Shiva

Shiva minyanim (generally mincha or maariv) are held at mourners’ homes when necessary and announced through the shul e-mail list. Please contact the shul to set up a shiva minyan.

Get in Touch

Contact Us

Email: info@beth-jacob.org
Telephone: 651-452-2226

Address

Beth Jacob Congregation
1179 Victoria Curve
Mendota Heights MN 55118

Directions


Coming from Minneapolis (West):

Take I-35W south to Highway 62 (Crosstown).
Take Highway 62 (old Hwy 110) east to Mendota Bridge (left exit) for 1.9 miles
Take slight left on Highway 62 East (old Hwy 110) (stay left on Mendota Bridge) for 0.3 miles
Turn left onto Highway 13 East for 300 ft.
Turn right onto Victoria Curve for 0.5 mile
Beth Jacob Congregation is on the left at 1179 Victoria Curve.

Coming from St. Paul (North)

Take I-35E south to Highway 62 (old Hwy 110) exit 101B
Merge onto Highway 62 West (old Hwy 110) for 0.3 mile to Lexington Avenue
Turn right onto South Lexington Avenue for 300 feet to Victoria Curve (frontage road)
Turn left onto Victoria Curve
Beth Jacob Congregation is on the right after city hall and the ball field.

Coming from Eagan (South):

Take I-35E north to Highway 62 (old Hwy 110), exit 101A
Turn right onto Highway 62 West (old Hwy 110) for 0.5 mile to Lexington Ave
Turn right onto South Lexington Avenue for 300 feet to Victoria Curve (frontage road)
Turn left onto Victoria Curve
Beth Jacob Congregation is on the right after city hall and the ball field.

Beth Jacob Funds

May God who blessed our ancestors . . . bless those who unite to establish synagogues . . . and those who give funds for heat and light . . . . (Siddur Sim Shalom for Shabbat and Festivals)

These funds have been established over the years by people who wanted to give something back to the shul for having provided them with both spiritual comfort and the warmth of community. They provide a range of opportunities for us to honor others on their special occasions or for their special achievements, to remember our loved ones or close friends who have left this life and await olam ha’ba in peace, to send wishes for a refuat ha’nefesh and a refuat ha’guf for those who are sick, or to simply thank God for the gifts bestowed upon us.

Please consider helping us provide “heat and light” for the shul with your donations. We will send a card on your behalf and acknowledge your donation in Kol Ya’akov for a minimum donation of $10. Tribute cards for your personal use can be purchased from the shul office: five cards for $25 or 10 cards for $50. Donations can be made directly from this site, or send a check, payable to Beth Jacob Congregation, to the office. For further information, please contact Debbie at 651-452-2226 or bjcoffice AT beth-jacob DOT org.

Endowment Funds

Bonnie and Alvin Abrahamson Youth Education Fund – provides resources to further youth education and youth education programming.

Allen-Gorin Education Fund – established in honor of Rabbi Allen and Dr. Phyllis Gorin, the fund provides for educational opportunities.

Bear/Schoenkin Leadership Development Fund – provides financial support for Board members, lay-leaders and staff to participate in leadership and professional development opportunities.

Sharon Phyllis Bloom Memorial Fund – dedicated to the memory of Sharon Bloom to be used for religious education for our youth.

Doroshow Family Endowment Fund – established for youth leadership development.

Godes Family Endowment Fund – provides general synagogue operating funds.

Samuel Goldberger Endowment Fund – provides scholarships for the St. Paul Talmud Torah day school.

Bess and Nathan Levinsohn Camp Scholarship Fund – provides scholarships to help children attend Jewish summer camps.

Oscar Mastbaum Scholarship Fund – to encourage artistic achievement by providing scholarship funds for pursuits in the visual and performance arts.

Office Endowment Fund – provides funds to maintain and update the office equipment.

Rabbi’s Tzedakah Fund – provides resources for charitable and educational use at the discretion of the rabbi.

