Giving

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in honor of:
on the occasion of:
in memory of :

Tzedakah

There are many ways that your donations to Beth Ami can act to fulfill the mitzvah of tzedakah. Forms are available that make it easy to donate. The office sends acknowledgement cards to those being honored, or families in the case of a memorial, and gifts are noted in the Shofar. (When you do send a check in for one of these purposes, PLEASE note on the memo line to which fund you wish us to direct your donation. There is a minimum donation of $7.50).

Whether your initial motivation is to celebrate a life event, express a memorial for someone, or to gain a tax break, be assured that your community and Beth Ami appreciate your generosity!

Shopping Programs

Community Smart and eScrip are fantastic resources for fundraising. Participating business partners contribute a percentage of your grocery loyalty cards, credit card, and debit/ATM card purchases to the organization of your choice-Congregation Beth Ami-of course!

Here’s how it works …
eScrip — You register any one or all of your existing grocery loyalty, debit and credit cards for use in the program.
http://www.escrip.com OR
Registration form (PDF)

Community Smart — You get a Community Smart card that is swiped at the point-of-sale to trigger donations when paying with cash, check or credit card.
http://www.communitysmart.com

Both — Just by using the cards you have registered, participating merchants will make contributions to your chosen group based on purchases made by you. Your purchases are tracked and available to you online, you see just how much you are earning.

We are pleased to announce that longtime member Ronnie Rosenbach is our new Beth Ami eScrip Coordinator. She will be tracking our donation progress and looking at additional ways we can earn contributions for Beth Ami just by doing our everyday shopping. If you have any questions, want to sign up or need assistance with eScrip, contact Ronnie at (707) 322-2006 or ronnie.rosenbach@icloud.com.

Donate to Beth Ami when you shop on Amazon! Amazon has a program called AmazonSmile that donates a portion of what you spend on some products through that site to the charity you select. Information about how it works can be found at http://tinyurl.com/jplulym On your first visit to AmazonSmile (smile.amazon.com), you need to select a charitable organization to receive donations from eligible purchases before you begin shopping. After that every eligible purchase you make at smile.amazon.com will result in a donation. To select Beth Ami as your charity, type “Beth Ami” into the search box. If you see more than one Beth Ami, select the one in Santa Rosa. If you select the wrong charity by mistake, point to the name of the charity at the top of the AmazonSmile screen and click on “Change your charity” in the pop-up box. Just remember to do your Amazon shopping by going through smile.amazon.com You will have access to the same products as through the regular site.

Food at the High Holy Days

Each year at the High Holy Days, Beth Ami participates in a congregation-wide collection of canned and non-perishable foods for the Redwood Empire Food Bank.

Yahrzeit & Simcha Board

Yahrzeit Board

The Yahrzeit Board is a great way to remember and memorialize a loved one. The Yahrzeit Board consists of plaques 2″ by 10″ in size with the loved one’s name. Each year, for the Hebrew month of your loved one’s passing, a light is lit next to their plaque and their name will be included in the weekly Shabbat bulletin. Also, their name will be included annually in the Yizkor book. Your loved one’s memory will be commemorated forever even if no relatives are members of the congregation.

If you would like your loved one’s memory to be commemorated in this way, please visit the Forms page for further information.

Simcha Board

The Simcha Board is located in the foyer of the Sanctuary at Congregation Beth Ami, as a Tree of Life. A leaf on the Simcha Board is a lovely way to to commemorate a happy occasion and share your joy with the community in a lasting way. A bronze leaf can be personalized with an inscription. You may also choose to have a stone engraved for placement below the tree. There are two sizes of stones. Your milestone or simcha is immortalized while benefitting the congregation in a tax-deductible donation.

Please visit the Forms page for further information on how you can commemorate a special occasion in this way.

Contact Us

Want to learn more about Congregation Beth Ami?

A brief description of the committees and their roles follows:

 

Religious Practices

In conjunction with the Rabbi, determines the schedule and other details pertaining to the religious services and practices at Beth Ami. Encourage and develop higher levels of participation and skill in all matters of religious observance at the synagogue and in the home. Assists the Rabbi in implementing decisions of halacha and liturgy. Function of Religious Practices Committee
Chair Lee Feinstein

Sub Committee: Cemetery Committee
Supervises arrangements for members needs.

Subcommittee: Kitchen Committee
Encourages the use of the synagogue kitchen by and for congregants. Ensures that all users of the committee are familiar with synagogue policies regarding Kashrut, safety, hygiene and security. Seeks to establish a vibrant culinary community and provide rich and varied feasts for onegs, Kiddush luncheons, and other synagogue events.

