Congregation Beth Ami
About Us
The History of Congregation
Beth Ami
CONGREGATION BETH AMI was incorporated as the religious
congregation of the Santa Rosa Jewish Community Center
in 1943. The institution sought to embody and promote
the totality of Jewish life in Santa Rosa. Jews were
a small minority of the overall population and Beth
Ami was indeed the “center” of their Jewish
lives. They would come together to worship at the Synagogue,
share life’s joys and sorrows, entertain each other
and work, play and relax there. We are fortunate to
still have many of these “old-timers” as members.
 Since
then, the community has grown. In 1962, we acquired
the present campus property and in 1963, dedicated the
Synagogue building. For many years the small, but committed
membership stretched to the limit to keep the Synagogue
alive. At times a rabbi was affordable. At other times,
our members served the needs of their neighbors. Sonoma
County began to boom at the end of the 70’s and
early 80’s. The local Jewish population and membership
at Beth Ami kept pace. The Nursery School was begun
in 1978. The Religious School grew, and in 1985 the
new classroom wing was dedicated. Inspired by the growth
of the congregation and concerned for its future, Benny,
Rosemary and Joe Friedman donated the Friedman Center
in 1987.
Our Mission
Through celebration, learning, prayer and community,
we seek to enrich our lives, transform our hearts, help
heal the world and sustain our Jewish heritage.
Our Vision
A vibrant, growing campus for Jewish living where the
joys of Jewish values and rituals are made accessible
and relevant to the everyday lives of our members. A
flourishing, prospering congregation enjoying the wholehearted
support, commitment and involvement of all our members.
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Our Values
- Teshuvah: We value the opportunity, through careful
attention to our lives, to make every moment meaningful
and to increasingly avoid harmful acts.
- Tzedakah: We value the opportunity to use our wealth
and resources to benefit other people.
- Gemilut Chesed: We value the opportunity to perform
acts of loving kindness through speech and deed.
- Talmud Torah: We value the insight and inspiration
we get through the study of our sacred texts and our
people’s culture.
- Mishpacha: We value the strength that our congregants
derive from forming relationships with each other
and sharing in each other’s joys and sorrows.
- Hagim and Simchot: We value the opportunities to
mark together the passage of time, the changes of
seasons, the continuing story of our people and the
cycles of our own lives.
- Tikkun Olam: We rejoice in the role we play in helping
to make the world an ever better place.
- K’vod Habriyot: We value our responsibility
as God’s stewards to protect and preserve all
life on Earth.
- Eretz and Am Yisrael: We value our participation
in the unfolding history of our people, rich in culture,
diverse in practice and bound through time by the
Hebrew language. We are inspired by the challenge
of creating a Jewish state that strives to express
the truest values of our people and provides refuge
for all Jews.
- Kehillah Kadosha: We are humbled and heartened that
through the concrete expression of all our values
we can indeed create a community in which holiness
can be expressed and brought into the world.
Our Purpose
The purpose of this organization is to foster the growth
and fuller expression of Jewish life in our community
by:
- Nurturing Jewish culture, heritage and family life.
- Providing intellectual stimulation and ongoing Jewish
education.
- Integrating Jewish law and ritual into modern life.
- Seeking spiritual and religious experiences.
- Developing a sense of community by working together
despite diversity.
- Accepting and integrating non-Jewish partners.
- Meeting social, recreational and human needs of
people in all life stages.
- Developing commitment to extended Jewish community
and Israel.
- Developing Jewish social conscience as a stimulus
to social and political action.
- Developing positive relations with the general community.
- Providing and maintaining facilities and programs
to accomplish these aims.
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Committees at Congregation Beth
Ami
A synagogue is a community. It is an institution that
provides diverse services and fulfills diverse functions for
its members. It is a beit midrash (a school for adult
and youth education), and a beit Knesset (a house of
assembly). It is a social center for events and celebrations,
and it is a social service center, for life cycle events,
counseling, and care. It is a cultural center and it
is a youth center. It is a community’s spiritual
center.
The mechanism that is vital to the fulfillment of these
functions, and the synagogue’s mission, is the
network of committees that helps the organization do
its work. There are 12 committees established at Beth
Ami that are answerable to the Board, and help implement
its directives. Members of committees learn skills that
help support the synagogue’s activities, and build
bonds of friendship by working with others to achieve
results. The time, energy, talent, and enthusiasm that
members bring to their committee work are a priceless
contribution to the health of their Jewish community.
A brief description of the committees and their roles
follows:
Budget and Finance
Advises the Board on matters of finance and investment.
Participates in the preparation of the annual budget,
and performs ongoing analysis of the financial performance
of Beth Ami relative to its budget. Chaired by Treasurer.
Facilities
Responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of synagogue-owned
buildings and property. Advises Board on matters of
insurance coverage of property, renovation projects,
and new construction.
Fund Raising
Responsible for organizing and coordinating activities
to generate revenue for operation and endowment, consistent
with the values of the synagogue.
Leadership Development
Develops and administers training programs for synagogue
leadership roles. Acts as the body for recruiting
members to serve on the Board of Directors.
Library
Oversees the operation of the library, including the
encouragement of its use, the provision of adequate
supplies and materials, and recruiting and training
volunteer staff. Advises the Board on all issues relating
to the library.
Membership
Welcomes new members to the synagogue, and acquaints
them with various aspects of synagogue programs. Encourages
unaffiliated Jews to consider joining the synagogue.
Seeks out inactive members to renew their interest
and participation in synagogue life. Advises the Board
on policies that may impact the attraction and retention
of members.
Nursery School
Works with the Nursery School director to support
school programs and activities. One member of the
committee must be on the Board of Directors.
Programming
Creates and implements new programs that encourage
participation in Jewish learning. Develops the schedules,
engages the instructors, produces the publicity, and
assumes all responsibility for the creation of new
programs. Advises the Board and staff on matters of
program generation and execution.
Religious Practices
In conjunction with the Rabbi, determine the schedule
and other details pertaining to the religious services
and practices at Beth Ami. Encourage and develop higher
levels of participation and skill in all matters of
religious observance at the synagogue. Serve with
the Rabbi on implementing all decisions on matters
of halacha and liturgy.
Religious School
Works with the Religious School director to support
school programs and activities. One member of the
committee must be on the Board of Directors.
Social Action
Develop activities to carry out the fulfillment of
mitzvot through direct service for the benefit of
the community. Conduct social and political action
activities that are consistent with Jewish values,
for the benefit of the synagogue community, the extended
Jewish community, the general larger community, and
for Israel.
Youth Activities
Works to provide programs for youth. Responsible for
the activities of Kehillah and USY, and for the hiring
of advisors.
Board of Directors
Executive Committee 2007-2008
President, Andy Fleming
Treasurer, Henry Cohn
Secretary, Robin Winning
Vice President for Administration, Al Batzdorff
Vice President for Youth and Education, Dave Ballo
© 2007 Congregation Beth Ami
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