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by Rabbi Jared H. Saks Erev Rosh Hashanah 5782 Last year, Kirk and I finally carved out the time to complete a project we’d envisioned when Zak was born. On the wall next to our stairs, we hung over seventy photographs of our relatives and ancestors going back 13 generations. We want Zak to grow … Read more

by Rabbi Jared H. Saks Rosh Hashanah 5782 On April 6, 1962, Leonard Bernstein collaborated with pianist Glenn Gould on Brahms Piano Concerto Number 1 in D-minor in what has been considered as one of the most controversial concerts in the history of the New York Philharmonic. WNYC’s Sara Fishko relates, “Behind the scenes, the … Read more

It’s just twelve days before the curtain rises on A Dramatic Affair, Bet Ha’am’s 2021 annual spring gala. It will be presented virtually at 8 PM, Saturday, May 1. Excitement is building with members of the Mad Horse Theater Company rehearsing our trio of very short world premiere pieces by three of Maine’s best-known playwrights: Tikkun Olam, by Brent AskariA humorous … Read more

There are many definitions of the word vital but when applied to Bet Ha’am and to me this meaning is head and shoulders above all others: “absolutely necessary or important; essential.” As a new Jew, a neophyte in so many respects, being part of a community is essential for creating a new Jewish identity.

This winter the 5th grade at Bet Ha’am has been learning about Jewish women leaders of the worker’s rights movement. We also learned about what life was like for Jews in the United States in the early 1900s, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, and Rose Schneiderman.

What: 11th Annual Plant Sale Date: Sunday May 16, 2021  Time: 9 AM to 1 PM All COVID safety protocols will be in place.  We are excited to be able to hold this event again since the Plant Sale is the primary fundraiser which supports the Garden Committee’s goals to: Enhance, through the gardens, the … Read more

When the pandemic continued into a second school year, all our religious school volunteers knew their tasks would be less personal and more challenging than in previous years. Yet the community met the challenge and conducted school in a caring and effective manner. It is time to recognize these people. Thank you to our phenomenal … Read more

This is a bittersweet moment for me. By the time you receive this article it will be about one week until our congregation’s annual meeting and the end of my term as president of Bet Ha’am. This has been one of the most exciting and most challenging periods of my life. I think it is … Read more

As you may be aware, I will be on sabbatical from May 18-August 18, 2021. This is the remaining 3 months of my 6-month sabbatical from my 7th year at Bet Ha’am. To make things smoother for the congregation, rather than taking all 6 months at once, I take two 3-month sabbaticals, the first in the 7th year and the second in a subsequent year. I am excited to share with you here some of my plans.

Because Black History shouldn’t only be relegated to February, the shortest month of the year, Penguin Random House has put out the Black Excellence Booklist. Here is a partial list of suggestions to get you started. If any of you own any of these books and wouldn’t mind passing them around, please put them in … Read more