Congregation Beth Am

05/17/2026

Mark your calendars for a very special episode of KQED’s popular live call-in show Forum on Thursday, May 21 at 9:00 AM, featuring an entire hour dedicated to the film "Among Neighbors". The KQED Forum program will go behind the scenes to discuss the making of the film, cover the controversy surrounding "Among Neighbors" in Poland, and open up the phone lines and inboxes for your comments and questions. Find the show in the Bay Area on 88.5 FM, or online at kqed.org. Then, on Sunday, May 31, 7:00 PM at the OFJCC, catch the film screening and director talk, moderated by our own Cantor Jaime Shpall. Learn more at: https://www.betham.org/event/among-neighbors-0526

05/14/2026

Mark your calendars for a very special episode of KQED’s popular live call-in show Forum on Thursday, May 21 at 9:00 AM, featuring an entire hour dedicated to the film Among Neighbors, which will screen at the Palo Alto JCC on May 31 with a Q&A moderated by our very own Cantor Jaime Shpall!The KQED Forum program will go behind the scenes to discuss the making of the film, cover the controversy surrounding Among Neighbors in Poland, and open up the phone lines and inboxes for your comments and questions. Find the show in the Bay Area on 88.5 FM, or online at kqed.org.

05/05/2026

We are grateful for our Youth Ed teachers and madrichim this Teacher Appreciation Day and every day! Thank you for your dedication and commitment to our young people!

05/05/2026

Our community raised $939 through our April Tzedakah Box benefiting Hope's Corner. Thank you for your generosity! The MAY TZEDAKAH BOX will support Roots, a unique bi-national initiative with a network of Israeli residents of the Gush Etsion area and Palestinians from neighboring towns and villages who have come to see each other as the partners who both need to make changes to end their conflict. Learn more and donate: https://www.betham.org/tzedakah-box-0526

04/09/2026

Our community raised $971 through our March Tzedakah Box benefiting the Israel Movement for Reform and Progressive Judaism (IMPJ). Thank you for your generosity! The APRIL TZEDAKAH BOX will support Hope's Corner, a Mountain View non-profit that provides meals, showers and shelter to area residents. Hope’s Corner meets the needs of our community by providing free nutritious meals and warm showers to anyone in need. We believe in one inclusive community that cares for all of its people. Learn more and donate: https://www.betham.org/tzedakah-box-0426

03/23/2026

At just 15, she’s already designing video games and chasing a dream she’s had since childhood. 🎮✨ Read how Beth Am teen congregant Ellie Freeman is turning passion into real-world skills and breaking into an industry where girls are still underrepresented.

“I’m gonna make games,” Kehillah School student Ellie Freeman declared at the age of 9. Now, at 15, she does.

03/03/2026

Reform Movement Statement on War Against Iran:

At this perilous moment, we stand in solidarity with our Israeli siblings – including soldiers of the IDF – American service members, and all innocent civilians throughout the region who are in harm’s way.

02/20/2026

A WRJ Prayer for Observing the First Yahrzeit of the Bibas Children's Return, by Shayna Dollinger (WRJ Social Justice Intern, Los Angeles, CA)

Matir Asurim, Redeemer of captives
The One who has made me free
On this yarzheit
one year since the Bibas children returned home to be laid to rest
We pause to grieve
The lives taken far too soon – Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir
To mourn women and children whose lives are bound by violence
And to hope for a better world
where no parent places dirt on the grave of their child
May the One who frees the bound
unbind us from cycles of vengeance and despair
May we live to see a world where the torture of women, children, and families is never a tactic of war
A world where mothers hold their children close in love, not fear
May we be the ones to build it.

02/04/2026

Our community raised $1,053 through our January Tzedakah Box benefiting the Achim l'Chaim — Brothers for Life. Thank you for your generosity! The FEBRUARY TZEDAKAH BOX will benefit the Nuestra Casa, a non-profit organization that welcomes their community to a place that feels like home. They assist their clients in navigating institutions, building people power, and using their voices to shape a new, more equitable community. Nuestra Casa programs help transform their leaders into advocates who actively engage in our local economy, school district, and civic life: https://www.betham.org/tzedakah-box-0226

01/16/2026

Standing in Solidarity with Beth Israel Congregation in Jackson, Mississippi: You may have seen the news of the devastating fire at Beth Israel Congregation in Jackson, Mississippi, the city’s only synagogue and a Jewish presence for more than 160 years. The fire, now confirmed as arson, caused severe damage to sacred and communal spaces. We know news of antisemitic violence anywhere is alarming. As a reminder, our Beth Am clergy are here to support you if you are feeling overwhelmed.

In moments like this, we at Beth Am are reminded of our commitment to Klal Yisrael — our united Jewish community — and we show up for one another. The leaders of Beth Israel are inviting our community to join the national effort to support their rebuilding fund. Donations can be made directly at https://www.bethisraelms.org. In the words of Beth Israel’s president, Zach Shemper, “We are a resilient people. With support from our community, we will rebuild.”

May our collective care and generosity be a source of strength and hope.