Our established committees are listed below. (At BAS, a committee is often referred to as a chevra.) Find your interest. Discover a passion. Join us.

Committee chairs set their own meeting dates which are included in the weekly email calendar sent from the BAS office. They are not listed in the website calendar.

Standing Committees

Ritual, Tefila (prayer) -- Congregants who are dedicated to the ritual life of our synagogue work together to answer questions, make decisions and help us incorporate Jewish traditional prayer and custom into synagogue life.
Finance -- This is a group that the synagogue Board of Trustees and Executive Committee can turn to for advice and guidance on matters related to financial operations and strategic planning.
Legal Advisory -- This is a small group of attorneys who make themselves available for consultation about synagogue matters.
House -- This committee advises our Board of Trustees regarding our physical plant and related operations.

Our ever-expanding committees/chevrot:

BAS Cares: Providing career guidance and advice, resume help, networking, clinics, and more, this chevra is there for those in the BAS community seeking support in the search for a new job or career.

BAS Theater Project: Every few years, we present a fully staged production for the community at large. There is a role for everyone who’s interested –acting, music, costumes, props, design, choreography, marketing, ticket sales, etc. Past productions include Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris and Déjà Vu. These productions raise funds for BAS or other charities.

Bet Amateurs: This teen-run group presents a wonderful annual musical, and has formed a tight-knit chevra (group/club) in the process. Admission is free; donations go to a charity that the teens designate each year.

Bikur Cholim (caring for the sick): Help us support those in our community who are dealing with illness. We offer visits, phone calls, cooked meals and transportation. Please help support this important mitzvah.

Blood Drive: Twice a year, together with our neighbor synagogue Kol Ami, Bet Am hosts a a blood drive. Donate blood . . . people can't live without it!

Book Fair: Next Chanukah, give a Jewish book. Our annual autumn book fair offers a wide selection - history, culture, fiction and more -- for both children and adults.

Book Group: All are welcome at the BAS Book Group, which meets monthly for lively discussions about books of Jewish interest from historical fiction and novels to memoir and nonfiction.

Chanukah Party: Meet old and new friends at our Adult Chanukah Gala. The committee plans this annual event.

Chevra Vatikim (senior group 55+): Our social and community group for people 55+, this group enjoys barbecues, trips to New York and other activities.

Choir: Join Shirat Ha’am - "Voice of the People", a choir composed of all interested congregants led by the wonderful Cantor Benjie Schiller. The chorus sings several times a year during regular services; 4-6 rehearsals before each presentation.

Cinematech: On selected Sunday evenings in the fall, winter and spring, we screen contemporary Israeli films, all with English subtitles. Films are followed by a discussion over coffee and cake in the tradition of the Israeli Cinematech.

College Outreach: Join us as we prepare Chanukah and Purim gifts for our college students. We also invite undergraduate and graduate students 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, twice annually.

Congregational Shabbat Dinner: Join us for an occasional Friday night dinner after Kabbalat Shabat services. Meet up with old, new and soon-to-be friends and enjoy some entertainment or games. Advance reservations are mandatory. There is a charge for dinner.

Cookbook Committee: Contribute to Tapestry of Tastes, the Bet Am Shalom cookbook now in development.

Cultural Dinners: Ever wonder what life is like for Jews in India, Greece or elsewhere around the globe? Join us for a taste of Jewish life around the world at dinners designed to help us appreciate the culture, food and experiences various Jewish communities. Enjoy gourmet food, conversation and a fascinating presentation.

Fund Raising:Fundraising at Bet Am is nothing like the typical testimonial dinners or golf outings that other organizations sponsor. Somehow this committee comes up with wonderful and creative ideas every year! Join them.

Israel Committee Join fellow congregants and those from other congregations in the area as they plan ways for us to learn about, and celebrate our connection with, the land of Israel.

Jewish Short Stories (read aloud): Come prepare to read short stories by Jewish writers aloud in English. 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.

