Our Congregation
Temple Beth Torah
Temple Beth Torah is a Reform Jewish congregation located in Fremont, California and serving the Jewish community in southern Alameda County and northern Santa Clara County, in the San Francisco (East) Bay Area.
Our members are Jews by birth or choice, interfaith couples and families, LGBTQIA+, single parents, Deaf families, BIPOC, and multicultural families. We strive to be an open and caring congregation, welcoming all as we explore Jewish learning, culture, social justice, spirituality, and community.
Our Religious School provides innovative teaching approaches to kindle a love of Judaism for our young people. Gan Sameach, our Early Childhood Development program, supplies early exposure to "being Jewish" for our pre-kindergarten youngsters. We are proud of Gan Sameach and the high educational standards it maintains.
Life cycle events are conducted by Rabbi Zöe McCoon.
Shabbat Services are led by Rabbi Zöe. Music is provided by the beautiful voices of our rabbi, cantorial soloists, choir, and/or other musically talented temple members.
Our History
Temple Beth Torah’s story starts with a humble beginning.
In the early 1960s, five local Jewish women decided to contact some of their Jewish peers in the area and began putting together potluck dinners. They and their families began to spread the word, and the group grew and grew until they decided it was time to create the institution that became the Temple Beth Torah we know and love today.
Temple Beth Torah was officially founded in 1962, dedicated to serving the Jewish community in the Tri-City area. Our community spent some time in the Niles district, but found its home on Paseo Padre Parkway in 1978.
As part of the Reform movement, we have always been dedicated to bringing Jewish life into the here and now. Our sacred community was founded on Jewish values, and we treasure passing these values onto our children and grandchildren. These values include Tikkun Olam (social justice), Shivyon (equality) for people of all genders, and being welcoming to all families and individuals. We are especially proud of the work we have done with interfaith partners throughout the Tri-City area.
Who We Are Today
We are a community filled with people from all backgrounds
Much like our history - we continue to be at our core a multigenerational community who wants to spend special moments together with other Jewish and Jewish-adjacent friends in the area. Today, our community members come from southern Alameda County and all over Silicon Valley.
We are Jews by birth, Jews by choice, interfaith families, Deaf families, LGBTQIA+, singles and couples, empty nesters, BIPOC, and multigenerational families! We are committed to being part of and contributing to a community where each person can have their spiritual needs met, where they can make lasting and meaningful friendships, where we can take an active role in passing down our rich heritage from generation to generation, and where we can uphold social justice.
