Congregation Beth Ami About Us
Meet the Rabbi
Rabbi Mordecai Miller
Dear people of Congregation Beth Ami,
Susan, Sarah (our daughter) and Miles (our grandson) and I are eager to make our move to Santa Rosa to join you. I always hoped to have one more opportunity to serve a pulpit. My heart leaped with joy when Barb McGee asked me if I would become Beth Ami's new rabbi.
We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to the congregation last May. Your hospitality; the opportunities to socialize, pray and learn together - including the opportunity to try to tame the Batzdorff Mustang - won us over. We left with the impression that Beth Ami is wonderful mix of people from all kinds of backgrounds, ages and talents. (Susan thought we could call it "The Shul of the Arts!") We love the opportunity to experience a cosmopolitan community in the Wine Country.
I believe that together we can continue to develop the fine work that so many of you have started: to make Beth Ami a place where people can find a unique spiritual home; where we can share life's experiences in a loving, compassionate community. I hope that in discovering the treasure that lies within our Tradition, every day will be a reason to thank our Creator from our hearts and celebrate the fact that we woke up this morning!
We look forward to establishing new relationships and making many new friends.
Susan, Sarah, Micah, Aliza, Miles and I wish you a very happy, healthy and prosperous New Year. May you be inscribed in the Book of Life!
Mordecai
About Rabbi Mordecai Miller
Rabbi Miller comes to Beth Ami from 21 years as the Rabbi of Brith Sholom Kneseth Israel in St. Louis. In 1991, Rabbi Miller came to St. Louis from Canton, Ohio where he served as Rabbi of Shaaray Torah Synagogue for ten years. Prior to his tenure at Shaaray Torah, he spent seven years at Temple of Aaron in St. Paul Minnesota as Assistant Rabbi to Rabbi Bernard Raskas.
The son of a rabbi, Mordecai Miller was born in the United States and moved with his family to South Africa when his father, Rabbi Meyer Miller, accepted the pulpit at Temple David in Durban. After receiving his B.A. from the University of Natal, Rabbi Miller returned to the United States and entered the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati where he was ordained in 1974, receiving both B.H.L. and M.A.H.L. degrees.
Rabbi Miller is a member of the Rabbinical Assembly of America and is a past president of the St. Louis Rabbinical Association. Rabbi Miller has served on the boards of the St. Louis Jewish Light, Care and Counseling and is past member of the cabinet of Interfaith Partnership. He continues to serve on the advisory boards of these organizations. Over his twenty-one years in St. Louis Rabbi Miller has taught various classes in Bible and Rabbinics at BSKI and throughout the St. Louis community, including teaching Talmud to the Seventh and Eighth grade classes at Solomon Schechter Day School and offering courses at the Adult Melton mini-school and the Robert P. Jacobs Adult Institute.
Rabbi Miller comes to Santa Rosa with his wife Susan; their daughter Sarah, who is working for for Brandeis Hillel Day School of San Francisco and Marin, as Interim Director of Jewish Life and Learning; and Susan's son Miles Yehonatan. The Miller's son, Micah, lives with his wife Aliza in Los Angeles where he is completing his first year of study at the Ziegler Rabbinical School of the American Hebrew University.
In his free time, Rabbi Miller enjoys studying texts, reading, singing, playing the clarinet, cooking and baking.
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