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We ask those who are attending Friday and Saturday Shabbat, as well as any other events at 290 Dolores St., to enter through the side gate on 16th Street. Sadly, our heating and elevators are still out of service. Please bring a coat/sweater to stay warm if you're joining us in person. If you can't join us in person, we would love to have you join us on Zoom!
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Friday Night Services:
January 13th at 7:30 pm.
Hybrid: On Zoom and In-Person.
Led by Rabbi Copeland and Ami Zusman.
Register Here for Zoom Service
Meeting ID: 886 7131 3838
Saturday Morning Service:
January 14th at 10:00 am.
Hybrid: On Zoom and In-Person.
Join Tiela Chalmers at her b'mitzvah as she celebrates this great milestone. All are invited! Bring a coat/sweater to stay warm.
Join the Zoom Meeting. Meeting ID: 365 434 855 and Passcode: 068575.
To join by phone for either service, dial +1 669 900 9128 or find your local number.
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The office will be closed on Monday, January 16th.
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Shabbat Shira Service and Sing Along
Friday, February 3
Service 7:30pm ~ Sing Along 8pm
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Community: Let's Get Together | |
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Saying Kaddish For a Difficult Relationship
Monday, January 23rd, 7pm on Zoom only
One of the prayers in Siddur Sha'ar Zahav reads, “Your memory is blessed in anger and in love,” acknowledging that not all of our losses bring positive memories. For those who were abusive, do we say Kaddish or Yizkor for them? Might we say something else at those ritual moments to mark the loss? You're invited to a discussion with Rabbi Copeland and Shalom Bayit's Liana Thomason to explore these questions in community.
Register for the Meeting: Zoom meeting
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Gender-neutral Hebrew Chanting
Friday, January 27, 9-9:45am on Zoom
Want to start your day and transition into Shabbat by connecting with yourself, others, and the Divine with morning chanting? Do you have a hard time with the male language in our liturgy? Join Rabbi Copeland in a chanting practice that uses entirely gender-neutral names for the Divine. All prayers will be in transliteration or English, so come with any level of Hebrew, even if it's totally new to you.
Register here: Zoom meeting
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Immigration Journal
Join other members of the SZ community to tell stories of immigrants/refugees who have shaped your life in preparation of Immigration Shabbat on February 10th. The Social Action Committee is collecting stories for this year's journal. (You can see the journal from last year here.) Everyone is welcome. Story wrap-up is February 5. Avoid the last-minute rush: Here is the link to tell your story.
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L'Havin: Understanding Israel and Its Neighbors is a Sha'ar Zahav working group that provides our members and community friends with support, knowledge, and dialogue skills that deepen our relationship with the land and peoples of Israel and Palestine, and to advance understanding and healing within our Jewish community. We hold a range of narratives and relate differently to the ideas and realities of Israel, Palestine, and the Israeli-Arab conflict, yet are united in our desire to advance peace and justice.
To start, L’Havin is holding Zoom calls on the fourth Monday of each month, and we invite anyone who is interested to join us! You do not need to come with any previous knowledge of the topics we may discuss or with any set viewpoints. In fact, we encourage all to come with open ears and a learner’s mindset. Please contact lhavin@shaarzahav.org if you’re curious.
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Music in the Mishkan
Long-time member, Randall Weiss, and The Bridge Players present the 23rd season of Music in the Mishkan on April 2, April 16 and May 21 - mark your calendars! All concerts begin at 4:00 p.m. Don't miss these beautiful concerts in our lovely sanctuary!
Order your tickets today!
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Exploring Midrash
Taught by Rabbi Yoel Kahn
Thursday evenings, 7-8:30pm
January 19 - February 23 (6 sessions) on Zoom only
A midrash is “a story about a story in the Torah” (or the Tanakh). One of the oldest forms of Jewish commentary, midrash moves beyond the “literal” of any to bring imaginative and creative interpretations. While midrash often “fills in the blanks” in a narrative or offers the “backstory” to the text, it also is a path for the ancient commentators to complicate, nuance or even question the Biblical story. In this series, we will encounter a variety of classic midrashic texts, as taught by the rabbis of old, as well as exploring how these texts in turn are woven into Kabbalah, poetry and modern Jewish commentaries - including a session on the great modern midrashic interpreter, Avivah Zornberg.
