Archive

Bet Aviv Archives Policy

Purpose:

The purpose of the Bet Aviv digital archives’ is to capture and preserve Bet Aviv’s unique history through a series of photographs, interviews, artifacts, meeting minutes, newsletters and other documents.  It is the hope of our congregation that providing a key to our Jewish past will promote and embellish our connection with those who came before us, encourage pride in who we are today, and serve as a road map for future generations.

Archive Access:

Because of the confidential nature of some of the personal and financial sections of the archival records, access to the Bet Aviv digital archives will be only granted, upon request, to Bet Aviv congregants in good standing as well as to scholars and researchers of Jewish history, upon request, and at the discretion of the archival chair or committee.

The Bet Aviv digital archives can be accessed at betaviv.org through the About Us dropdown menu.  The link to the Archives is protected by a username and password.  Click here for a link to the Quick Start Guide.

Existing Users Log In
   
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New User? Click here to register.

 

 

 

 

Our Rabbi

Rabbi Linda Joseph

Rabbi Linda Joseph was born in Melbourne, Australia. “Discovered” by a professor at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion who recognized the wide ranging Jewish community work she had undertaken- from working in major Jewish organizations, counseling, founding study groups and Chavurot, leading services and teaching- she was convinced to apply to rabbinic school. Rabbi Linda Joseph was ordained at HUC-JIR in Cincinnati in 1994 and continued her studies in Jewish Education at HUC-JIR in Los Angeles where she graduated with another Master’s Degree in 1995. She served student pulpits in DeKalb, IL, and Bristol, TN, and led alternative High Holy Day services at Congregation Sherith Israel in San Francisco, CA, and served as an educational intern at Temple Ahavath Shalom in Northridge, CA.

Since ordination, Rabbi Linda Joseph, as a World Union for Progressive Judaism-sponsored student, served as a rabbi at (what is now known as) Etz Chayim Progressive Synagogue and for the Victorian Union for Progressive Judaism in her country of birth, Australia. Back in the United States, she found a home in the small community of the Jewish Congregation of Kinnelon in NJ and then became the Associate Rabbi at Temple Beth El of Boca Raton, FL. Following her time in congregations, she went to work in the Southeast Regional Office of the Union for Reform Judaism as the Senior Assistant Regional Director and then Regional Director, where she travelled and worked with Tree of Life Congregation in Columbia, SC, along with all the other Reform Jewish congregations in the Southeast United States. Following the restructure of the URJ, Rabbi Linda Joseph served as a Lay Leader Liaison with the URJ leadership, but, ultimately, decided to re-enter congregational life. She spent five years as the solo rabbi at Beth Chaverim Reform Congregation in Ashburn, VA, served as the interim rabbi for the Tree of Life Congregation in Columbia, SC and, most recently was the rabbi for Har Sinai in Baltimore.  Rabbi Joseph joined Bet Aviv on July 1, 2019.

Rabbi Linda Joseph describes herself as loving God, the Jewish people and Jewish traditions, creativity and texts. She enjoys teaching, prayer, community and connection. Storytelling, making art, listening to music, writing, reading and cooking are some of her passions.

We are so proud to welcome Rabbi Linda Joseph to Bet Aviv.

Our Cantorial Soloist

Some of Beth Rubens’s earliest influences in Jewish music were as a member of the Leo Baeck Temple youth choir, in her home town of Los Angeles, CA. She sang under the direction of well-known cantor and composer, William Sharlin. After studying French language and literature at Vassar College, with additional study in music and voice, she went on to receive her Masters of Music in Vocal Performance from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. She spent many years working as a professional singer and early childhood music teacher, in the Bay Area, CA, and New York, and then moved to Washington, DC in 2002, for her husband’s position at the University of MD Smith School of Business in College Park, MD. 