Judaica Craft Show: The BAS Annual Judaica Craft Show, featuring the finest selection of Judaica and jewelry, has been a regional attraction for years and brings hundreds of people to our synagogue. We rely on volunteers to help make the show happen.

Landscaping: Our Garden and Landscaping committee helps keep our grounds blooming and beautiful. Join us regularly, or drop in for a special Garden Day in the spring, summer or fall.

Library: Help us acquire and take care of books for the Bet Am library, which is open to all who want to read or do research.

Meal of Consolation (Se'udat Havra'ah): We support mourners by offering a simple Meal of Consolation upon return from the cemetery. Contact the office to learn how you can be part of this process. (Please see Shiva Captain below for other support of mourners.)

Membership Outreach: This group reaches beyond our walls to those who may be seeking affiliation with a synagogue, with welcoming activities and information.

Midnight Run: Several times a year, we make a late-night trip to NY City to help feed and clothe the homeless via an organization called Midnight Run. Help us sort clothes and prepare “brown bag dinners” for the men and women, or sign up to actually go on the Run itself.

Mishloach Manot (giving of Purim baskets): Congregants may sign up to give communally-prepared traditional and beautiful Purim baskets to each other, our staff, and needy individuals outside our community. The real fun is in the communal baking, packing and delivering! Come help out.

New Member Services: Join us as we welcome our newest member families. Help us bring people into the BAS community with activities, gifts, and helpful information.

Newsletter-Lev La’am: our regular Bet Am Shalom newsletter, is distributed online. Help us with the newsletter, or contribute an article.

Parent Association for Hebrew School: What would any school be without its PTA? Help our Hebrew School thrive with your special abilities, skills, and willingness to lend a hand.

Philosophy Cafe: In a candlelit, cafe setting several times a year, we socialize over wine and cheese, desserts and coffee, and discuss Jewish philosophical issues. Each evening has a theme.

Program Committee: Help us design programs you and others will want to attend. Help set direction and give focus to each year’s programming for the whole shul. Everyone is welcome.

Purim Spiel: Each year a capacity crowd of old and young comes to celebrate the fall of Haman. Purim at BAS only gets crazier with each passing year. There are kids’ and adult Megillah readings; the adult reading is punctuated with spiel intermissions. No one is spared the BAS wit! Join us if you like to write, sing or perform!

Shalom Yisrael (Zahal Shalom): Help us welcome visitors from Israel to our community, especially those who have been injured in the Armed Forces or experienced other life trauma there.

Shiva Captains: We support fellow congregants in mourning in several ways. Shiva Captains help congregants in the days after a loss by organizing prayerbook delivery, a meal of consolation and/or other support. We also have a shiva minyan class where participants study the customs of shiva and learn how to conduct an evening prayer service in a mourner’s home. Contact the office to help. (Please see Meal of Consolation above for more about how we support mourners.)

Social Action--Tzedakah (charity) and Tikkun Olam (repair the world): Join our Social Action Committee to participate in many activities that help make the world a better place. Attend our annual Social Action Concert and enjoy outstanding music while raising money for an important cause.

Youth Group, NOAR BAS: Middle and high school kids love our two youth groups, which focus on social action, overnight trips, and a variety of other activities. Parents can help drive, chaperone and plan with our youth coordinator.

Women's Seder: Join the women of BAS plan and celebrate a seder from a feminine perspective. We read the Haggadah, sing, dance, eat and share the warmth and joy of this special observance.

Writers Chug (an original writers circle): Congregants give each other support and encouragement as we individually work on original Jewish fiction. In the spring, we have a reading where we present our work to the congregation. Join us!

To get involved in any of these ever-expanding committees and chevrot, contact the chair of the committee or the office by email, betamshalom [at] betamshalom [dot] org, or phone (914-946-8851). The names of the chairs and their email addresses are posted in the Members Section of this website which only members can access. If you need help accessing the private section, please email website [at] betamshalom [dot] org or call the office.