Our Blog

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.

A Book Review I should have majored in Biblical History when I first went to college in 1968. I certainly had a thirst for it,

By Karli Efron  Karli Efron loves to watch true crime documentaries and consistently gets crushed at Scrabble when playing her husband, Jay. She has been

Sam Spinrad Religious School Director As a Jewish parent of young kids, I often felt like my observance of the fourth commandment was half-hearted.  Until

Lynn Urbach Do you know why you belong to a Reform Congregation? Is it a conscious choice, or one of convenience? To me, the difference

Rabbi’s ColumnMar-Apr 2021 Chadashot Dear Friends, We are approaching one full year of this global pandemic, a year apart and yet, we’ve still found paths

by Rabbi Saks and the Bet Ha’am Garden Committee Please join us on January 27, 2021 at 7:00 PM.Registration details will be in the Thursday

by Rabbi Jared H. Saks In November 1885, a group of Reform rabbis held a gathering in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, that birthed a document that would

by Catherine Share, congregant Here All Along: Finding Meaning, Spirituality and a Deeper Connection to Life-In Judaism, by Sarah Hurwitz Some part of every person’s

By Lynn Urbach, President Every summer when my brother and I were young, my mom would drop us off in Birmingham, Alabama, to stay with

by Rachel Lefkowitz, Synagogue Administrator In early December, I was able to attend the online conference of the National Association of Temple Administrators (NATA). I

by Sam Spinrad, Education Director Looking ahead to 2021, like most people I anticipate the reopening of schools, businesses, and life as we knew it.

This year, on each night of Chanukah, some of our congregants shared written reflections of the holiday. They are gathered here for all to enjoy.

by Toby Rosenberg, congregant Throughout this entire growing season, the garden committee and volunteers have continued to look after Bet Ha’am’s garden and grounds. Caring

By Catherine Share, congregant My ex-partner and I came to Maine in 2006 with our adopted daughter. I was not Jewish, but Cindy was, and

by President Lynn Urbach Upcoming sabbatical Gardeners and farmers know that giving land a year off is of great benefit to the soil. Letting the

by Rabbi Jared H. Saks In the Talmud (Shabbat 21b), the Gemara asks, “What is Chanukah?” which honestly sounds like a strange question for the

by Sam Spinrad, Education Director When I attended elementary school in the 1990s, I studied Torah stories with my father. I enjoyed the scripture battles

by Rachel Lefkowitz, Synagogue Administrator “I am troubled by the scarf that arrived in yesterday’s mail with a suggestion that it could be used as

Have you noticed that we haven’t been lighting Shabbat candles at our services on Zoom? In part, it’s because Shabbat and holiday candle lighting are

by Catherine Share, congregant This past Sunday, 23 Tishrei, Simchat Torah, I completed my second cycle of a daily meditation on Psalm 27 that I