Events at a Glance
Coming Events:
May 1, Friday 6:00 pm Sing in Shabbat with Leah Gerber on ZOOM only
May 2, Saturday,
9:30 am Psukei d’Zimra preliminary service
9:45 am Shacharit, Shabbat Services (Lay-led) followed by potluck lunch
May 4 Monday 7:00 pm Israeli dancing at Beth Ami
May 6, Wednesday 10:30 – 11:30am Exercise Class
May 8, Friday 6:00pm Shir Shabbat Service with Rabbi Koas and Klezmer Creek,
6:45 pm BBQ Chicken Shabbat Dinner
7:30 Guest Speaker on Immigration from VIDAS
May 9, Saturday
8:45 am Torah Study
9:45 am Shabbat Services with Rabbi Koas followed by potluck lunch
May 11, Monday
5:30 pm Class on Siddur
6:30 pm Class oon Neviim, Prophets
May 6, Wednesday
10:30 – 11:30 am Exercise Class
12 noon, Lunch and Learn
77:00 pm Introduction to Judaism
May 15, Friday
6:00pm Kabbalat Shabbat Service with Rabbi Koas
6:45 pm Potluck Shabbat Dinner
May 16, Saturday
8:45 am Torah Study
9:45 am Shabbat Services with Rabbi Koas
10:30 am Tot Shabbat
12 noon potluck lunch
1:00 pm Conversational Hebrew
8:00 pm Havdallah gathering
May 17, Sunday
9:00 am Morning Minyan and breakfast
10:30 am Torah on Trails
May 18, Monday 7:00 pm Israeli Dancing
May 20, Wednesday
10:30 � 11:30 am Exercise Class
6:30 pm Torah on Tap
May 21 Thursday 7:30 pm to 1:30 am Tikkun Leil Shavuot at B’nai Israel, Petaluma
May 22 Friday 6:00 pm Shavuot service followed by celebration and dinner
May 23, Saturday
8:45 am Torah Study
9:45 am Shavuot Day 2 Services with Rabbi Koas followed by potluck lunch
Winner! Winner! Chicken Dinner! May 8th Shabbat Dinner, with Guest speaker Monica Julian, lawyer from VIDAS Vital Immigrant Defense Advocacy. RSVP by May 4.
Shavuot began as a harvest festival of first fruits, and became the day we remember receiving Torah at Sinai. Celebrate with song, food, study and prayer.
Torah on the Trail, Lunch and Learn, Torah on Tap, Prophets, Introduction to Judaism, Shabbat Torah study, check the newsletter and online calendar for dates.
Popular Blogs
(See more blogs here)
SERVICES AND EVENTS ARE A MIX OF IN-PERSON, ZOOM AND HYBRID
Our Shabbat and festival services are a true hybrid with active participants on Zoom. We have a NEW ZOOM ADDRESS. See this page for information and links.
On one Friday a month Leah Gerber 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 Torah Study 8:45 am, Shabbat morning services in person and on Zoom, 9:45 am, lead by Rabbi Ron Koas and congregants. There are hearing assistance devices for in-person attendees and captioning available on Zoom. Lunches after Shabbat morning services are prepared by the Kitchen Committee with potluck donations, see food guidelines and recipes here.
Rabbi Koas’ classes and events
- Every Shabbat morning when Rabbi is in town: Torah Study at 9 AM at CBA
- 2nd Sunday of the month at 9 AM Morning minyan services and Breakfast at CBA
- 2nd Sunday of the month at 10:30 AM Torah on Trails. Please RSVP to Rabbi Koas at 732-998-1029
- 2nd Monday of the month at 5:30 – 6:30 PM Siddur Master Class, exploration of Siddur Hadash, the prayer book that shapes our communal worship.
- 2nd Monday of the month at 6:30 PM study of Nevi’im, the books of the Prophets, starting with Joshua. Bring snacks.
- 2nd Wednesday of the month at noon to 1:30 p.m. Lunch and Learn at CBA Order a Veggie Wrap or Tuna Sandwich (box lunch, chips and a drink for $12). Please order through the office at 707-360-3000 by the Monday prior to class.
- 2nd Thursday of the month 6:30 PM Torah on Tap at CBA. We provide the drink. You provide the Nosh (Veggie only please follow potluck guidelines.)
- Introduction to Judaism / Bnai Mitzvah Class 2nd Mondays, 7:00 pm, starting January 13. How to be Jewish for beginners. A step-by-step guide to gaining an understanding of Judaism and Jewish life. Contact Rabbi Koas if you are interested rabbi@bethamisr.org.
