Located in the heart of Richmond, Virginia, Beth Ahabah is a thriving Reform Jewish congregation with more than 200 years of history. In addition to weekly religious services, Congregation Beth Ahabah offers active religious school and youth group programs, adult programs (including Sisterhood, Brotherhood and adult education courses), and youth and adult choirs. We are also dedicated to participating in a variety of community service programs.
 
We invite you to spend some time here at our web site learning about our Congregation and its history, and we further encourage you to join us at the Temple and worship with us. More about Beth Ahabah >>

Please join us on Friday evenings at 7:30 PM (7:00 PM when there is a Family Service) for Shabbat Services followed by an Oneg Shabbat and please invite a prospective member to join you.

New! Stay connected with us through Facebook and Twitter!
   

High Holy Days Sermons

Rabbi Martin P. Beifield Jr's Sermon on Rosh Hashanah Evening – 5772 / 2011, "What We Stand For", is availabe here. His Yom Kippur Morning Service Sermon is available here.

Rabbi Gallop's Sermon on Rosh Hashanah, "It's Not Easy Being...", is available here and Yom Kippur Sermon, "Shema Yisrael: Sacred Listening", is available here.

Current newsletter

B'Yachad, our temple bulletin for February 2012.  Featuring the Rabbi's message, Museum & Archives news, news from the Cantor, Religious School news, notes from the Executive Director, b'nai mitzvah announcements, upcoming events, and much more.

Yahrzeit List

Click here for the Yahrzeit list for February 2012.

News From Our Sister City in Israel

 

For the latest news from Rabbi Edgar Nof at our sister city in Haifa, click here.

We Accept Credit Cards

Congregation Beth Ahabah accepts credit card payments.  If you choose to pay your financial committments in this way, please feel free to do so by completing and sending in the Credit Card Acceptance form, calling us at 804.358.6757, or stopping by the temple office. Please note that you can still contribute to CBA online via Paypal.

Ten Minutes to Torah

In less time than it takes to drink your morning coffee or better yet, WHILE you have morning coffee, the Union will send you a one-page e-mail each day on a topic of Jewish interest. All you need to do is find 10 minutes a day to “do Torah" - http://urj.org/torah/ten/

IRA and Charitable Gifts

Dear Members:

As part of the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010, Congress has extended special incentives for persons 70 1/2 or older to make charitable donations from their Individual Retirement Accounts (both traditional and Roth IRAs).  Charitable individuals like you have a unique chance to make a gift to Congregation Beth Ahabah from your IRA with no adverse tax consequences.

To qualify:

-The donor must be 70 ½ years of age or older;

-The transfers must go directly from the IRA to qualified charities such as Beth Ahabah;

-Gifts cannot exceed $100,000 per taxpayer per year; and

-Gifts must be outright. (Transfers to donor-advised funds, supporting organizations, and charitable remainder trusts and for charitable gifts annuities do not qualify).

Please do not delay. This charitable IRA rollover opportunity is a wonderful way to perpetuate your support of Beth Ahabah and our wonderful Sacred Community.  This opportunity is available through the 2011 calendar year.

Charitable gifts made in this way also do not count towards limits on deductions and other provisions that might have reduced tax savings in the past, and no charitable income tax deduction is allowed. Such gifts are also not subject to withholding tax. This special law presents a great opportunity until the end of 2011 for individuals like you to utilize your IRAs creatively to accomplish your special philanthropic objectives and to support the Temple.

To initiate a direct transfer and take advantage of this special law, please contact your IRA provider.  Thank you for your continuing support.

L’shalom,

Russell M. Finer, FSA

Executive Director                                  

P.S. We hope you also will pass along this information to family members and friends who might be able to take advantage of this tax law change and giving incentive.