Beth Chayim Chadashim

What Beth Chayim Chadashim does

Beth Chayim Chadashim (BCC) is a 501(c)(3) Reform Jewish congregation founded in 1972 in Los Angeles, California, and operated as the world's first synagogue established by and for gay and lesbian Jews. The organization serves LGBTQIA+ individuals, their friends, and families through weekly Shabbat services, High Holy Days observances, lifecycle events (b'nai mitzvah, weddings, funerals), adult education, and a portfolio of community subgroups including Men's, Women's, GenX, and Trans Havurot. It is affiliated with the Union for Reform Judaism and is led by Rabbi Jillian Cameron, Cantor Juval Porat, and Rabbi Emerita Lisa Edwards.

BCC's core service offering is a tiered annual membership program layered with above-dues giving (Mitzvah Circle tiers from Chaverim at $500+ up to Shomrim at $7,500+), one-time and planned donations, and facility rentals at its LEED Qualified building at 6090 West Pico Boulevard. Underlying technology is centered on hybrid in-person and virtual delivery: live streaming of services via Zoom, YouTube, and IBM Video; communications via Constant Contact email newsletters and Google Forms; and synagogue administration on the ShulCloud membership/donation platform. The congregation has extended its reach globally through remote participation since initiating live-streaming in 2011, while in-person operations remain anchored in Los Angeles with 1-10 employees.

The go-to-market motion is community-led and relationship-driven: BCC acquires members through welcoming events, Shabbat services, educational programming, social gatherings, and word-of-mouth within the LGBTQIA+ and Jewish communities, with prospective members engaging in a financial-commitment conversation with lay leaders as part of the application process. Recent strategic activity has emphasized programmatic diversification (Jewish Library Project for wildfire relief, trans-affirming Clothing Swap, Jewish-values education classes) and ecosystem partnerships with organizations such as Bet Tzedek, the Jewish Healing Center of Los Angeles, the Wende Museum, and Repair for Justice.

Name

Beth Chayim Chadashim

Legal name

Beth Chayim Chadashim, A Metropolitan Community Temple

Website

https://bcc-la.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Beth Chayim Chadashim is a 501(c)(3) Reform Jewish congregation founded in 1972 in Los Angeles that serves LGBTQIA+ individuals, their friends, and families through worship, lifecycle events, education, and community programming.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Congregation Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Denominational & Ecclesiastical Governance Bodies (Dioceses, Synods, Conferences) (BPAGAJAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Faith-Based Education & Formation (Seminaries, Religious Schools, Catechesis) (BPAGAJAD)

Keywords

• Reform Jewish congregation
• LGBTQIA+ spiritual community
• Jewish lifecycle events
• Shabbat worship services
• Religious education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership dues from full and affiliate members. Full membership includes High Holiday tickets, access to classes/workshops, and clergy support for lifecycle events. Affiliate membership for those belonging to another synagogue.
2. Donations and Contributions: Donations received through the website donation forms, including one-time and planned giving options.
3. Space Rentals: Rental of BCC facility for various events including meetings, celebrations, and community gatherings.
4. Mitzvah Circle Enhanced Membership: Enhanced membership tiers with additional contributions: Chaverim ($500+), Tormim ($1,000+), Tomchim ($2,500+), Bonim ($5,000+), Shomrim ($7,500+) above foundation level.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Beth Chayim Chadashim (BCC) is a Reform Jewish congregation providing religious worship, lifecycle events, Jewish education, music programs, and community programming for LGBTQIA+ individuals, their friends, and families. Core offerings include weekly Shabbat services (in-person and livestreamed), High Holy Days services, lifecycle officiation (b'nai mitzvah, weddings, funerals), adult education such as Torah Study and "One Value at a Time," community groups (Men's, Women's, GenX, and Trans Havurah groups, Books & Bagels), and a tiered annual membership program with affiliated clergy and educational access.

Product overview

Beth Chayim Chadashim is a Reform Jewish congregation offering religious worship, educational programming, and community services primarily through in-person and virtual formats. Core offerings include weekly Shabbat services with livestreaming capabilities, an extensive video archive of sermons and musical performances, music programs featuring Ruach Chayim services and a BCC choir, membership programs with full and affiliate tiers, and various community groups including book discussions, Hebrew classes, and support groups. The congregation also runs special initiatives like the Jewish Library Project for wildfire recovery and monthly clothing swaps.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Annual Membership Program Tiered annual membership offering High Holy Day tickets, access to classes/workshops, full clergy access for lifecycle events, and community participation. Levels include Individual Adult Household Foundation ($2,096/yr), Multiple Adult Household Foundation ($3,255/yr), Nevet (Sprout, $1,048/yr), Garin (Seed, $524/yr), and Mitzvah Circle enhanced tiers (Chaverim $500+, Tormim $1,000+, Tomchim $2,500+, Bonim $5,000+, Shomrim $7,500+). Affiliate membership is available for individuals belonging to another synagogue.
• Space Rentals Rental of the BCC facility at 6090 West Pico Boulevard, Los Angeles, for various events including meetings, celebrations, and community gatherings. Available to outside organizations and individuals seeking event space.
• Lifecycle Event Officiation Clergy-led officiation for lifecycle events including b'nai mitzvah, weddings, and funerals, provided to members as part of their full membership benefit. Inclusive officiation offered for LGBTQIA+ individuals and families.
• High Holy Days Services Annual High Holy Days worship services (Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur) with tickets included for members and available to affiliate members, also accessible via livestream.
• Livestream Shabbat Services Weekly live video streaming of Shabbat services and special events, enabling remote congregants worldwide to participate in worship. Includes live streaming for members' simchas, classes, guest speakers, and special events.