- Havdalah at CBA on 2nd Saturday of the month: You provide the beverage. We’ll provide the Nosh. Followed by Karaoke, Game Night, or other activities. Future Havdalah nights ideas include a Painting night, Storytelling/Poetry Mic night/Movies. Send your ideas to office@bethamisr.org Put in the Subjject line Havdalah gatherings.
- And every Tuesday when Rabbi Koas is in town. Join him at the Taco Tuesday Ride For details call Rabbii Koas at 732-998-1029
Social Action, Civil Rights and Social Justice
Please join the members of the Beth Ami’s Advocates for 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 are now serving hot food from crockpots in person. 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.
Beth Ami Israel Committee
The Israel Affairs Committee collects links and descriptions of national and international webinars and online viewing about Israel and antisemitism. The ongoing Teddy Bear Project to craft and send Teddy Bears to children in Israel.
Shofar Newsletter
Check out our current newsletter: Shofar May June 2026 for essays, news, more events and details about the events listed above. Archived issues of the Shofar are also available online.
Ongoing activities
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.
In the Social Hall: Exercise for Older Adults 10 am Wednesdays
Israeli Folk Dancing is back: On Monday, March 30th at 7 pm, please join Robin Lowitz and others in the wonderful art of Israeli dancing See the Israeli Dance blog.
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.
Some Recent Blogs
Next up BECOMING EVE
Next up is BECOMING EVE --- MY JOURNEY FROM ULTRA-ORTHODOX RABBI TO TRANSGENDER WOMAN by Abby Chava Stein ( Memoir, 238 pgs, 2019.) Our Rabbi Ron Koas and new member, Aly Davis, want to lead a discussion/conversation about it at CBA on June 14 after Shabbat lunch....
CEO of the Redwood Empire Food Bank will be at services and lunch on Saturday, June 7 th
Allison Goodwin, the CEO of the Redwood Empire Food Bank will be at services and lunch on Saturday, June 7 th. She will give an update on the economic outlook at the food bank given the cuts in federal funding. Please come to find out how these cuts are impacting...
Shavuot Celebration Sunday, June 1
Shavuot Celebration Sunday, June 1, 7 pm ~ ? 740 Western Avenue, Petaluma Standing Together at Sinai, Again Noshing, Schmoozing, Connecting and Learning with Rabbis • Andi Berlin • Shalom Bochner • David Bush • Steven Finley • Ron Koas • Daniel Kohn and others!...
40th Annual Sonoma County Pride Parade May 31
The J Weekly posted their photo of Rabbi Koas leading the Beth Ami contingent at the Sonoma County Pride Parade as their photo of the week. We are all signed up for the Sonoma County 2025 Pride Parade on Saturday, May 31st, in Santa Rosa. It’s the 40th anniversary of...
Where has the time gone?
It’s hard to believe Purim is here and Passover is right around the corner. Hopefully, you have seen the announcement for the Purim Megillah reading, the Complete Unknown Purim Schpiel, and the 2nd night Community Pesach Seder. We also have our monthly Shabbat dinners...
A Completely Unknown Spiel and Meal
A Completely Unknown Megillah, Sunday March 16 3:00 pm... be a sponsor! We can’t help but notice this confluence of hidden and mysterious Jews: Esther/Hadassah, Bob Dylan/Robert Zimmerman— and then throw in Timothée Chalamet. Obviously the movie A Complete Unknown...
All are welcome at Beth Ami’s new programs, led by Rabbi Koas
Torah on the Trail Second Sunday of the month at 10:30 am This is a walk that’s not about the walk. We’ll speak about God and the wonders of creation. We’ll stop along the way to admire the beauty of nature and share thoughts and feelings. How often have you walked...
THE CHIEF RABBI’S FUNERAL: THE STORY OF AMERICA’S LARGEST ANTI-SEMITIC RIOT
Our current read is AIN'T NO GRAVE by Mary Glickman (fiction, 20i24, 264 pgs.) This year there are two short ONE BAY ONE BOOK selections. Both take place in the American South. Last month we discussed GOYHOOD by s.pies. Reuven Fenton. Glickman's book is the other...
Benjamin Mertz in person at Beth Ami January 18
The Advocates for Social Justice Committee invites you to a special Shabbat program on January 18. Benjamin Mertz lives in the Bay Area and is a Black social activist, composer, performer, and song leader who specializes in music of the Black Spiritual tradition....
Book Group Discussion on Music of Jewish Calcutta
Jewish Calcutta Through Music and Memory, with Rahel Musleah Click here to register for this free virtual program co-presented by New Lehrhaus. OR We will have a Beth Ami group zoom from our social hall Sunday, December 22, 2024 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm Everyone interested...