Rabbi Yoel Kahn, Ph.D, was the Rabbi of Congregation Sha’ar Zahav from 1985-1996.
Register for class here
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Journey to Judaism: A Discussion Group
Facilitated by Ora Prochovnick, Rose Katz and James Carlson
Six Mondays (the last Monday of each month), starting January 30th, 7pm-8:30pm
This discussion group will explore issues that arise for people who are considering, are in the process of, or have only recently completed, converting to Judaism. We also welcome those who have a Jewish parent (or parents), but were raised with little or no Jewish experience and are interested in exploring their connection to Judaism. This group is not an introduction to Judaism course, but rather a place to ask questions and discuss issues with others who are also on this journey. Class sessions will alternate meeting in person with meeting on Zoom. Hybrid access will not be available for the in-person sessions. For further information, click here.
To register, please contact Executive Director Susie Idzik
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Recurring Gatherings and Meetings | |
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Racial Equity Committee
Tuesday, January 10
6:00-8:00pm on Zoom
The Racial Equity Committee is back to meeting regularly! Subsequent meetings will be held on the the second Tuesday of the month at 6:00. Come help assure that SZ is always a place of welcome, inclusion and equity for all.
Join the Meeting: Zoom link
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Kaf-Lamed Monthly Gathering
Don't go to Shabbat alone!
January 20, 7:30pm
Join Sha'ar Zahav's young adult group (The Kaf Lameds) for a monthly gathering at Shabbat Services in person! Perfect for those who've ever felt intimidated to go to Shabbat in person services alone. Or perfect for those who just want a few buddies to join on Friday night services! This is a monthly gathering, where we'll do "Shabbat Together" the 3rd Friday of each month. Contact Emily Ornelas-Dorian.
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Theater & Movies Chavurah: The Fabelmans
Wednesday, February 1st
6:00 pm on Zoom
Growing up in post-World War II era Arizona, young Sammy Fabelman aspires to become a filmmaker as he reaches adolescence, but soon discovers a shattering family secret and explores how the power of films can help him see the truth. It’s available to view in theaters or to rent or buy on Amazon Prime and many other streaming platforms. It’s pricier than our prior shows, but it’s still considerably less expensive than attending theatre.
Join the Meeting: Zoom meeting
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Book Group Discussion:
The Aleppo Codex: The True Story of Obsession, Faith, and the Pursuit of an Ancient Bible
by Matti Friedman
Tuesday, February 7, 7:00 - 8:00 pm on Zoom
The Aleppo Codex is the true-life thriller of what happened to the 10th-century Aleppo Codex, the oldest annotated Hebrew Bible, after it left its burnt-out sanctuary in Syria in the 1950s on its way to Israel. It's a story of intrigue, political upheavals, and a controversial courtroom trial. It's also a story of what happened to the once thriving Syrian Jewish community, many of whom went to Israel as well. For more info, email Ami Zusman.
Join the Meeting: Zoom Link
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Art Group: Drop-in
2nd Tuesdays and 3rd Thursdays of the month
on Zoom only
7:00-8:00pm
Drop in for a joyful hour of free art-making and connection. Everyone is welcome! Starting January 12th, the Art Group will be meeting on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of the month at 7-8pm. Contact Paisha Rochlin or Barbara Cymrot.
Tuesdays: Zoom link
Thursdays: Zoom link
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Climate Action Committee
2nd Monday of the Month
5:00-6:30pm on Zoom
The CAC gathers monthly to support and educate ourselves and our community on climate issues, including climate grief, policy advocacy, and personal and community strategies to address the urgent crises of climate change and climate justice.
Contact Deborah Levy.
