages.

Today, Congregation Beth Israel stands as Western Canada’s largest Conservative Jewish congregation, with more than 770 member families. Building on a history of growth, inclusivity and community service, the synagogue continues to provide a welcoming environment where Jewish traditions, education and spiritual life thrive. Through its commitment to Jewish values, egalitarian worship and programs for all generations, Beth Israel remains an important centre of Jewish life in Vancouver, bringing people together and strengthening connections to faith, culture and community.

Contact Information:

Congregation Beth Israel, 989 West 28th Avenue, Vancouver BC, V5Z 0E8

Phone: (604) 731-4161

Email: info@bethisrael.ca

Website: https://www.bethisraelvan.ca/