Quantifiable outcome

• Founded in 1972 as the world's first gay and lesbian synagogue

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Union for Reform Judaism (URJ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBCC is affiliated with the URJ, the central organization for Reform Judaism in North America. This affiliation provides organizational support, resources, and connection to the broader Reform Jewish movement while BCC maintains its unique identity as the first LGBT synagogue.
• Memorial Scrolls TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBCC received its Czech Holocaust Torah scroll on permanent loan from the Memorial Scrolls Trust in England. The scroll originated from Chotěboř, Czech Republic, and was rescued after the Holocaust. This partnership represents BCC's commitment to Jewish continuity and memory.
• Bet TzedekminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBet Tzedek provides estate planning presentations at BCC, offering financial and decision-making tools, limited probate and trust information, and self-help services to congregants.
• Jewish Healing Center of Los AngelesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Jewish Healing Center hosts bereavement support groups at BCC's facility, including general bereavement groups and a specific daughters' bereavement group facilitated by Rabbi Carla Howard.
• Wende MuseumminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBCC organizes periodic tours of the Wende Museum in Culver City for congregants. The museum houses Cold War-era cultural history materials and provides educational cultural experiences for the BCC community.
• Repair for JusticeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRepair for Justice co-sponsors events with BCC's Women's Havurah, including educational workshops on topics like tea blending and medicinal herbs, combining wellness and social justice education.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Eshel: Organization supporting LGBTQIA+ Jews and their families through community-building, resources, and education. Comparable to BCC in mission alignment around LGBTQIA+ Jewish affirmation, though Eshel operates as a support organization rather than a worship community.
• Keshet Ga'avah (World Congress of GLBT Jews): International network supporting LGBTQIA+ Jewish communities and congregations. Comparable to BCC as a like-minded institution advancing LGBTQIA+ Jewish visibility and connection, though operating as a convening organization rather than a congregation.

Direct peers

• IKAR: Los Angeles-based progressive Jewish congregation with a creative, post-denominational approach. Comparable to BCC because it competes for the same progressive, younger, identity-diverse Jewish demographic in LA.
• Congregation Sha'ar Zahav: San Francisco-based LGBTQIA+ Jewish congregation, comparable in mission and structure to BCC. Both are historic affirming congregations serving queer Jews on the West Coast with similar programming and membership models.
• Congregation Kol Ami: Los Angeles-based Reform Jewish congregation with a long-standing LGBTQIA+ inclusive mission. Directly comparable to BCC because both operate as LA-based affirming congregations with overlapping target demographics and Reform affiliation.
• Congregation Beit Simchat Torah: New York City-based LGBTQIA+ Jewish congregation that is one of the most prominent direct comparables to BCC. Both serve as affirming spiritual homes for queer Jews and their families, offering membership-driven programming, lifecycle events, and progressive Reform-style worship.

Broad incumbents

• Temple Isaiah: Major Reform Jewish congregation in Los Angeles affiliated with URJ. Comparable to BCC as another large URJ-affiliated LA synagogue competing for the same Reform Jewish members, though without a dedicated LGBTQIA+ focus.
• Wilshire Boulevard Temple: Large established Reform congregation in Los Angeles affiliated with URJ. Comparable to BCC as a URJ-affiliated Reform institution in the same geography, though it serves a much broader demographic without BCC's LGBTQIA+ niche focus.

Regional players

• JCC of Los Angeles (Jewish Community Centers): Los Angeles Jewish Community Center providing cultural, educational, and community programming. Comparable to BCC as an LA-based Jewish community institution offering programming and gathering space, though broader in scope and nonsectarian.
• Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles: Regional Jewish community organization serving the LA area. Comparable to BCC as part of the broader LA Jewish institutional ecosystem, though it operates as a grantmaker and umbrella body rather than a congregation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BCC1972
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/bethchayimchadashim
• Facebookfacebook.com/templebcc
• Instagraminstagram.com/accounts/login/?next=/congregation_bcc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/beth-chayim-chadashim-bcc-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Beth Chayim Chadashim