Each year the Program Committee meets to design and plan a full calendar of programs and events to engage the entire community in study, the arts, celebration and fun. If you have an idea for a program or you'd like to join the committee, contact Ivy Eisenberg, Program Chair, at programs [at] betamshalom [dot] org. Also see Adult Learning.

Acharei ("After") Kiddush
Several times each year we invite guests or members to share some learning or experiences with us after the Kiddush lunch following Shabbat services.
BAS Writers Chug (a writers workshop) presented their original Jewish short stories followed by refreshments and commentary on the stories. To read the stories presented, click here, and scroll to the bottom of the page.

Currently scheduled: July 17, 2010 at 1:30 PM -- Jane Ziegelman, author of 97 Orchard, will talk about food and the immigrant experience in the Lower East Side – the interplay of different cultures, cuisines, recipes and groups and the way people kept their cultures alive through food. Her book, recently released, focuses on five families that lived at the same address over a five-decade period.

Cinematech
Several Sundays, 7 to 10:00 PM
This is a chance to see contemporary Israeli films with English subtitles. All films are followed by a facilitated discussion over coffee and cake. See the calendar for information about the specific films to be shown on each date.

College Students’ Dinner with the Rabbi
Undergraduate and graduate students are invited twice each year to join Rabbi Bronstein and a group of their peers for a lively evening of food, conversation and catching up with old and new friends.

  Jewish Book Fair
  Once each year, in time for Chanukah
  shopping, we provide a wide selection
  of books for children and adults.

New Members’ Shabbat Dinner
Each fall we welcome our newest members at a community Friday night dinner following Kabbalat Shabbat services. The whole community is invited.

Philosophy Café
July 31, 2010 at 8:00 PM
In a candlelit, café setting, we socialize over pot luck dinner or wine and cheese, dessert and coffee, and discuss Jewish philosophical issues. There is one theme for each evening.

Selected Jewish Shorts
Several times each year, members read aloud in English short stories by Jewish writers. Ranging from drama to comedy to fantasy, the stories are drawn from a rich heritage, including Yiddish, American Jewish, and Israeli writers old and new.

Shabbat Meditation Before Tefilah
Some Shabbat Mornings, 9 – 10:00 AM
A series of experiences with a congregant teacher to take place before Shabbat Tefilah in the synagogue. We hope that those wishing to enter a contemplative path will have an opportunity to create an ongoing practice. This is for those interested in cultivating meditative skills as a way of quieting the mind, entering contemplative states, expanding self-awareness, and having greater access to a direct experience of prayer that holds personal meaning. Check the calendar for specific dates.

Social Action Concert
Each year the Social Action Chevra produces a concert to benefit children in need in Westchester County. Some prior performers have been Doug Mishkin, Tom Paxton, Beged Kefet, Moody Jews, Matisyahu and many others.

Special Needs Shabbat
This is a half hour service led by Rabbi Bronstein and the BAS Youth Group, attended by 20-30 developmentally disabled adults from group homes in the area, along with their caregivers. It is followed by a specially arranged kiddush lunch, served by congregant volunteers. It is important that BAS congregants attend this service, so that we can welcome our guests and provide a communal experience for them.

Vatikim
Chevra Vatikim is a group of senior members (ages 55+) who participate in activities of interest to the group. They take day trips, go to movies, museums, lectures, and have a fun barbecue during the summer.

If you wish to be informed of future Chevra Vatikim events, please contact the BAS office,betamshalom [at] betamshalom [dot] org (subject: Chevra%20Vatikim) (betamshalom [at] betamshalom [dot] org) or (914) 946-8851.

Women’s Seder
Each year, the women of Bet Am Shalom gather to celebrate a seder from a feminine perspective. We read the haggadah, sing, dance, eat and share the warmth and joy of this special observance.

Yom HaZikaron Commemoration (Israeli Memorial Day)
Each year we gather as a community to commemorate Israeli Remembrance Day to honor the soldiers who have fought defending the State of Israel.