December 30, 2025
There are myriad ways to get involved at Beth Emet. Keep an eye on EmetMail for timely ways to engage. Meanwhile, here are some “evergreen” opportunities we invite you to keep on the radar as we enter the secular new year.
1. Join the Shalom Squad and Help Engage Our New Members
Are you interested in helping integrate our newest members into our ever- growing Beth Emet community? We need your help! Become part of the Shalom Squad and you’ll be “matched” with a new members and/or invited to participate in specific engagement opportunities across the year. Please contact Jodi Portnoy or Debbie Siegel-Acevedo to express your interest and we will happily share more.
2. Interested in Being Considered for BE’s Board of Trustees? Inquire Within!
The Nominating Committee (NomCom) is creating an opportunity for members who may wish to be considered for the Board to express their interest by filling out a form or reaching out to us.
It takes more than our esteemed clergy and capable professional staff to guide and sustain Beth Emet. Your fellow congregants, including the Board of Trustees, help the congregation fulfill its mission through policy decisions, stewardship, and initiatives focused on membership, development, and programming. Learn more here.
Questions? Email NomComBE@Gmail.com or reach out directly to NomCom co-chairs Samantha Nidenberg and Andy Rocklin. We look forward to hearing from you!
3. Volunteer at the Soup Kitchen
We currently are scheduling volunteers for 2026 for the Rabbi Peter and Elaine Knobel Soup Kitchen at Beth Emet, which serves dinner every Wednesday evening. Kitchen volunteers work a 4:15 – 7:00 p.m. shift, cooking and serving the meal, and volunteers also contribute by purchasing and bringing most of the ingredients used in the meal preparation. Each week, we also need home bakers, who commit to providing 3 dozen adult servings of nut-free desserts, delivered to the synagogue between 3:30 pm – 4:30 p.m. on the assigned date. Please email soupkitchen@bethemet.org for an assignment and more information about available dates.
4. Sponsor an Oneg Shabbat or Soul Spark Shabbat Service
Whether you’re celebrating an important milestone, remembering the memory of a loved one, honoring a fellow congregant for a job well done, acknowledging a Beit Sefer teacher’s big teaching anniversary, or feting a Beth Emet staff member (!), sponsoring an Oneg Shabbat or a Soul Spark Shabbat service is a wonderful way to share the event with the community. An Oneg Shabbat before services is an opportunity to welcome Shabbat with catered or homemade (or store-bought) treats. The Oneg offers time for everyone to come together to chat, meet new friends, and reconnect with those you already know. Once a month, we have a music-filled, contemplative Soul Spark Shabbat service, another opportunity to sponsor and add to the splendor of services. To learn more or choose a date, please reach out to Allan Bogan—we’d love to celebrate with you.
5. Bake the Gift of Challah – Sign Up for January 2026 and Beyond
Beth Emet has embarked on a popular new initiative called A Gift of Challah, initiated by Cantor Young. Each Shabbat, someone signs up to bake challah (or two) in their home. The Klei Kodesh identify member(s) in need of a little extra love–perhaps someone who is celebrating an accomplishment, is ill, or had an especially challenging week. During Kabbalat Shabbat services, the Rabbi and Cantor ask for a volunteer in the Sanctuary to deliver the challah to that congregant. Please find additional information, including a link to the SignUp Genius sheet, here. Please contact the office with any questions.
