Welcome to Congregation Beth Ami of Santa Rosa, California.
Congregation Beth Ami is online at least twice every day for services and classes. See Events at a Glance for the virtual week calendar with zoom information. Check in, say hello.
Events at a Glance
Beth Ami Virtual Week chart with Zoom links Beth Ami Virtual Week
Streaming video on our Facebook page
Wednesdays Nov. 11 and Dec. 2, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. pre-ordered Chanukah items available for pickup.
Thursday December 3, 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Evening on Racial and Social Justice with Reverend Lee Turner of Community Baptist Church of Santa Rosa, on Beth Ami’s Zoom.
Sunday December 6 Drop-in Book Group, Blue Mountain by Meir Shalev, Linda Emblen 544-4532 for more information.
Sunday December 13 10:00 a.m. Voices of Israel, Charlotte Korchak, Director, International Student Programs, StandWithUs Israel
Sunday December 13 evening Nursery School Drive-Through Chanukah
Thursday December 17 5:30 p.m. 8th Night National Chanukah Celebration: IllumiNation
Erev Shabbat on Fridays
4:30 p.m. Mincha led by Rabbi Miller, candlelighting 4:45
5:50 p.m. Sing in Shabbat led by Lisa Iskin and Rabbi Miller, concluding with Kiddush
Saturday morning Shabbat services 9:30 a.m. on Zoom; 4:30 Mincha, 5:45 Havdallah
Weekday: 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. mornings and evening prayers will be conducted on Zoom. Beth Ami Virtual Week
Rabbi Miller’s remote classes:
Weekday Mornings 7:30 a.m. Parsha and Rashi study, also streaming and recorded on Facebook
Tuesdays at 2:00 pm Mishnah
Wednesdays at 8:00 pm Midrash
An Evening on Racial and Social Justice with Reverend Lee Turner, pastor of the Community Baptist Church in Santa Rosa. Thursday December 3, 7 p.m. on Beth Ami’s Zoom.
Chanukah items sold by pre-order. Click above for price list and call or email us with your order. Available for pick up at Beth Ami on Nov. 11 or Dec. 2
Liska Iskin joins Rabbi Miller to sing in Shabbat 5:50 p.m. Fridays. Bring your children to her musical family services. Hear a story and make Kiddush together.
Voices of Israel speakers Monthly 10 a.m. through May: Sunday, December 13 at 10 am, Stand With Us Israel’s dynamic educator Charlotte Korchak. Sign up for Zoom url.
Beth Ami Community Nursery School is a Reggio-inspired Jewish nursery school, providing all children a joyful, safe, and rich learning environment.
Popular Blogs
Rabbi Miller online
Beth Ami is bringing services, davening and Torah study into our homes while our building is closed. We are conducting Zoom sessions, plus streaming video on our Facebook page at these times, along with pdfs of prayerbooks for following along:
Friday, Mincha at 4:30 p.m. followed by candlelighting. Sing in Shabbat at 5:50 pm with musical leadership by Lisa Iskin
Saturday, 9:30 am, Siddur Chadash Shabbat Morning
Saturday night Mincha at 4:30 p.m. followed by Maariv, with Havdallah at 5:45 p.m., bring Havdallah candle, spicebox and wine
Weekday: 8:00 a.m. Sunday through Friday mornings will be conducted on Zoom.
Weekday: 5:00 p.m. Evening services often include the musical leadership of Lisa Iskin
weekday Shacharit SIDDUR SIM SHALOM
weekday afternoon SIDDUR SIM SHALOM
weekday maariv SIDDUR SIM SHALOM
A source for Torah and Haftarah is at Bible.ort.org or here Another source: http://www.lashon.net/CL/
Beth Ami Virtual Week chart with Zoom links Beth Ami Virtual Week
Social Action and Adult Education: Civil Rights and Social Justice
Save the Date! The Social Action Committee is sponsoring another evening on Racial and Social Justice Are you interested in our community of Sonoma County? Are you wondering what you can do to help improve civil rights? How can you be an ally?Thursday, December 3, 2020 7 p.m. – 8 p.m. at Beth Ami’s regular Zoom room (see virtual week) Let’s get to know our community better. Join us as we welcome Reverend Lee Turner, pastor of the Community Baptist Church in Santa Rosa. This is an opportunity to listen to his perspective on the black experience of black citizens living in Sonoma County. After Reverend Turner shares his thoughts on the topic, there will be time for questions and discussion. Reverend Turner flyer
In July, the Social Action and Adult Education Committees co-sponsored three evenings of education on Civil Rights and Social Justice. Benjamin Mertz led us as we explored these questions through lecture, discussion and music. Material for study and action available here.
Social Action continues to provide food to The Palms. We came up with an idea to prepare individual portions. Social Action Committee meets periodically to plan the next Palms dinner. To get more info, please call Lyla Nathan at 526-7438 or Elizabeth Jarlsberg at BA office 360-3000.