 

Youth and Education

Creates and implements new classes and programs that encourage participation in Jewish learning.. Develops the schedules, engages the instructors, produces the publicity, and assumes all responsibility for the creation of new programs. Advises the Board and Staff on matters of program generation and execution.

Subcommittee: Nursery School
Works with the Nursery School director to develop, implement, and support school programs and activities.

Subcommittee: Religious School
Works with the Religious School Director to develop and support Religious School programs and activities

Subcommittee: Youth Activities Committee
Works with Youth Advisors to support youth programs and activities

Subcommittee: Adult Education
Works with Rabbi and staff to develop ongoing study courses, lectures and guest speakers

Membership

Welcomes new members to the synagogue, and acquaints them with various aspects of synagogue programs. Encourages unaffiliated Jews to consider joining the synagogue. Seeks out inactive members to renew their interest and participation in synagogue life. Interviews members who have recently left the synagogue, and discusses their comments with the Board. Advises the Board on policies that may impact the attraction and retention of members.

Subcommittee: Welcoming Committee
May supplement the Board as greeters at Shabbat services. May provide a table with information for visitors to our synagogue. Assures that visitors are noticed, introduced, and made to feel at home. Follows up, where possible, with visitors.

Subcommittee: Chavurah
Actively engages congregants (who wish to be included) in existing Chaverot, and creates new Chaverot as members request. Communicates guidelines for choosing a Chavurah. Reviews existing guidelines for membership and programming, and makes suggestions as appropriate.

Subcommittee: Chesed Committee
Supervises the well being synagogue members in times of need and difficulty. May visit the sick, visit the physically and socially challenged, and may assist and comfort in times of bereavement, family illness, or other need.

Budget and Finance

Oversees and reports on the fiscal health of the congregation. The Committee reviews the monthly balance sheets, profit and loss statement and the department detail reports, reviews the draft budget compiled and prepared by Executive Director and makes recommendations to the board. The budget and finance committee also works with the bookkeeper and CBA office staff on maintaining proper accounting procedure.

Capital Campaign
Organizes fundraising for capital improvements and their associated finances.

Fund Raising, Development, and Special Events

Responsible for organizing and coordinating activities to generate revenue for operation and endowment, consistent with the values of the synagogue. Supervises the Gift Shop

Fundraising and Special Events Committee
Plans and organizes special events designed for community building and fundraising.

Subcommittee: Gift Shop
Stocks and supervises the gift shop.

Israel Affairs Committee

The Israel Affairs Committee has a CLEAR mission to:
Communicate with the community regarding Israel-related and Masorti issues,
Learn more about current affairs related to Israel, including the Masorti movement,
Educate the community about Israel, including the Masorti movement,
Act positively to provide a love of the Jewish State and
React in response to political anti-Semitism.

Building and Grounds

Responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of synagogue-owned buildings and grounds, Advises the Board on matters of insurance coverage, renovations, repairs, possible economies in utility usage, and long term capital improvements. Supervises renovations and construction projects.

Subcommittee : Aesthetics and Décor
Supervises the décor of the synagogue.

Subcommittee : Security
Supervises security issues for the synagogue.

Social Action

Develops programs to further the commitment to the entire extended Jewish Community, and to Israel. Organizes social and political action consistent with our Jewish values. Develops positive relations with the general community

Personnel Committee

Establishes policies for employment at CBA: provides leadership in hiring and terminating employees, including Rabbi and Executive Director; establishes vehicles and timetables for annual reviews of all employees; creates and updates employee handbook.

Leadership Development/ Board Operations

Develops and administers training programs for synagogue leadership roles. Supervises Board Trainings for new Board members. Monitors compliance with current By-Laws, and recommends By-Laws changes when appropriate. Functions as the parliamentarian at Board meetings. Acts as the Nominating Committee for elections.

Communications Committee

Supervises the synagogue web page. Makes suggestions for web page changes, and supervises their implementation. Develops, as appropriate, suggestions for on line resources and on line learning. Supervises the Cyber Shul and the Shofar. Assists other committees and organizers in carrying out their publicity for CBA events, both to the Sonoma County Jewish Community, and the General Community.

Subcommittee: Web guru

Library Committee

Oversees the operation of the library. Encourages appropriate use of the library. Supervises the use of library supplies and materials, including computer and on-line sources. Supervises the recruiting and training of volunteer staff. Advises the Board on all issues relating to the library

Friedman Center

Friedman Center Board Chair: Bill Friedman

Guides and Checklists for Organizing Events

To help events or programs run smoothly, the office now has a Program and Event Planning Guide.
CBA Program and Event Planning Guide
CBA Publicity Guidelines
CBA Cleanup Guidelines
CBA Equipment Use Guidelines
CBA set-up form

Guidelines for using the kitchen