Reform Jewish Worship Services | Congregation Bet Ha'am

The observance of Shabbat is a central focus of congregational life at Bet Ha’am, and we offer a variety of worship experiences and Shabbat programs. We are currently offering all services in-person with an option to join us via Zoom. If you’re interested in joining us by Zoom, please sign up for our weekly newsletter, as it contains weekly links and service information. Just look for the blue “Get the Newsletter” button at the bottom left of this page.

All Bet Ha’am services and events are open to the entire community. You don’t have to be a member to attend. Everyone is welcome regardless of religious background, Jewish knowledge, or age.

We are grateful to the CCAR for providing virtual versions of our prayer books here. If you would prefer to have a real book, you may order one from the CCAR press (large print also available) or Amazon. Please be sure to order Mishkan T’filah for Shabbat, Transliterated (NOT for Shabbat, Weekdays, and Festivals) so that you’ll have the right page numbers.

The Union of Reform Judaism offers a helpful guide of what to expect during many reform Jewish services.

At Friday night and Saturday morning worship services, you will be invited to unmute yourself before MiShebeirach (prayer for healing) and Kaddish (prayer for mourning) to share the name of the person you are remembering.

Friday Evening Shabbat Services are held most weeks at 7:30 PM. Our services are a little later in the evening so that you can light the Shabbat candles and enjoy a dinner at home before coming to services.

Join the Friday Evening Shabbat Service here.

On second Friday of most months, we hold a Family Shabbat Service. The evening begins with a pizza dinner (by donation) at 5:30 PM; the service is 6:00-7:00 PM. This service is presented with “visual t’filah“–the prayer book is projected onto a big screen. The service is geared toward families with children 12 years old and under, but all are welcome.

Join the Family Shabbat Service here.

A monthly Tot Shabbat Service (for families with children up to age 5) is typically held on the fourth Friday of most months, 5:30–6:30 PM. There is a short service, a story, and an activity followed by a pizza dinner. Click here for the current Tot Shabbat Schedule.

Judaism offers many pathways to God. There are opportunities for encounter with God in nature, in the interactions we have with one another, through worship and study, and through contemplative meditation that helps us to leave behind the world of doing and the world of work to enter the world of peace. Meditation in a Jewish context is not an end in and of itself. It is a pathway towards encounter with God. It has its roots throughout our history, from Isaac meditating in the field (Gen. 24:63) to the prophets who focused their minds to deliver God’s message to ancient and modern Jewish meditation practices.

In this contemplative worship service, compiled by Bet Ha’am lay leader Jane Sloven and led by Jane along with fellow congregant Sharon Newman, we offer an opportunity for you to delve deeper into your own spiritual practice and open the pathways to God that are available to you. By making this available here, we hope that you will access it anytime you need to re-center yourself or reopen those pathways to God.

You can watch the service on YouTube here.

Follow along with the prayer book here.

Shabbat morning begins with Torah Study, 9:00-10:00 AM, We draw from classical and modern commentaries to study the weekly portion and, as a group, explore the meaning of the text in our lives today.

Join the Torah Study session here.

Saturday Morning Worship is 10:30 AM-12:30 PM. The service is filled with song, changing, and meaningful English text, and usually includes a reading of the weekly Torah portion and a drash (teaching or sermon) on the portion or some other timely topic. Our Saturday service often include celebration of young people (and sometimes adults) becoming bar or bat mitzvah. The entire congregation is welcome and encouraged to join in Shabbat worship when our youth and adults are called to the Torah.

Join the Shabbat Morning Worship Service here.

Chanukah
We are excited to celebrate Chanukah in person this year at our family-friendly "Light Up the Night" event! Families will bring their own menorahs and candles to join together in celebrating the miracle of God’s light. The evening will be filled with the delicious aroma of potato latkes, lively music, songs to sing, a family-friendly story, and hands-on crafts that everyone can enjoy. It promises to be a joyful night of community, creativity, and light!

