Welcome to Congregation Beth Ami of Santa Rosa, California.

Congregation Beth Ami offers true hybrid services and classes. All Saturday morning services, most Friday evening services, and most events will be in person in the sanctuary as well as on Zoom. See Events at a Glance for information.

Events at a Glance

CLICK HERE FOR PAGE WITH THE BETH AMI ZOOM LINK, health and safety procedures, and Closed Captioning/ Live Transcript instructions .

Coming Events:

December 24, Wednesday
10:30 am Exercise Class
7 pm Introduction to Judaism

December 25, Thursday 4:30 pm Chinese dinner and comedians

December 26, Friday
5:30 pm. Meditative Minyan
6:00 pm. Kabbalat Shabbat with Rabbi Koas
6:45 pm potluck dinner

December 27, Saturday
8:45 am Torah study with Rabbi Koas
9:45 am. Shabbat morning service followed by potluck lunch

December 28, Sunday
10:30 am Teddy Bear Project meets

December 31, Wednesday
10:30 – 11:30 am Exercise Class

January 2, Friday
5:30 pm. Meditative Minyan
6:00 pm. Kabbalat Shabbat with Rabbi Koas
NO community Shabbat dinner: postponed until January 9

January 3, Saturday
8:45 am Torah study with Rabbi Koas
9:45 am. Shabbat morning service followed by potluck lunch

January 7, Wednesday
10:30 – 11:30am Exercise Class

January 9, Friday
5:30 pm. Meditative Minyan
6:00 pm. Shir Shabbat with Rabbi Koas and Klezmer Creek
6:45 pm community Shabbat dinner

January 10, Saturday
8:45 am Torah study with Rabbi Koas
9:45 am. Shabbat morning service followed by potluck lunch

January 11, Sunday
9:00 am Morning Minyan & Breakfast
10:30 am Torah on Trails
2:00 pm Book Club

January 12, Monday 6:00 pm The Prophets, Neviim class

 

December 25: Kung Pao Kosher Comedy Beth Ami Style! 5 course vegetarian Chinese dinner, 4:30 pm followed by comedians from the Barrel Proof Lounge. $60 BYOB

The Beth Ami Gift Shop has lots of new items, from fine Judaica to all kinds of candles and jewelry and books. In the Beth Ami office, open during office hours.

Thanks to all who donated winter clothing and toiletries for The Palms The Social Action Committee is still collecting food for the Redwood Empire Food Bank, bins are in the lobby.

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.

Shabbat dinners, and then latkes… it’s fortunate that Senior Personal Trainer Jeffrey Sternfeld keeps his Wednesday morning exercise class going all year..

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 6:00 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 November December 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

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...

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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...

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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...

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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....

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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...

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Bernard Malamud

Our next read is the classic Bernard Malamud's THE FIXER (fiction, 352 pgs. 1966.) It won both the National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize, and is highly recommended by Rita Kagan. Set in Kiev in 1911, a non-observant Jewish handyman refuses to confess to a crime he...

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