Congregation Beth Am

09/01/2026

Our community raised $1,216 through our July Tzedakah Box benefiting Ecumenical Hunger Program (EHP). Thank you for your generosity! The SEPTEMBER TZEDAKAH BOX will support New Israel Fund (NIF) whose founders envisioned an Israel that reflected their progressive values. Thousands of Israelis and supporters of Israel worldwide have since joined forces to push for an Israel where everyone can participate in a shared and just society. Together, they are working to build a stronger democracy in Israel, rooted in the values of equality, of inclusion, and of social justice. https://www.betham.org/tzedakah-box-0926

08/04/2026

Our community raised $573 through our June Tzedakah Box benefiting Leket Israel. Thank you for your generosity! The AUGUST TZEDAKAH BOX will support Ecumenical Hunger Program (EHP) whose mission is to provide compassionate, dignified and practical assistance to families and individuals experiencing economic and personal hardship. Learn more and donate at: https://www.betham.org/tzedakah-box-0826

07/30/2026

Mazel tov to Beth Am congregant Daryl Messinger, who has been named Chair of the Israel Policy Forum. Read this EJewish Philanthropy post: "Holding the middle ground: Reform layleader Daryl Messinger steps in as chair of Israel Policy Forum" https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid0tn6wTwgqgtxMseN3hkWJ7Wz7UPNQ3FvFZsnQwRXoxkDGCuPe5nJVq2GkSM9ZvEjkl&id=100063602405792&mibextid=wwXIfr&_rdr

07/27/2026

In her article for "J. The Jewish News of Northern California," Janet Silver Ghent highlights how members of Congregation Beth Am in Los Altos Hills are tackling period poverty both abroad and at home. Inspired by Ugandan-born Rabbi Shoshana Nambi—the first female rabbi from Uganda—volunteers gathered to craft over 2,600 reusable sanitary pads for young women in rural Uganda, where a lack of supplies and enduring social stigma often force girls to drop out of school. Interweaving personal reflections on Western taboos with ongoing advocacy in California, the article illustrates how breaking the silence around menstruation and providing essential supplies can safeguard education, dignity, and gender equity across the globe.

Taboos against discussing menstruation, as well as the cost of sanitary supplies, remain issues here and abroad.

07/17/2026

Our community raised $770 through our June Tzedakah Box benefiting LYRIC. Thank you for your generosity! The JULY TZEDAKAH BOX will support Supports Leket Israel, the leading food rescue organization in Israel. Unique among all other organizations that serve the poor in Israel and food banks worldwide, Leket Israel’s sole focus is rescuing healthy, surplus food and delivering it to those in need through partner nonprofit organizations: https://www.betham.org/tzedakah-box-0726

07/17/2026

We have been so incredibly fortunate to have Rabbi Yoel Kahn working with our congregation over the past 18 months. As one of the first openly gay rabbis, he has spent his career defying the odds, breaking barriers, and building inclusive Jewish communities. We are so proud of his incredible legacy and honored to have had him as part of our community’s journey this year. Read this wonderful profile and interview with Rabbi Kahn in "The J":

Rabbi Yoel Kahn faced barriers, skeptics and worse as one of the first openly gay rabbis. He has defied them all.

07/11/2026

Excited to see Mimi Greisman’s article about our favorite Tot Shabbat Dinosaur song in EJewish Philanthropy today!

Families with tots- join us to sing with the legend Mimi herself this Sunday and next Sunday July 12 and 19! https://www.betham.org/event/summertime-music-with-mimi-2026

I have been singing the same song for 33 years.  I sing it at JCC preschools across San Francisco. I sang it at synagogues and day schools and family education programs before that. I sang it over Zoom during the COVID-19 pandemic years when we couldn’t be together in person. I have sung it to......

06/04/2026

Our community raised $849 through our May Tzedakah Box benefiting Roots. Thank you for your generosity! The JUNE TZEDAKAH BOX will support LYRIC whose mission is to build community and inspire positive social change through education enhancement, career trainings, health promotion, and leadership development with le***an, gay, bisexual, transgender, q***r, and questioning (LGBTQQ) youth, their families, and allies of all races, classes, genders, and abilities. Learn more and donate: https://www.betham.org/tzedakah-box-0626

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

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