Office hours: Monday through Friday, 9:00 am - 3:00 pm
About CBS
Founded in 1982, Congregation Bet Shalom (CBS) has always been a "roll up your sleeves and pitch in" place. We make Torah and Judaism come alive by encouraging one another to take up leadership positions in our services on Shabbat, holidays, and weekdays. CBS mavins are also known to become facilitators, launching creative classes. Our clergy leadership has worked hard to continue this grass-roots feel by cultivating lay leadership.
Rabbi Avi invites men, women, and children to take the reins by encouraging them to lead the tefillot, to chant from the Torah and haftarot, and to serve as darshanim (those who share words of Torah during services). Under his leadership, CBS has expanded its footprint and impact in Jewish Tucson by increasing learning opportunities, providing social events, and inspiring hessed projects at CBS and in the community at large.
Since its inception, CBS has had a reputation for being a warm and welcoming congregation. In 2014 our membership decided to foster an even more open atmosphere by eliminating set membership dues and, instead, embracing free-will monthly gifts of tzedakah. Our synagogue members and friends each decide the amount that they will send as monthly financial gifts, knowing that by doing so we are sustaining important work.
CBS is doing its part to keep the Jewish people engaged in mitzvot, in a meaningful way. Positive Jewish Experiences are the way of life at Congregation Bet Shalom. Join us!
Meet our Spiritual Leader
Rabbi Hazzan Avraham Alpert rabbi@cbsaz.org
A native Arizonan, Avraham Alpert is the spiritual leader of Congregation Bet Shalom; returning to Tucson in 2012. He was recently ordained as a rabbi, after studying at the Academy for Jewish Religion in Los Angeles, California. Serving as a hazzan for more than eighteen years in Arizona, Nevada, and Northern California, “Avi” Alpert has chosen to utilize the rabbinate as a platform for connecting with receptive souls.
As a cantor and hazzan, Avi was invested and commissioned by the Cantors Assembly. Previously, he studied intensively, for five years, with Ivor Lichterman, who in turn received the cantorial tradition from his father, Hazzan Jakub Lichterman of the Great Nozyk Shul, in Poland. In Israel, Avi was a student of Maestro Elli Jaffe, the director and conductor of the Jerusalem Great Synagogue Choir. Avi trained in cantorial arts and vocal technique with virtuoso Daniel Gildar of Philadelphia. He holds a Bachelor of Music Education from the Herberger College of Arizona State University.
Avi is known equally for his fervor and commitment to Torah, prayer, and the people of Israel. In addition to leading services, sharing words of Torah, Rabbi Avi can be found officiating at a full range of life cycle events, counseling those in need, training students of all ages, coordinating lay-leaders, developing innovative programs, and teaching creative classes.
Using his voice along with his resources, Avi supports the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. In addition, Avi is actively involved in building bridges with the Christian Zionist community. He is a dear friend of Pastor Victor Styrsky who wrote about his relationship with Rabbi Alpert in his book Honest to God.
Integral to Avi’s rabbinical work are his precious children and dedicated wife and partner, Kamala.
