Hermits and monasteries are noticeably absent from Jewish history; we are a hopelessly communal people.
-Rabbi Lawrence Kushner

Our congregational family encompasses a diverse and fascinating population, reflecting the nature of Santa Fe itself. Jews have been a part of New Mexico life since the first wagons rolled west and, judging by the presence of crypto-Jews, conversos, Ladinos and Marranos, since long before that.

Our best guess is that the Jewish population of Santa Fe, a town of about 60,000 people, numbers around 5,000. Temple Beth Shalom is comprised of about 350 family units, a unit being anything from a single person to a family with 4 or more children. There are families among us whose ancestors founded the Ashkenazic Jewish tradition in New Mexico, and families who arrived yesterday. We are a welcoming congregation, inviting interfaith families, gays and lesbians, spiritual seekers and purely cultural Jews to join with us in full partnership, sharing in our goals and programs and in the cost of maintaining ourselves as a true Jewish venue in Santa Fe. Scientists and artists, stockbrokers and musicians, retirees and teenagers, young adults and the middle-aged - all are served to the very best of our ability.

To accomplish that, we need volunteers at every level. Supporting the Temple can be as simple as using an Albertson's Community Partners card every time you shop. You just hand it to the cashier as you pay for groceries, and TBS reaps the benefit. Call the office to get a card, or ask for a couple of cards and give some to your friends. Or it can be as complex and rewarding as becoming an active member of one of our committees. If you have the luxury of time, please consider volunteering in a way that suits your schedule and interests. Or you can simply take part in some of our enjoyable Temple events. We hope you will use the information you find on this website to design your ideal interface with our community.