 Baja Shalom (“Peace in Baja”), a reform-style Jewish congregation in Rosarito Beach, Baja, Mexico, will hold services for the Jewish New Year (“Rosh Hashanah”), September 8 and 9, and also for the Jewish Day of Atonement (“Yom Kippur”), September 18 and 19.
All Jews are welcome, from Southern California as well as Mexico, and do not have to be members of the congregation to participate fully in all the services. Communal dinners will be held prior to both evening services, and a huge break-the-fast get-together will give everyone the chance to celebrate at the end of Yom Kippur.
The congregation ‘s approach to prayer incorporates the past experiences of its members, and guests, in a participatory, relaxed, open, and free-flowing service that follows the basic prayers but encourages individual input. Although some of the prayers are in Hebrew, the great majority of the service is conducted in English. There’s lots of music, both recorded and live singing, a shofar service, and a special feeling of spiritualism that occurs when Jews come together to pray and participate, at whatever their comfort and experience levels allow, because they want to get back to their roots, to feel “Jewish” again, without all the distractions, costs, and sometimes politics of a more formal Temple experience.
Baja Shalom encourages Jews of all backgrounds to come and worship with us. There is no cost – this congregation believes all Jews should have a place to pray together, especially for the two major holidays in the Jewish year, without having to worry about economic considerations.
Baja Shalom is also very open for your input - it can be your new Jewish home, and you can help it grow! To contact the congregation for any and all additional information, questions, and ideas, call Morrie in Rosarito Beach at 664-631-3932; or from the USA call 619-272-3877.
As additional background information, the congregation was formed 3 years ago primarily from the impetus of the growth of a very successful Chavurah, aptly named “Bajavurah”, which has been having monthly get-togethers in Rosarito Beach for over five years now, and is supported by approximately 25 families who either live in the area full time, or have second homes here. These families make up the majority of the Baja Shalom congregation.
Baja Shalom hopes to extend the warmth and fellowship already present in the Bajavurah into the religious experience of the High Holy Days by offering a much more relaxed, less formal but more “Hamish” get-together for those who want to pray and worship together in a communal setting in the incredibly beautiful and safe atmosphere of Rosarito Beach, Baja, Mexico.
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