Adult Education
BLUE MOUNTAIN by multi-award-winning Israeli writer, Meir Shalev, is the current selection for the CBA Adult Education Committee-sponsored book group. We have a few copies left that are borrowed from the SF Jewish Community Library. Next meeting is Sunday, December 6. If inclement weather, instead of meeting in my backyard, we’ll meet on private Zoom. We are open to all local members and friends who have read the book and want to participate. For details and questions, phone Linda at 544-4532.
Online weekdays: Rashi commentary on the week’s Torah reading, 7:30 a.m. The text is shared on screen, and translation is always provided. This is pitched towards the person who is beginning to look at traditional Jewish learning.
Online: Mishna Class with Rabbi Mordecai Miller on Tuesday afternoons 2:00 – 3:00 p.m.
The collection of Oral Torah edited and compiled by Rabbi Judah the Prince in the year 200. We will examine the Hebrew text and the classic commentary of Rabbi Ovadiah of Bertinora. All Hebrew will be translated and explained.
Please feel free to catch a lesson and join us weekly if you find this speaks to your desire to learn about our traditions.
Online: TaNaCh Class with Rabbi Mordecai Miller: Thursdays at 2:30 p.m. in the Library. A study and discussion based on the Parsha of the week or Neviim (Prophets.) In English with lively discussion.
Online: Midrash Class with Rabbi Mordecai Miller: Wednesday evenings 8:00 – 8:45 p.m. We examine the original text of the Midrash Rabba (the Great Midrash) on Genesis as well as an 18th Century commentary called “Eitz Yoseph”. These provide original insights into the Biblical text. Discussion is encouraged.
There is no charge for Rabbi Miller’s classes. A source for Torah and Haftarah is at Bible.ort.org or here Another source: http://www.lashon.net/CL/
Beth Ami Virtual Week chart with Zoom links Beth Ami Virtual Week
Ongoing activities
On Zoom: Morning Minyan 8:00am
If you need to say Kaddish or memorialize a special event, contact the office at 360-3000 one week in advance, and we will do our best to secure a minyan.
On Zoom: Evening service 7:00 p.m.
On Zoom: Israeli Folk Dancing See the Israeli Dance blog.
Check out our current newsletter: Shofar November December 2020 for essays, news, more events and details about the events listed above. Archived issues of the Shofar are also available online.
Congregation Beth Ami is located in Northern California,in the heart of Wine Country in Sonoma County, about one hour north of San Francisco, and about one hour west of Napa.
Latest Blogs
A NOTE FROM LYLA NATHAN
Once again we have suffered through another fire and evacuations and power outages. It is hard to believe that fall has become such a frightening time in Sonoma County. As November is upon us we are all hoping for rain. Sooner than later. The SAC has continued to plug...
Next Speaker in Voices of Israel Series is educator Charlotte Korchak December 13 (Sunday, 10 am)
Download this poster (625k) Big Names Coming (virtually) to Santa Rosa to help us Celebrate 5781 Sign up at https://signup.com/go/LFJUpEX Voices of Israel: Our People and Our Homeland Webinar Series Sponsored by the Israel Committee Sign up at...
Dancing on Zoom every two weeks
Hi dancers, we meet every two weeks in an informal way. We keep discovering ways to improve our technological expertise. We figured out shared sound, so the music quality is good. Mark put up a bright light in the room, and the camera is a lot happier now. I think it...
Lot’s Wife as a case of Universal Justice
"Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when they stumble, do not let your heart rejoice." ---Proverbs 24:17 The book of Genesis describes the wickedness of five cities, Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboim, and Zoar. Despite Abraham’s pleading and God’s willingness to spare...
Voices of Israel Speakers for November and December
Voices of Israel: Our People & Our Homeland Series’ First Two Speakers Monthly on Sundays at 10 am through May Signup at https://signup.com/go/LFJUpEX November 8 Mr. "Dry Bones" Yaakov Kirschen, Antisemitism and the Power of...
Racism and Social Justice
The committee on Racism and Social Justice has created a resource list for our membership. This list includes articles, videos, podcasts, books, etc. We hope it provides our congregants further enrichment and education on important social issues. We encourage...
Big Names Coming to Santa Rosa
Big Names Coming (virtually) to Santa Rosa to help us Celebrate 5781 Voices of Israel: Our People and Our Homeland Webinar Series Sponsored by the Israel Committee Our Webinar Series kicked off on Sunday, Nov. 8 at 10 am with the cartoonist of Dry Bones, Yaakov...
Dancing on Zoom
Hi dancers, I've missed everyone... I have attended some large and fancy zoom dance events, but I mostly don't know the people, or the dances either. I have finally solved enough technical issues to host an informal zoom reunion, which can be repeated every two weeks...
Honey Cake: stories and recipes
The best Honey Cake in my parent's family was from my father's side of the family; his Aunt Ann's Honey cake. Below is the recipe from my mother's recipe file. Of course, if you look carefully, you'll see her comments for improving it to her taste. Caution: if you...
Coping with Covid
It’s hard to believe that the Corona Virus Pandemic has become a daily reality for close to five months. Who ever could have imagined how profoundly it would affect our lives? Routine activities like dining out, getting a haircut, going to a school, attending a...