Join the Meeting: Zoom link
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Disability and Accessibility Committee
If you identify as disabled, are exploring that identity, or have a loved one with a disability and are interested in joining the Disability and Accessibility Committee, please reach out to Eliana Smithstein for more information. If you are interested in learning more about disability and how you can become a better ally, stay tuned for educational events to come!
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Remember When
1st Wednesday of the Month
6:30-8:00pm
Hitch a ride on the wayback wagon for a trip down memory lane. Let’s reminisce about the 40’s thru the 70’s together! Different topics each month. We will gather on the first Wednesday of every month. Email Marv Lehrman.
Join the Meeting: Zoom link
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Weekly Torah Study Group
Weekly on Wednesday
8:30-9:30am
Join the Meeting: Zoom link
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Mussar Group
Bi-weekly on Thursdays 7:00-8:00pm
Mussar is a very practical and flexible spiritual discipline to help you balance soul-traits (Middah/Middot) such as Humility, Loving-Kindness, Generosity, and Silence. Drop-ins are always welcome! Contact Mark Pressler.
Join the Meeting: Zoom link
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Meditation Chavurah
1st and 3rd Saturday of the month
10:30am-Noon
Everyone is welcome. And you will not regret it! A typical session includes a short and longer silent sit, with chanting, movement, and a short teaching. The group meets on the first and third Saturday of every month.
Join the Meeting: Zoom link
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Hiking Chavurah
3rd Saturday of the month until 2023, 9:50 am
We hike on the second Saturday of the month
Join other Sha’ar Zahavniks on monthly urban hikes – mostly in SF but we sometimes venture farther afield. This is a great way to get to know other SZ members while exploring the city and beyond. The hikes usually last about two hours. Email Karen Schiller and Ellen Murland
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12-Step Meetings by and for SZ Members
Weekly on Sundays On Zoom
1:00-2:00pm
The meeting will be run in the usual 12-step format but will also feature some thoughts and reflections from members bringing Judaism into their 12-step practice. Contact Erika Katske.
For Sha'ar Zahav Members Only. Register Here to Attend.
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Weekday Morning Prayer
Weekly on Tuesdays
8:30-9:00am
Songs and prayers to set our hearts and minds! This service takes place every Tuesday morning, and is led by community lay leaders and Cantor Bernstein. Contact Cantor Bernstein.
Join the Meeting: Zoom link
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Patricia Caplan 1/12
Tiela Chalmers 1/12
Lawrence Klein 1/12
Alapai Michels 1/13
Felix Elhauge-Roniger 1/13
Gary Goldstone 1/15
Deena Lahn 1/16
Gabriel Meyer Edlin 1/17
Michael Tyler 1/17
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While we strive for all our events to be mixed-access, this is not always possible. Some events are only in-person, and some are Zoom only. If you have any questions about a particular event, please contact the office, or the contact listed for the event. | |
Attending In-Person Events and Services
Starting at the end of April, our policy is as follows.
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Shabbat Service: Masking during the service is required. Following the service, you may remove your mask to enjoy oneg.
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For all other events, masking is optional. Children 2-5 will be required to mask. We welcome you to keep wearing masks if you choose.
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Proof of vaccination is required, including a booster shot.
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Please remember: Sha’ar Zahav is a scent-free environment. Keeping our synagogue safe for those with scent and chemical sensitivities is part of our commitment to accessibility. Questions/concerns? Email us, the Accessibility Committee.
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Updated Registration Policy
Registration: Registration will no longer be required for most in-person services and events. If you have a key card, please let yourself in. If you do not, you will be asked to sign in and show proof of vaccination. Key cards are available to all members. Please reach out to get yours.
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Thank You to Our Grantors | |
You are receiving this email because you expressed interest in Sha'ar Zahav. Be sure to add office@shaarzahav.org to your (email) contacts list so that our communications land in your inbox! All our events take place at Sha'ar Zahav 290 Dolores Street, unless noted otherwise. To unsubscribe, please click on the "Unsubscribe" link at the bottom of this email.
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