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
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...
Men’s group awesome outing
We had a Men's Group day February 1, we went to the Redwood Empire food bank and did a 10 to one shift. We had six people, included: Raphael Kauffman, David Sokolsky, Arnie Herskovitz, Melvin Decker, richard kahn, and Jerry Newman. We were quite productive, bagging up...
A Lunar Calendar Shabbat Dinner for February
RSVP for February 2nd Shabbat dinner by Wednesday noon, January 31. OR YOU WILL ANNOY THE DRAGON! When Adar 1 begins, so does the Chinese Year of the Dragon. David Kahn will honor our lunar calendars by preparing a Kosher vegetarian Chinese dinner for February 2nd....
Book Group Reader’s Choice
Sunday, February 11, free choice. Each participant does a mini-book report (5-10 min.) on a fiction or non-fiction book of own choosing by a Jewish author or with a Jewish theme. Probably meet at CBA. Come inspire and be inspired! Sunday, February 25, we will discuss...
HaLayla HaGadol Congregation Beth Ami’s Big Night Fundraiser: February 10, 17 and 18
Our HaLayla HaGadol Big Night Fundraiser is big enough to spill into an added weekend. Our congregants, inspired by the film “The Big Night,” are hosting these tasty get-togethers to celebrate good food, fun and friendship, and to raise money for maintenance of Beth...
Tu B’Shevat food traditions
Tu means 15th; B’Shevat means of the month of Shevat. This was the date originally designated as the general birthday of all the trees that provided food in Israel no matter when in the year they were actually planted. It should come as no surprise to you that this...
A response to crisis
If our TaNaCh (Bible) represents the dawn of the human record, human conflict takes place by the first generation. We read about how Cain’s jealousy leads him to murder his brother Abel. There is little doubt that Cain feels totally justified in this treacherous act....
Social Action December dinner at The Palms
I want to thank everyone for another successful dinner and clothing and toiletries event at The Palms. The amount of care in making and serving the meal was beautiful to see. Thanks to the servers Andy, NANCY, Mike, Judi, Fredrika. Also a very special thanks to Susan...
Beth Ami Book Group reading Katinka for One Bay One Book
Elizabeth Graver’s acclaimed novel Kantika (Henry Holt & Company, 2023) is the One Bay One Book selection for 2023-2024. The Beth Ami Book Group will join with One Bay One Book for our next selection. All CBA members and friends are welcome to participate. For...
Take-Out Latke Fundraiser and Chanukah Latke Dinner
Take-Out Latke Fundraiser We will be making and selling the famed Beth Ami latkes as a fundraiser. Richard Kahn has spent decades refining his recipe and technique, and training his crew to produce the finest latkes known to man or woman. They will come 10 to a...