Phillip Ravitzky (z”l) Rabbi’s Fund – supports the salary and benefits packages of our rabbi and professional staff.

Sarah Rivka Saide (z”l) Endowment Fund – used for the maintenance of the Saide Chapel.

Hilda Singer Jewish Life Fund – provides the congregation with Jewish life programming as an ongoing part of congregational life.

Betty and Bud Sweet Endowment Fund – provides funds to purchase and maintain kitchen equipment.

Zelda Katz Day School Endowment Fund – provides scholarships for Jewish day school education.

 

Restricted Funds

Beth Jacob Emtza President’s Scholarship Fund – created in honor of Etan Newman, it will be used to help young adults go to USY events that they would otherwise not be able to attend due to financial considerations.

Phillip Biel (z”l) Rosh Hodesh Fund – created in memory of Phillip Biel (z”l), who routinely chanted the announcement of the new month in shul, the fund will be used to provide innovative Rosh Hodesh programming for children, young adults, and adults that would not otherwise be provided.

BJUSY/Kadima Fund – provides scholarship for our USYers and Kadimaniks to participate in programming and conventions.

Building Fund – offsets expenses incurred for the construction, furnishing, maintenance and capital improvements of the synagogue.

Chesed Fund – defrays the costs of meals to the bereaved, new parents, returnees from the hospital, members moving into new residences, and others. Also pays for the Dorothy Day project, contributions to MAZON, and other acts of tzedakah.

Jim Dinerstein Adult Education Endowment Fund
Provides revenue for ongoing adult education programming.

Smaller/Petty Inclusion Fund – used to support Beth Jacob inclusion efforts.

Susie Drazen Fund – used for Beth Jacob programming and education.

David Cobin (z”l) Fund for Caring – to help the community and it’s members in need.

Bob Feldman (z”l) Fund for Jewish Life – established to honor the memory of Bob Feldman (z”l) through creative Jewish programs.

Ron Heiligman (z”l) Memorial Camp Scholarship Fund – provides scholarships to help children attend Jewish summer camps.

Zelda Johnson Camp Scholarship Fund – provides scholarships to help children attend Jewish summer camp.

Kiddush Fund – offsets the cost of kiddush when there is no sponsor.

Limud La’ad Fund (Adult Education Fund) – provides money for new and innovative adult education programming.

Nursery Fund – provides toys and other furnishings for the nursery.

Prayer Book Fund – provides prayer books for the shul.

Tikkun Olam Fund – used to address social justice issues within the Jewish community.

Torah Fund – used to pay for the cost of repairing and maintaining our beautiful Torah scrolls.

Yahrzeit Fund – donations to acknowledge and honor the memory of a deceased family member or friend.

Youth Education Fund – provides funding for general youth programming and regional event scholarships.

History of Beth Jacob

From Beth Jacob: The Story Thus Far by Vicki Itzkowitz and Larry Savett

When Sons of Jacob, one of the Twin Cities’ oldest Jewish congregations, and the New Conservative Congregation, the Twin Cities’ youngest, merged in July 1985, it seemed like the natural thing to do. The congregations had been davening together on Shabbat since October 1984 and had found many common values and needs. Over a period of months, a strong feeling of affection developed between the members of the two groups. The new, merged synagogue became Beth Jacob Congregation.

The merger afforded members the opportunity to learn, enrich their knowledge of Judaism, expand their spiritual experience, and support each other during times of need and celebration.

The journey to the formation of Beth Jacob Congregation and our home in Mendota Heights began around 1870. Along the way, the congregation welcomed new immigrants fleeing persecution in Eastern Europe in the late 19th century and, later, survivors of the Shoah.


In the early 1870s, a number of people attended services in a wood-frame building on Payne Avenue in St. Paul. In March 1885, Hevrah B’nai Ya’akov, Congregation Sons of Jacob, was founded as St. Paul’s second Jewish congregation. The congregation grew and organized a Hebrew and Sunday school. By the mid-1940s, many members recognized the need to relocate closer to the Midway and Highland Park neighborhoods.

