Welcome to Congregation Beth Ami of Santa Rosa, California.
Congregation Beth Ami is online every day for services and classes. Because of the rise of COVID cases and the new Sonoma County public health orders, services and events will be on Zoom or outdoors. See Events at a Glance for the virtual week calendar with Zoom information. The office is closed to in-person visits but available by phone or email.
Events at a Glance and Virtual Week Calendar
Beth Ami Virtual Week chart with Zoom links, reopening health and safety procedures, and Closed Captioning/ Live Transcript instructions
BETH AMI VIRTUAL WEEK CALENDAR
Streaming video on our Facebook page
Rabbi Miller’s Rashi classes on YouTube
Fridays, 6 pm on Zoom only: First Fridays of the month traditional Kabbalat Shabbat with Rabbi Mordecai Miller. Other Fridays, Sing in Shabbat, a short, music filled service led by Lisa Iskin and Rabbi Miller, preceded by a story with Rabbi Miller for the kids (and the kid at heart) at 5:45 pm.
(4:30 p.m. Mincha led by Rabbi Miller)
Saturday morning Shabbat services 9:30 a.m. on Zoom.
Mincha starts approximately an hour before Havdallah, followed by Maariv and Havdallah
Weekday: 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. morning 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 YouTube
Tuesdays at 2:00 pm Mishnah
Wednesdays at 8:00 pm Midrash
Tu B’Shevat, New Year of the Trees, with the nursery school kids. They planted an apple and a pear tree with Beth Ami volunteer and tree expert Michael Shapiro.
The Social Action Committee volunteered January 19 at the Redwood Empire Food Bank. The next dinner for The Palms is planned for February 16.
Starting Exodus: a great time to join in our study of the week’s Torah reading using Rashi’s commentary. 7:30 am weekdays on zoom or any time on YouTube.
Beth Ami children celebrated Shabbat with Rabbi Miller’s Woodwind Trio, who accompanied the singing of Bim Bam and There’s a Dinosaur Knocking at My Door.
Join us Friday evenings 5:50 pm on the Beth Ami Zoom page. First Fridays: Kabbalat Shabbat with Rabbi Mordecai Miller. Other Fridays: Sing in Shabbat with Lisa Iskin,
Popular Blogs
Services returning to Zoom only
Because of the rise of COVID cases and the new Sonoma county public health orders, we will NOT be having in person Shabbat morning services or indoor meetings until further notice. We invite everyone to join us on Zoom. See Beth Ami Virtual Week for Zoom details. A reevaluation will be done the first week of February on opening the campus for services and indoor meetings.
Fridays on Zoom only: We begin at 5:45 p.m. with a song and a story for the kids (and the kid at heart), followed by Kabbalat Shabbat with Rabbi Miller on first Fridays. On other Fridays, Lisa Iskin leads a short and very sweet musical Shabbat service at 6:00 pm, concluding with our communal Kiddush at about 6:30 pm. We hope that joining as a community in this way, will lift all of our spirits, with the beauty and holiness of Shabbat.
Saturday Shabbat morning services on Zoom, 9:30 am, lead by Rabbi Mordecai Miller and congregants
Siddur Chadash Shabbat Morning
Saturday night Mincha starts about an hour before Havdalah time, followed by study of a prayer, Maariv and Havdalah: bring Havdallah candle, spicebox and wine.
Weekday: 8:00 a.m. Sunday through Friday mornings will be conducted on Zoom.
Weekday: 7:00 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
Closed Captioning/ Live Transcript instructions Closed Caption Instructions for Beth Ami
Social Action, Civil Rights and Social Justice
Please join the members of the Beth Ami Committee on Racism and Social Justice as we explore together:
• Have time together with your community at CBA to share experiences and perhaps some sensitive discussions.
• Explore racism and white privilege in the world today and how it has directly and indirectly been a part of our lives.
• Increase our understanding and learn how racism has molded our perceptions.
• Discover ways to be antiracist and support people of color.
• Gain tools and resources to initiate and build social justice in our community.
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. If you are interested in helping in any way, please contact Lyla.
We have resumed volunteering at the Redwood Empire Food Bank. You need to sign up online. We usually work the 10:00- 1:00 shift and then go out for a simple meal. This is a great activity with your children or grandkids over 13. Or for any friend.
To get more info, please call Lyla Nathan at 526-7438 or Elizabeth Jarlsberg at BA office 360-3000.
Adult Education
Online weekdays: Rashi commentary on the week’s Torah reading, 7:30-8:00 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. Videos now posted on YouTube
Online: Mishnah 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 2:45 p.m. 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 every other Wednesday evening: See the Israeli Dance blog.
Check out our current newsletter: Shofar January February 2022 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
Will we ever dance away from Zoom?
We were just about to try dancing in person in Beth Ami's social hall when Omicron sent us back to Zoom. The social hall floor is not optimal, but there is good ventilation there. We will see if we can try it again in the future. Dancing on Zoom at home is not optimal...
Book Group Update: two meetings in February
Our CBA book group will meet on Sunday, Feb. 13, at my home, probably outside, weather permitting. Each participant will speak 5-10 min. about a book of their own choosing. On Sunday, Feb. 27, we will discuss Helene Wecker's THE HIDDEN PALACE. “In 2013, Pleasanton...
January 15, 2022
Dear Friends, Within the last two weeks we’ve witnessed two acts against the Jewish Community, one in our neighborhood: the malicious destruction of the Holocaust Memorial Fountain, a week ago at the Santa Rosa Memorial Cemetery - for the second time in two years -...
One Bay One Book for January
We will be getting the yearly ONE BAY ONE BOOK --- a selection that many people throughout the SF Bay Area are reading this Jewish year. It’s called THE HIDDEN PALACE by Helene Wecker. “In 2013, Pleasanton author Helene Wecker published her first novel, “The Golem and...
Increased use of masks for winter
With Omicron and Delta COVID strains and influenza in the community and with a rise of cases in California, the mask mandate for indoor public services has been issued by the governor. For the Congregation, all agreed we are back to masking inside for services with...
Our December Event at the Palms
Hi everyone. Here are pictures from the gift bag assembly, and a few from the Palms. Anyway, thanks to everyone for such a successful event. The residents were so grateful for everything. The huge array of socks was really welcomed. Everyone needed them. The food was...
The Fast of Tevet
It seems as if every region of our country, East, South, Midwest and West is subject to some form of natural disaster. Hurricanes, tornados, fires, flooding, earthquakes; one never can be sure when they might arrive to disrupt and devastate our ongoing lives. Just...
Speaker from the Equal Justice Initiative
Tuesday, December 14, 7 pm The Racial and Social Justice committee invites the community to hear about the Equal Justice Initiative ,funded by Bryan Stevenson, lawyer and author of Just Mercy. EJI provides legal representation to people who have been illegally...
Sign up for “Is Today’s College Campus Climate Safe for Jews?” Dec. 12 at 3:30pm
Is Today's College Campus Climate Safe for Jews? Please join us to hear Alyza Lewin, a leading voice in the fight against antisemitism on college campuses, address the problems Jewish college students and faculty are currently experiencing in a Zoom webinar Sunday,...
2nd night of Chanukah on zoom with Lisa, Leah and Scott
Scott and Leah Gerber join us for the 2nd night of Chanukah, Monday the 29th of November at 7:00 p.m. on Zoom, for our Maariv service led by Lisa Iskin. To begin, Leah and Scott will sing "Chanukah Oh Chanukah" in Yiddish and English. We will then light the candles...