Beth continued to perform and teach in the DMV area, both as an early childhood and elementary music teacher at the Levine School of Music, Musikids, the Washington Conservatory of Music, Mundo Verde Public Charter School, and eventually Rochambeau, the French International School. She has performed with several opera and theater companies in the region, including the Washington Savoyards, Opera Theater of Northern VA, the InSeries, Washington Shakespeare, Washington Opera Society, as well as numerous concerts and choral engagements. 

Beth returned to her early love of singing Jewish music when she met Rabbi/Cantor Arnold Saltzman in 2009 and began as a cantorial soloist at Hevrat Shalom Congregation, in Rockville, MD. There she was mentored by Rabbi Saltzman, who would lead services, and run back and forth to the piano to serve as accompanist as well.

Beth lives in Northwest DC, with her husband Brent, son Nathaniel (a high school sophomore) and daughter Elena (when she isn’t off studying as a freshman at Tulane University in New Orleans, LA). They have been active members of musically-rich Temple Micah in DC since 2011. She maintains a private home voice studio and directs middle and high school students in musical theater productions, and still sings in an occasional concert or opera production. Beth is thrilled to be joining Bet Aviv Congregation and to have a new opportunity to share her joy for singing Jewish music. When she isn’t singing or teaching, Beth can be found practicing yoga, skiing, walking in the woods, assisting her husband make delicious food, or cuddling up with her two cats, Ollie and Holly.

About Membership

Bet Aviv welcomes anyone of, or with an interest in, the Jewish faith to join our congregation. We offer:

  • Shabbat and holiday services
  • High Holiday services
  • Participation in our adult education, Sisterhood and Men’s Club, and Social Action programs
  • Pastoral counseling and life cycle events
  • Social activities and more

Our dues are structured to cover our operating expenses. That is our only objective. No members are turned away for inability to afford our dues.

For additional information about membership at Bet Aviv, please contact us.

Dues Letter

Each year our Treasurer sends a letter to our members defining the dues that the congregation approved at the last annual meeting. The letter contains links to the Dues Payment Form, the Associate Membership Policy and the Dues Policy.  Click here for the letter.

Membership Handbook

Bet Aviv has written a Membership Handbook to summarize important points about Bet Aviv.  We encourage members to read it as it answers most of the questions you will have about Bet Aviv.  To read the Bet Aviv Handbook, please click here.

Membership Forms

For your convenience, we provide the membership application form in two formats.  If you have Microsoft Word, then click on the Word version to download the form and fill it out on-line.  Or if you prefer, print either the pdf or Word form, then fill it out by hand and mail it with your payment to our office.

Community

Bet Aviv has special relationships with 3 organizations in our community:

  • Jewish Federation of Howard County– We participate in and co-sponsor events in our community spear-headed by the Jewish Federation of Howard County.
  • Kol Nefesh – Kol Nefesh is a Reform Congregation in Howard County focused on families with children.
  • Interfaith Community – Bet Aviv holds services at a community interfaith center in Columbia, MD.

Reform Judaism

Throughout history, Jews have remained firmly rooted in Jewish tradition, even as we learned much from our encounters with other cultures. Nevertheless, since its earliest days, Reform Judaism has asserted that a Judaism frozen in time is an heirloom, not a living fountain. The great contribution of Reform Judaism is that it has enabled the Jewish people to introduce innovation while preserving tradition, to embrace diversity while asserting commonality, to affirm beliefs without rejecting those who doubt and to bring faith to sacred texts without sacrificing critical scholarship.

Reform Judaism affirms the central tenets of Judaism – God, Torah and Israel – even as it acknowledges the diversity of Reform Jewish beliefs and practices. We believe that all human beings are created in the image of God, and that we are God’s partners in improving the world. Tikkun olam — repairing the world — is a hallmark of Reform Judaism as we strive to bring peace, freedom and justice to all people.

Reform Jews accept the Torah as the foundation of Jewish life containing God’s ongoing revelation to our people and the record of our people’s ongoing relationship with God. We see the Torah as God inspired, a living document that enables us to confront the timeless and timely challenges of our everyday lives.