In 1944 the Hebrew Seminary Congregation formed and in 1946 the two congregations merged. Soon afterwards, the congregation moved into a new home at 1466 Portland Ave. The following years at Sons of Jacob were full and rich. The vibrant Orthodox congregation included an active Men’s Club and Sisterhood, a male choir, a mixed choir, a tallis and tefillin group for fathers and sons, and a dynamic Synagogue Youth Organization.

As children grew and moved away, the congregation endorsed a proposal to become a Conservative congregation in the early 1970s. The change did little to attract new members and in 1982 the congregation made the painful decision to sell the building. A core group of dedicated members dreamed of eventually reestablishing a home on land the congregation owned in Mendota Heights. They rented space at the St. Paul Jewish Community Center and drew on their experience to organize and conduct meaningful, traditional services.


At this point, the story shifts to a new, emerging community. What began as an exploratory meeting with a few men and women in St. Paul led to an announcement to prospective members of the New Conservative Congregation on October 8, 1984:

“We see this new congregation as one which will use Torah as its blueprint, for we recognize that the study of Torah and the use of the lessons and moral directions derived from Torah study provide a timeless resource by which we can learn more about Judaism, apply the principles and practice of Judaism to our daily lives, and find the support of the congregational community during times of need and celebration. Celebration of Shabbat will be a focus of this congregation and the congregational community will encourage re-creation of the customs surrounding Shabbat both in the home and in the community.”

The first service was held on October 27, 1984, at the Jewish Community Center. Earl Schwartz gave the first dvar Torah, and a number of congregants shared the responsibilities of leading services, reading from the Torah and chanting Haftorah. This pattern of congregant participation continues. By early December, the New Conservative Congregation and Sons of Jacob Congregation agreed to share Shabbat morning services and alternate responsibility for conducting those services.

During its first year, the New Conservative Congregation addressed a number of needs: the desire for youth programs and education, coordination with the St. Paul Talmud Torah, the search for a rabbi and merger discussions with Sons of Jacob. By June 1985, both congregations approved the merger and adopted the name Beth Jacob Congregation. At early meetings, the merged board voted to affiliate with the United Synagogue of America. The board affirmed that men and women would have equal privileges, rights and responsibilities, and they declared that financial hardship should not be a barrier to membership.

Lacking a rabbi, the board engaged Earl Schwartz as the congregation’s scholar in residence. From its beginning, the congregation welcomed strangers, recognizing that new people continually enhance the vitality of the congregation.

Saturday morning religious school opened in October 1985. From the beginning, the congregation recognized its responsibility to educate its children and integrate them into synagogue life.


The search for a rabbi began immediately after the merger. The congregation recognized that the rabbi should set the spiritual, moral, and halachic environment of the community, and the rabbi should be an excellent scholar, educator and pastoral presence. The congregation selected Rabbi Morris J. Allen in spring 1986 and moved him to St. Paul in August with his wife, Dr. Phyllis Gorin, and their newborn son, Avi. Under Rabbi Allen’s direction, the Shabbat morning service deepened in participation and content, the Shabbat morning children’s program expanded, and an adult education program began, including classes on Torah reading and synagogue skills.

At its outset, the congregation recognized the need for a building, a site to focus its activities. The community broke ground on October 25, 1987, and on September 2-4, 1988, Beth Jacob dedicated its new synagogue. Modeled after a wedding, the dedication ceremony reminded the congregants that the connection of members to the new building could be compared to the covenant between bride and groom. The program and the ketubah for this dedication ceremony hang in the lobby of the synagogue.

