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Congregation Beth Am was originally formed in 1983 by a core group of several families seeking to introduce Conservative Judaism in North San Diego County, California. Housed in a converted tire store in Solana Beach, the synagogue membership steadily expanded, adding new programs to enrich our community's needs, especially our Jewish Learning Center. As our congregation grew, new Torot were donated, including a surviving Holocaust Torah from Rudnice, Czechoslovakia, from which all B'nai Mitzvah young adults read. The songs and melodies of our worship echoed through the old tire store for many years.

In 1991 Rabbi Arthur Zuckerman became the congregation's spiritual leader. "Rabbi Zucky," as we affectionately called him, is an energetic, loving man who was adored by children and adults alike and was respected for his guidance, devotion, and way of life. He helped transform the congregation by creating many vibrant new programs, enlarging the Jewish Learning Center, and establishing a highly successful preschool. The membership has grown steadily since his arrival, and today we are close to 850 families. The JLC has grown to accommodate 350 children, and the preschool is 200 youngsters strong. Our JLC, preschool, and youth programs are among the best, if not the best, in San Diego and Orange counties. Congregation Beth Am's Jewish Learning Center has been recognized as a "Framework for Excellence School," by The United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, the first in the state of California. The prestigious certification marks the fact that the Beth Am JLC has met rigorous standards in professional development, curriculum development, and family education.

By 1994 our facility no longer accommodated our needs. The school was growing fast, and we did not have sufficient classroom space. As the membership continued to grow at a fast pace, we lacked facilities for many activities. Services for High Holy Days were held at the Del Mar fairgrounds to accommodate up to 1700 congregants. As the North County Jewish community began to flourish and its needs expanded, we actively sought a suitable, permanent site for the congregation. We initiated a capital campaign to secure a site and build our complex. Once we found a site, we began planning with our architect and member congregant Michael Witkin, envisioning the buildings that would accommodate the sanctuary, school, preschool, social hall, kitchen, administrative offices, and Beit Midrash.

To provide a temporary home on the new site, we erected portable modular structures to house the sanctuary, school, preschool, and administrative offices. On Labor Day of 1997, we moved from Solana Beach to our new home on Del Mar Heights Road in Carmel Valley, with its stunning vistas and open space. In a moving, emotional procession, we carried the Torot from the converted tire store to the new synagogue to begin a new era for the Conservative Jewish community of North San Diego County.

We decided to build the Beth Am campus in phases. Phase I included the acquisition of the land, its development, and the placement of temporary modular buildings. Phase II covered the construction of the sanctuary, social hall, kitchen, bathrooms, lobby, and vestibule. Phase III will include the JLC, preschool, administrative offices, and Beit Midrash.

Phases I and 2 are now completed. The first High Holy Days at our new facility took place in September 1999. It is a joy to hear the "Baruch Hu" and the energetic, responsive chanting of congregants, and to witness the large number of participants for our family, traditional and Rock'N Shabbat services on Erev Shabbat and every Shabbat morning. It is a pleasure to listen to our many B'nai Mitzvah as they daven. It is wonderful to listen to the lively Torah discussions and D'Var Torah debates. It is naches to see the many toddlers, our youth of tomorrow, learning, playing, and running about. We have reason to kvell when we see our youth participating in our many enriching programs. It is heartwarming to see the community practice its Judaism and participate in our congregation's many programs, which provide for a full, spiritual Jewish life.

As our congregational family grew, we hired Rabbi David Kornberg as our Assistant Rabbi in 1999. Rabbi Kornberg initiated the Center for Lifelong Jewish Learning that now provides expanded adult education opportunities for all members of the Congregation. In 2001 Rabbi Kornberg was named the Associate Rabbi of the Congregation and continued his active involvement with all of the needs of the Synagogue community.

In March 2004, our beloved Rabbi Arthur Zuckerman announced that he was leaving the pulpit for other interests. The congregation appointed Rabbi David Kornberg as its new Spiritual Leader, effective July 1, 2004.

Our spirit has never been higher as we strive to continue to meet the needs of our community as well as plan for the future. In the words of Theodore Herzl, "Im tirtzu, ein zo aggadah" "if you will it, it is not a dream."