Rabbi Ami Monson began his tenure at Congregation Beth El in Yardley over the summer, and he knew it was a home from the beginning.
But this year’s High Holiday season showed him just how special the shul is.
“We had a lot of people — it was full. The one thing that was the most exciting was that, for Simchat Torah, which is probably the smallest of the holidays, we had one of the largest groups we’ve had in a long time, and it was so festive that we danced outside with the Torahs. People loved it. It was just a wonderful time,” Monson said.
On March 8, Monson will officially be installed as the new rabbi at Beth El in a formal ceremony that will include lunch and remarks by Rabbi Joshua Gruenberg, who served as rabbi at Beth El for seven years before moving to Chizuk Amuno Congregation in Baltimore.
On March 7, there will be a celebration for Monson, with dinner and dancing.
“I know the installation is for me, but to be honest, it’s really about the community,” Monson said. “I’m not a big spotlight guy — I’ll use it to help others. My big thing is helping other people and being a resource, and if there’s any way I can be useful to someone and help them, that’s my goal.”
Since joining the shul, Monson has helped to revitalize its religious school. Beth El combined its school with Kol Emet’s school for the 2025-2026 academic year.
“We had, believe it or not, five kids, and it just wasn’t enough. We combined with Kol Emet around the corner, and so Tuesdays, our kids go there, and Sundays, it’s here at Beth El.
We have really picked up. I did some recruiting, and there happened to be some families in the area that were looking, and we basically revamped our Hebrew school,” Monson said.
“We were able to recruit another 10 kids, and they’re thriving at learning Hebrew and about their Judaism.”
Some of those students had never attended Hebrew school before and didn’t have a strong Jewish background.
“Now they can write their names in Hebrew and feel like they’re really learning Jewishly, which is really exciting,” Monson said.
The adult learning program is also thriving at Beth El. A former athlete who worked with Monson for the Maccabiah Games came to speak at the syagogue earlier this month about his journey out of Iran and to the United States. In April, the son of basketball legend Ernie Grunfeld is coming to Beth El to talk about his family’s history, particularly its escape from Romania during the Holocaust. Beth El has also reinstated a teenagers program, which has more than a dozen members attending regular events.
It takes a full team, not just one rabbi, to make all of this happen. Monson complimented the rest of the synagogue’s staff — from cantor to custodian — at Beth El.
“I think that’s one of the things I wanted to bring, respect for everybody that helps out, no matter what their position is,” he said.
For Monson, the installation in March will mark an important milestone in his life and in the life of his new home. While the work began long before the event and will continue long after, it’s still an important weekend for all involved.
“I think this installation is about bringing together a person with energy and excitement and care and love and support to a synagogue. … I’m really excited to just be the best resource and leader for them in a collaborative manner and in the best way I can,” he said.