In addition to our belief that Judaism must change and adapt to the needs of the day to survive and our firm commitment to Tikkun Olam, the following principles distinguish Reform Jews from other streams of Judaism in North America.

Reform Jews are committed to the principle of inclusion, not exclusion. Since 1978 the Reform Movement has been reaching out to Jews-by-choice and interfaith families, encouraging them to embrace Judaism. Reform Jews consider children to be Jewish if they are the child of a Jewish father or mother, so long as the child is raised as a Jew.

Reform Jews are committed to the absolute equality of women in all areas of Jewish life. We were the first movement to ordain women rabbis, invest women cantors and elect women presidents of our synagogues.

Reform Jews are also committed to the full participation of gays and lesbians in synagogue life as well as society at large.

 

Reform Judaism

Throughout history, Jews have remained firmly rooted in Jewish tradition, even as we learned much from our encounters with other cultures. Nevertheless, since its earliest days, Reform Judaism has asserted that a Judaism frozen in time is an heirloom, not a living fountain. The great contribution of Reform Judaism is that it has enabled the Jewish people to introduce innovation while preserving tradition, to embrace diversity while asserting commonality, to affirm beliefs without rejecting those who doubt and to bring faith to sacred texts without sacrificing critical scholarship.

Reform Judaism affirms the central tenets of Judaism – God, Torah and Israel – even as it acknowledges the diversity of Reform Jewish beliefs and practices. We believe that all human beings are created in the image of God, and that we are God’s partners in improving the world. Tikkun olam — repairing the world — is a hallmark of Reform Judaism as we strive to bring peace, freedom and justice to all people.

Reform Jews accept the Torah as the foundation of Jewish life containing God’s ongoing revelation to our people and the record of our people’s ongoing relationship with God. We see the Torah as God inspired, a living document that enables us to confront the timeless and timely challenges of our everyday lives.

In addition to our belief that Judaism must change and adapt to the needs of the day to survive and our firm commitment to Tikkun Olam, the following principles distinguish Reform Jews from other streams of Judaism in North America.

Reform Jews are committed to the principle of inclusion, not exclusion. Since 1978 the Reform Movement has been reaching out to Jews-by-choice and interfaith families, encouraging them to embrace Judaism. Reform Jews consider children to be Jewish if they are the child of a Jewish father or mother, so long as the child is raised as a Jew.

Reform Jews are committed to the absolute equality of women in all areas of Jewish life. We were the first movement to ordain women rabbis, invest women cantors and elect women presidents of our synagogues.

Reform Jews are also committed to the full participation of gays and lesbians in synagogue life as well as society at large.

Cantor Linda Baer

P1490054 Cantor

 

Cantor Linda Baer joined the Bet Aviv family in July 2014.  She retired in June of 2018.  Her goal is pursue the twin passions of creating art and music in service to Tikkun Olam.

Cantor Baer was born in Baltimore, MD.  She studied voice and piano at Peabody Conservatory, received a diploma from the Baltimore Hebrew College, was awarded a BA degree in Foreign Language Education at the University of Delaware and received training at the Cantorial Program at Maalot Seminary where she studied with Reb David Shneyer.

Before joining the spiritual community in Columbia, Cantor Baer served as the cantor for Beit Tikvah in Baltimore and Congregation Hevrat Shalom in Gaithersburg.

From 2008 until 2013, Cantor Linda was the cantor and an educator at congregation Shalom Aleichem in Columbia. During that time, she planned services in collaboration with the rabbi, led musical Jewish liturgy during services, and facilitated congregational singing and worship. In addition, she composed and performed new music for Biblical themes, Jewish holidays, Shabbat, and issues relevant to the Jewish community. In the true spirit of Columbia, she facilitated and participated in Interfaith activities. During her tenure at Shalom Aleichem, she taught music to students in grades K-7 for the congregation’s religious school and tutored students for B’nai Mitzvah.

