Events at a Glance
Coming Events:
June 28 9:45 a.m. Lay led Shabbat services followed by potluck lunch
July 2, Wednesday 10:30 – 11:30am Exercise Class
July 5, 9:45 a.m. Lay led Shabbat services followed by potluck lunch
Sing In Shabbat with Leah Gerber on Zoom Friday June 27 at 6:00 p.m. Join in a musical service to welcome Shabbat, and have your wine ready for Kiddush.
A weekly, in-person group exercise class for active, older adults will continue throughout the year every Wednesday at 10:30 am in the Social Hall. $5 donation per class.
40th Annual Sonoma County Pride Parade: click to see the photo of the week by the j Weekly, featuring Rabbi Koas and Beth Ami in the Santa Rosa parade.
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 two Fridays 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. Fourth Fridays will be led by congregants.
Saturday Torah Study 9:00 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.
Siddur Chadash Shabbat Morning
Weekday: Sunday through Friday mornings to be determined
Weekday: evening services to be determined
weekday Shacharit SIDDUR SIM SHALOM
weekday afternoon SIDDUR SIM SHALOM
weekday maariv SIDDUR SIM SHALOM
A source for Torah and Haftarah is here Another source: https://www.sefaria.org/texts
Closed Captioning/ Live Transcript instructions Closed Caption Instructions for Beth Ami
Shavuot: 3 days to celebrate
Tikkun Leil 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!
Co-sponsored by Congregation Shomrei Torah, Congregation Beth Ami, and Congregation Shir Shalom
Hosted & Sponsored by the B’nai Israel Jewish Center www.bnaiisrael.net
Shavuot Morning Festival Services Monday June 2, 9:45 am
with Yizkor and the reading of Megillat Ruth. Followed by blintzes. Or at least cheesecake.
Shavuot on the farm Tuesday June 3, 2:30
We will be going to Steve Schwartz’s farm in the afternoon around 2:30 for a tour of the farm and a potluck.. RSVPs are needed. We will carpool from CBA unless you live in Sebastopol. Confirmation will be sent a few days prior..Bring a chair, sunscreen, a hat and veggie potluck item to share. No single-use plastics: let’s pack all trash out.
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 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.
Shofar Newsletter
Check out our current newsletter: Shofar May June 2025 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 on a break: 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
Meet Rabbi Ron Koas at our Board-Sponosored Barbecue on Sunday July 28, 4:30 pm
Rabbi Koas will first lead services at Beth Ami on July 19 and 20. A more casual opportunity for introductions will be offered at a Sunday barbecue. We hope that everyone in Beth Ami and the greater community will come meet Rabbi Koas at the board-sponsored barbecue...
Max Bell Alper, Executive Director of North Bay Jobs with Justice
Max Bell Alper, Executive Director of North Bay Jobs with Justice Friday, August 2 at 7:00 pm. Join us for a wine, cheese and desert Oneg Presentation will follow. Please RSVP. Learn about the lives of immigrant workers in our community and their current efforts to...
THE LIAR by Ayelet Gundar-Goshen
We will have THE LIAR by Ayelet Gundar-Goshen (fiction, 288 pgs., Hebrew, 2018; English translation, 2019) available to borrow in the beginning of July. Nofar is an unhappy teenager working in an ice cream shop when a frustrated customer unleashes an insulting verbal...
School and office equipment Rummage Sale
Rummage Sale at Beth Ami (click for flyer) Friday, June 28th, 2024 Noon to 3 PM for Beth Ami members 2 PM to 5 PM for local School Directors and teachers We have books, materials, housewares, child play items, manipulatives, office supplies, appliances, furniture...
Three historical dedications
On Saturday June 22, 2024, during Shabbat services, Congregation Beth Ami is inviting family members, friends, and the community to a celebration of three historical dedications. The first is acknowledging the creators of our Torah Mantles that first covered our...
Information for June 1 Pride Parade
Congregation Beth Ami will conduct a Shabbat morning service (Leanne leading) starting at 9:30 a.m. in Fremont Park. We look for a shady spot near the central statue area closer to 5th Street. Our parade check-in time is 10:15, and we should all be in place by 10:40....
Congregations Beth Ami and Bnai Israel Join for Tikkun Leyl Shavuot
Tikkun Leyl is a celebration specific to the holiday of Shavuot: it includes a late-night – or even all-night – study of Torah and Jewish texts that commemorates receiving the Torah at Mount Sinai. Come enjoy the night with us in person as Rabbi Miller, Rabbi...
Another wonderful Men’s Club Barbeque for Lag B’Omer!
Another wonderful Men’s Club Barbeque for Lag B’Omer! Hamburgers and hotdogs plus Klezmer Creek! Join us on May 26 at 4:00 p.m. On the 33rd day of the Counting the Omer is Lag Ba’Omer (May 26th 2024) one relaxes the semi-mourning tradtion and celebrates this minor...
May 3 Shabbat dinner with Gary Saperstein of Face to Face
For our May 3rd Shabbat dinner the Social Action Committee is bringing us a speaker: Gary Saperstein, Development Director for Face to Face. The mission of Face to Face is to end HIV in Sonoma County while supporting the health and well-being of people living with...
In Every Generation
"In Every Generation They Tried to destroy us. God saved us” “Let’s eat!” This formula certainly applies to the two approaching holidays of Purim and Pesach. Interesting to note that the former comes at the end of the holiday cycle and the second, at the beginning. At...