The story of Beth Jacob Congregation is a story of building and rebuilding a community of Jews over time. We study and pray together. The community exists seven days a week as we continually enlarge the range of chesed (kindness) within our lives. Each interaction—whether at Shabbat services, a study session, committee meetings, a visit to console or support, or a moment of sharing of joy—provides an opportunity to enrich these values and find new ways to express them.

Resources

Calendar

To select just the calendars you’d like to view, click the little down arrow at top right corner of the calendar.

To add a Beth Jacob event to your calendar, click on the event and then click “copy to my calendar”.

To add one or more Beth Jacob calendars to your own calendar:

  • For Google Calendar users, click +GoogleCalendar button at the bottom right corner of our calendar and select which ones you want to add.
  • For Outlook or iCal, use the links under the calendar to download iCal files.

Click the name of a category to download its iCal .ics file.
Consult your calendar’s help or support for more details about adding an iCal feed to your calendar.

BJUSY Beth Jacob USY events and conventions
Children Events and programs for children 0-12 (not BJUSY and Kadima)
Education Classes, discussions and learning opportunities for adults
Events Beth Jacob Congregation special events
Kadima Beth Jacob Kadima events and conventions
Meetings Meetings of committees and such at Beth Jacob Congregation
Services Daily, weekly and holiday services
Youth Education Beth Jacob Iyunim and Kehillat Shabbat youth education programs
Jewish Calendar Jewish calendar with candle lighting and Havdalah times for Mendota Heights (Havdalah is 43 minutes after sunset.)

Welcome! – old homepage

Welcometo Beth Jacob Congregation! We are an egalitarian Conservative synagogue of more than 350 families located in Mendota Heights, Minnesota, easily accessible from all parts of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area. We are guided by the principles of Torah (study), Avodah (meaningful worship and work), and Gemilut Chasidim (acts of loving kindness). We exist as a congregation in order to practice and further our understanding of Conservative Judaism through the celebration of Shabbat, holidays and lifecycle events, and daily practice. More »

Shabbat

The centerpiece of our community’s week is Shabbat. Our Shabbat morning service brings together individuals with wide-ranging knowledge of liturgy and practice, and Kehillat Shabbat and Iyunim provide an opportunity for even the smallest children to know the joys of Shabbat.

Kabbalat Shabbat:

Kabbalat Shabbat takes place each Friday; at 5:30 p.m. in Winter, and at 6:00 p.m. in Summer (check our calendar for specifics).

Half an hour before the service, we will wish each other a Shabbat Shalom and share some wine or sparkling grape juice and cheese, and then we will gather and daven, and sing our way through Kabbalat Shabbat. What a wonderful way to prepare for Shabbat! A little davenning, a little schmoozing and a little delectable delight. Stop by on your way home from work, or come on over before you sit down for Shabbas dinner. Beginning in June, we will daven Kabbalat Shabbat outside, weather permitting.

Minyan Katan is for families with children 0 – 4 years.

Kiddush Lunch following Shabbat morning services is an important part of Beth Jacob. People gather to share stories, laugh, joke, and meet new people. With Kiddush, we build connections that make Beth Jacob a strong, vibrant community.

We also have a number of learning opportunities available on Shabbat. Visit our Congregational Learning pages for more information.

Morning Minyan

Beth Jacob has a lovely, warm, and dependable daily morning minyan. Typically, 15-30 people gather in the chapel in the early morning to daven shacharit and begin the day at shul. Smachot are celebrated, mourners are comforted. Please consider making daily shacharit part of your day.

Services begin at 7:15 am Monday-Friday, 8:30 am Sunday (and select legal holidays: Jan.1, Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Dec. 25), and 7:00 a.m. on Rosh Hodesh. They typically last 35 minutes Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday, 45 minutes Monday and Thursday, and 50 minutes on Rosh Hodesh.

To read Torah on a weekday, contact Eric Pasternack: 651-994-9793, outpetro AT aol DOT com

To learn to lead Shacharit, contact Jonathan Ehrlich: 651-686-5140, jnehrlich AT gmail DOT com