Cantor Baer has experience in pastoral care and counseling for congregants.  She has officiated at life cycle events including Bar/ Bat Mitzvahs,weddings, funerals, and unveilings.

In addition to being a cantor, Cantor Baer is a performing singer and song writer.  Her original Jewish and secular songs are steeped in world folk music, Americana roots music, and classical art song.

Along with this talent, she is also a graphic artist who has created Jewish ritual objects in ceramic and fabric, illustrated song books, and is currently writing a children’s book.

Cantor Baer is married to John Rudesill, a retired engineer who still teaches, and they live in Columbia.

 

Communications

Bet Aviv communicates with its congregants via e-mail in several ways:

  • Newsletter – The Observer is published 5-times per year
  • Weekly Bulletin – What’s Nu is published every week on Wednesdays
  • Announcements – Bet Aviv Announcements is our primary distribution list for special upcoming events or new that we need to distribute in a timely fashion.
  • Unmonitored Forum – Says Who is a place where any member can share an idea on any topic.

Donations

In keeping with the Jewish tradition of Tzedakah, the members of Bet Aviv make generous contributions to the congregation in times of joy or sorrow.  Donations to Bet Aviv will be considered to be donations to the General Fund. These funds supplement the monies raised through dues for the operation of the synagogue, including salaries, rent, equipment and supplies, program costs, and so on. Alternatively, donations may be directed to a specific purpose in the discretion of the donor. For example, a gift may be made to Bet Aviv “for the benefit of the Men’s Club”, “for bima flowers at the High Holidays”, or “for the benefit of the choir.” (Please note that all current Shabbat Prayer books contain dedication book plates and additional purchases are not currently contemplated. Any donations requesting prayer book dedications will yield a dedication book plate in a limited number of High Holiday guest prayer books.)

An additional alternative for those making gifts, is to contribute to one of the Restricted Funds established at Bet Aviv so that the donation can only be used for the limited purpose of the fund. These restricted funds are:

Arnold Feldman Social Action – Established in memory of Bet Aviv member Arnold Feldman and used to fund promote local, national, and international awareness and support of social conscience issues.

Music Fund – Contributions are used to fund Bet Aviv’s music programs.

Rabbi’s Discretionary Fund– Contributions are used by the Rabbi for the benefit of Bet Aviv’s members.

General Fund – Donations are used by the Bet Aviv Board of Directors as needed.

Paula Polinsky Congeniality Fund – Established in memory of Paula Polinsky and contributions are used to support the Membership committee and special events.

Prayer Book Dedication – Donations of $36 or greater are recognized on bookplates on the inside of the prayer books.

Richard Tobin Memorial Fund – Established in memory of Richard Tobin and contributions are used for Torah repair and rededication.

Bet Aviv Memorial Board

Donations may also be made to commemorate the loss of someone dear to you through the purchase of an engraved plate to add to the Bet Aviv Memorial Boards displayed at each service. Contact the office for details.

High Holiday Appeal

Donations may be made to support Bet Aviv’s general expenses through our High Holiday Appeal Form.  This is a different form from our general donations form.  To donate online using our Holiday Appeal Form, click here.

How to Make Donations

Online:  To make a donation to Bet Aviv and pay online with a credit card or an electronic check, click here

Mail Payment:  You may also choose to make a donation by downloading a paper form and sending it in with a check. To make a donation to Bet Aviv please click here for our donation form in pdf format or here for the donation form in Word format. Save it to your computer, fill it out on-line (Word) or manually (pdf) , then print and enclose it with your donation.

For more information, please feel free to contact us.

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Contact Info

info@betaviv.org

Bet Aviv
The Meeting House
5885 Robert Oliver Place
Columbia, MD 21045
Office Phone: (410)-992-9994
Rabbi Phone:  (410)-992-9995

Shabbat Times

Yom Chamishi, 30 Sivan 5785