• Building cornerstone showing opening date 1949

    Founded

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    Welcome to CEI

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    Congregation Emanu-El Israel

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    Our Sanctuary

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    Welcome to Our Temple

    Congregation Emanu-El Israel (CEI) is the center of Jewish activities in central Westmoreland County. CEI is affiliated with the Reform movement under the umbrella of the Union for Reform Judaism whose goals are to strengthen communities that transform the way people connect to Jewish life and to build a more whole, just, and compassionate world. CEI adopts the following goals of the URJ. To practice ‘Audacious Hospitality’, ‘Repairing the World’ and to ‘Invest in the Jewish Future’. However, members familiar with either a Reform or Conservative tradition will find a friendly, comfortable feeling in our Congregation. CEI is the ideal place to renew or strengthen ties with your Jewish identification. CEI supports the traditional family, the non-traditional family and Jewish singles.

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Join Us for Our Friday Night Online Shabbat Service

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A Temple for All

Congregation Emanu-El Israel (CEI) strives to meet the Jewish needs of our community.  We have religious services, educational programs and social activities. Whether you live in a big city, a remote urban area or have some physical issue, CEI can fulfill your religious wishes.  

CEILink

Connect with a synagogue wherever you are

We can service the needs of the blind and visually impaired

We have programs for Assisted Living Facilities Residential Facilities and Nursing Homes

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Congregation Emanu-El Israel (CEI), a Reform affiliated Jewish synagogue and community, welcomes you to join us in celebrating our religious, spiritual and cultural values, practices and traditions.  

In addition to the spiritual, educational and cultural activities that we provide at CEI’s physical location, we have an active online presence.  CEI conducts online Friday night Shabbat services and online educational opportunities that encourage connection with our Jewish community no matter where you are located. 

CEI has also developed initiatives to reach out to Jewish individuals who wish to maintain a connection and participate in a Jewish community, but may have been unable to do so for various reasons.   The initiatives focus on Jewish Blind and Visually Impaired individuals; persons living in Assisted Living, Residential Living and Nursing Home facilities; and those who cannot travel or are distant from a synagogue.  Please click on this link to find out about these exciting programs:

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Information about CEI Link

Information about our Online Friday Night Shabbat Services

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Rabbi Lenny

 

Rabbi Lenny Sarko

Rabbi Lenny Sarko is our rabbi at CEI.  He brings a new energy to our Temple.  

 

 

Click Here for

Weekly News at CEI

and Monthly Newsletters

 

Upcoming Events

  • Shabbat Service Friday April 9 at 7:30 pm – Online 
  • Shabbat Service Friday April 16 – Conversion Service for Beth Frederick and Jon Dohner at 7:30 pm – Online
  • Shabbat Service Friday April 13 at 7:30 pm – Online
  • Friday, May 7th Sisterhood will be conducting Shabbat Services @ 7:30 PM.
  • Friday, May 14th  we will celebrate Shavuot & Yizkor @ 7:30 PM.

 

From the Union For Reform Judaism / Reform Movement

7 Movie Stars Who Have Played Israeli Prime Ministers

7 Movie Stars Who Have Played Israeli Prime Ministers kbkaput April 12, 2021

Israeli Arts and Culture
Lynn Cohen with her face in her hands as Golda Meir in a scene from Steven Spielbergs 2005 film Munich
Just a month after it was announced that the Israeli star Shira Haas would portray Meir in a TV series, The Hollywood Reporter revealed this week that Oscar winner Helen Mirren would portray Israel’s only female prime minister in an upcoming biopic.

The Eichmann Trial 60 Years Later: What Have We Learned?

The Eichmann Trial 60 Years Later: What Have We Learned? kbkaput April 9, 2021

Israel
Black and white image of the courtroom during the Eichmann trial
April 11, 2021, marks the 60th anniversary of the opening of Adolf Eichmann’s trial, which coincided with the young Jewish state’s bat/bar mitzvah year of independence. These two events represent a microcosm of modern Jewish history.

On Yom HaShoah, Hear the Message of the Saved Remnant

On Yom HaShoah, Hear the Message of the Saved Remnant kbkaput April 7, 2021

Holocaust
Black and white image of the authors parents on their wedding day
My mother’s answer to hate is love. When I asked her what she wishes for herself and for the world, she said, “For myself good health, so I can be good to others. For the world, peace not war. No bad person wins in the end. What did Hitler achieve?”

Meet the 27-Year-Old Who's Amplifying the Sounds of the Borscht Belt

Meet the 27-Year-Old Who's Amplifying the Sounds of the Borscht Belt kbkaput April 7, 2021

Arts and Culture
Headshot of Aaron Bendich with his hair pulled back in a ponytail against a pink background
Growing up, Aaron Bendich would spend lots of time with his grandfather Max in the