Congregation Beth Shalom

About

Congregation Beth Shalom is welcoming and inclusive Conservative egalitarian synagogue in Seattle, Washington.

Story

Welcome to Congregation Beth Shalom

The story of Congregation Beth Shalom began in 1968 when a small group of families met to create a congregation dedicated to the ideals of Conservative Judaism within the city of Seattle. Their aim was to build an institution which would serve the spiritual, educational, social and cultural needs of Jews interested in retaining their traditional heritage.
For the first two years, Beth Shalom met in a church and provided Jewish education for all grades from nursery school through high school. The temporary location became inadequate within two years and, in 1970, a building on our current site was rented from the Unitarian Church. In 1980, Rabbi Ira Stone arrived at Beth Shalom, followed by Rabbi Dov Gartenberg in 1988. After a tremendous capital campaign, our shul underwent a major renovation. We rededicated our new building in January, 1998.
In 2005, Rabbi Jill Borodin began as the synagogue’s spiritual leader. Today, Beth Shalom prides itself on being a community of learners offering a variety of formal and informal educational experiences for children, families and adults. In 2007, Beth Shalom welcomed the opening of a full-time Early Childhood Center. In 2009 and 2010 Beth Shalom was honored by the readers of the JT News as the Best Congregation in Jewish Washington. Rewards we also received for the Best Place for a Bar or Bat Mitzvah, Best Jewish Supplmental School, and Best Adult Education Program.

Mission

Mission Statement

Congregation Beth Shalom is a participatory, egalitarian congregation affiliated with the United Synagogue for Conservative Judaism. We provide a warm gathering place and a caring community for our members. At Congregation Beth Shalom we come together to nourish our spirituality through worship, to increase our understanding through study, to educate our young, and to better our world through acts of loving kindness.
Our goal is to be an inclusive congregation that encourages all members to participate fully in congregation activities, to explore individual and communal growth, and to increase our members' familiarity with and knowledge of Jewish practice. We are concerned with and responsive to the needs and welfare of our members, the Jewish community at large, and those in need in the general community.