Welcome to Beth Shalom!
Serving Southern Saratoga County for the last 50 years, we are so excited to welcome you into our building, services, and synagogue family. While our unique membership comes from all branches of Judaism, we lean towards liberal Conservative practices and embrace interfaith, LGBTQA, and all our diverse friends and families. Have a question? Our Board and members are here to help. Poke around our website to learn more about us and contact us today so we can learn more about you! We are so glad you are here and can’t wait to greet you in person! We have several different membership options and one may be perfect for you. Please contact our Membership VP for additional information.
A Message from Rabbi Shara Siegfeld
As Passover comes to its close, we often imagine a quiet settling with a gentle return to routine after the intensity and beauty of the holiday. And yet, in the Jewish calendar, that calm is very brief. Almost immediately, we enter a sacred stretch of time often called simply, “the Yoms.”
Just five days after Passover, we observe Yom HaShoah, Holocaust and Heroism Remembrance Day. It is a day of profound memory, when we honor the lives lost, the resilience of survivors, and the courage of those who resisted. We hold their stories close, ensuring that even in silence, their voices continue to shape our moral compass, and we vow to Never Forget.
A week later, this week, the emotional journey continues with Yom HaZikaron, Israel’s Memorial Day. Here, we remember those who gave their lives in defense of the State of Israel and the victims of terror. It is a day marked by collective grief, a reminder of the immeasurable cost of sovereignty and safety.
Then, in a miraculous transition, that grief transforms into joyous celebration with Yom Ha’Atzmaut, Israel’s Independence Day. We rejoice in the miracle of Jewish self-determination, the vibrancy of modern-day Israeli life, and the enduring hope of our people.
This rapid movement, from redemption to remembrance, from sorrow to celebration, invites us to hold complexity with open hearts. In doing so, we honor not only our past, but the strength and spirit that carry us forward together.
This year, I invite you to mark Yom Ha’Atzmaut with our community on Wednesday, April 22nd, from 12:00 pm –1:30 pm, at a special lunch-and-learn program. We will be joined by special overseas guests who will share their personal connections to both Yom HaZikaron and Yom Ha’Atzmaut, offering a meaningful window into these days of memory and celebration. Please see CBS Calendar page for more details. Wear blue and white.
Shalom with love, Rabbi Shara
Donate
If you would like to make a donation to Beth Shalom, please click on the “Donate” button at the top of this page. We have several categories available: General Congregational Fund, Rabbi’s Discretionary Fund, Cemetery Fund, High Holiday Appeal, Reyut, or Security.
After you select the category and the amount, you can write a specific note. For example, if you donate to the Rabbi’s Discretionary Fund in memory of a loved one, you can include a note which will say, “In memory of _____________.”
If you would like to purchase a lovely Tree of Life Plaque or a Yahrzeit Plague, please click on the links below, complete the appropriate form and mail to or drop off at the Synagogue office with your remittance:
Kabbalat Shabbat - Fridays at 6:30 pm
Weekly, in-person and over Zoom. Oneg will follow.
Please see the Beth Shalom weekly email announcements for all worship details including Zoom information. Please note that the service schedule is subject to change. Check Thursday’s Beth Shalom email announcements for the most current information.
Beth Shalom Hadassah Book Club
Mitzvah Opportunities
We have a chance for volunteers to participate in a mitzvah by helping a refugee family who have settled in our area. Rabbi Beverly Magidson has forwarded this request to us.
The United States Committee on Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) is looking for volunteers to assist with a small Afghan refugee family located in Ballston Spa. The family consists of two older adults and two adult children. Most of what they need is daytime transportation to doctor appointments. They are living with family; their English is pretty good. USCRI would like to run background checks for volunteers (at their expense) but will not require it in this case.
Please contact Margaret Slotnick at mslotnick@uscri-albany.org
