Welcome to Beth Shalom!
Beth Shalom is a Reform Jewish congregation that provides a warm and welcoming environment for our Jewish and interfaith families with a commitment to inclusivity. As diverse as our membership is, so is the wide array of religious, educational and social activities in which to participate. Tikkun Olam, repairing the world, is essential to how we live our Judaism, and we strive to be active in bringing dignity and justice to all people.
Beth Shalom is a congregation big enough to provide the traditional experiences you expect from a synagogue but small enough so your presence and your voice have an impact. This is simply a snapshot of who we are. Please take a few moments to tour our website and learn more about us.
Our Mission
At Beth Shalom, our mission is to become a home for those looking for a Jewish connection and a community. We dedicate our efforts to make this a place where the richness and fullness of Jewish life can be experienced, explored, and enjoyed. Allowing for differences of opinions and interests and respecting personal choices, as is the Reform Jewish tradition, we dedicate ourselves to these essential purposes:
- To take part in inspiring religious practice, cherishing our heritage and customs even as we recreate and renew our tradition for ourselves and our children.
- To continually educate ourselves, developing knowledge and appreciation for our culture, making Talmud Torah—questioning, studying and learning—an engaging and defining endeavor for all, young and old.
- To constantly probe and apply our moral and ethical values, making our best contribution to Tikkun Olam—repairing the world—through acts of kindness and social justice, loving our neighbor, and caring for God’s creation.
- To connect with and support Jews around the world, reaffirming the bonds that unite Jews to one to another, and recognizing our historic and special bond to the State of Israel.
- To create a home for all our members, sharing in the building and sustaining of an environment where personal bonds and connections grow, leading to a real and warm sense of community which provides support in good times and bad times.
Our Vision
Beth Shalom aspires to become a place where people of all ages and backgrounds as well as Jewish and interfaith families can engage, connect, and learn as we explore and practice what it means to live a Jewish life. We envision a community where our congregants find peace and meaning, nurture a Jewish community that recognizes that all are created Betzelem Elohim ("in God's image"), and help to ensure that we pass on Jewish values and wisdom to future generations.
Embracing Diversity and Inclusion
Beth Shalom continues to work on actively embracing diversity and fostering inclusion not just as a core philosophy but also in observable ways:
- Beth Shalom respects, welcomes, and encourages people of all backgrounds who are interested in being a part of Jewish community to join and participate. This includes but is not limited to interfaith families and people from the LGBTQ+ community.
- Beth Shalom honors and recognizes every marriage, whether it is between two Jews, a Jew and a non-Jew, a man and a woman, or two people of the same gender. Rabbi Edery officiates at these marriage ceremonies when the couple also plans to have Judaism present in their life.
- Beth Shalom considers the child of a Jewish or interfaith couple, by birth or by adoption, who is raised as a Jew, to be Jewish here.
- Non-Jewish spouses, partners, and loved ones of Jewish members are welcome as fully equal members with equal voting rights. If a Jewish spouse dies, or an interfaith couple divorces, the membership of the non-Jewish partner continues. In addition, any custodial parent of a Jewish child may join our congregation.
- While a few positions on our Board of Directors are designated only for Jewish members, non-Jewish members can be and are involved in all aspects of our congregations' governance and volunteering. They serve on committees, teach in our school, participate in our services and holidays, and are involved in the wide array of congregational leadership positions and activities.
- Most prayer services and meetings are available on Zoom so that all can experience what we we have to offer.
- Assistive listening devices are available during services.
- There is designated seating in the Sanctuary for individuals in wheelchairs, and our bimah is accessible to individuals with mobility challenges.
- Here, at Beth Shalom, we continue to explore ways and welcome ideas that further our efforts of inclusion.