We also traditionally have a holiday sale in our gift shop: candles of all kinds, jewelry, decorations, and chanukah menorahs.
Learners' Shabbat
Perhaps you are new to Jewish worship. Perhaps you’ve been coming to Shabbat services for years. Either way, Rabbi Saks hopes that you’ll join us each year for our Learners’ Shabbat. Don’t be fooled by the name: everyone is welcome.

We will cover the structure of the service, the meanings of the prayers, and the choreography of worship. But we will also explore deeper questions. What does it mean to pray? What is the purpose of prayer? How can prayer draw us closer to each other and to God? When is prayer challenging? Is it okay if we don’t believe in God?

Prayer and Shabbat services can serve many purposes. Come explore what being together in worship might mean for you.
Sparkle Havdalah
Sparkle Havdalah: A Drag Queen Story Hour, has traditionally been held in January at the Jewish Community Alliance. We invite you to wear your sparkly best, or just come as you are, and join us as we say goodbye to Shabbat and celebrate what makes us each unique and special. In the past, we have enjoyed a potluck dinner, a story, crafts, music, a costume parade, and a celebration of havdalah (the service that marks the end of Shabbat). This event is free and family-friendly; all are welcome. Let your light shine! Co-sponsored with the JCA, PJ Library, and Temple Beth El.

A Message from Rabbi Saks about Sparkle Havdalah:
What is a drag queen story hour, you might be asking, and what's Jewish about it?

Drag Queen Story Hour was created by Michelle Tea and RADAR Productions in San Francisco; it teaches children to celebrate the message of inclusion and self-acceptance. Being proud of who you are isn't just relegated to the summer days of Pride in June, but should be a part of every day of the year. (Not to mention that the sun sets much earlier in January, allowing this event to be more accessible for more families!)

Havdalah means "separation," but it also means "distinction." It is a traditional way to distinguish between Shabbat and the rest of the week, and our Sparkle Havdalah and Drag Queen Story Hour will also celebrate what is unique or distinct about each of us. We begin Shabbat with two candles, two separate wicks. We end Shabbat, at Havdalah, with a braided candle, all of the wicks, and all of our different lights, intertwined.

The first Sparkle Havdalah and Drag Queen Story Hour was created by the Lander-Grinspoon Academy in Northampton, Massachusetts. Sure, there are big LGBTQIA communities in larger metropolitan areas, but kids everywhere need to know that there's something unique about each of us that makes us a valuable part of the world not just one day, not just one week, but every single day all year long.

Martin Buber teaches, as it appears in the Reform prayer book, Mishkan T'filah, "My God, I thank You for my life, body, and soul; for my name, my gender, my way of thinking and speaking. Help me realize that I am something new, someone who never existed before, someone original and unique in the world. For if there had ever been someone like me, there would have been no need for me to exist."
Tu BiSh’vat
We celebrate Tu BiSh’vat, literally “the New Year of the Trees,” with a family seder, potluck dinner, and service. It is still winter in Maine, but all the more reason to anticipate the fruits from our friends the trees.

This year, our seder will be held on Sunday, February 2.

The seder will be co-hosted by Rabbi Saks, the religious school, and the garden committee. Enjoy poetry, music, crafts, and delicious food! Locally grown foods and foods you might have stored from your own garden are especially welcome.
Purim
Our lively and exciting Purim spiel, carnival, and Megillah reading is fun for all ages. Get dressed up in costume, say “booooo!” to Haman, and enjoy fun games. Details about the 2026 celebration are coming soon, but save the date: March 1.
Passover
Our Second Night Passover Seder is one of the biggest events of the year. Rabbi Saks leads a service rich with familiar traditions, new ideas, and song. We provide a simple catered dinner and make the event affordable for everyone.

Our Second Night Passover Seder will be held April 2, 2026. Check back for more details. Save the Date!
Shavuot
Shavuot carries a double meaning: it marks the all-important wheat harvest in Israel and it commemorates the day we received Torah from God at Mt. Sinai.

We also celebrate Confirmation, our 10th graders' opportunity to affirm their commitment to Judaism and the Jewish community.