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Contact office@shaarzahav.org to sponsor Oneg or Flowers for Shabbat. | |
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Friday Night Services for Vayetze
Decemeber 1st at 7:30pm
Hybrid: On Zoom and In-Person
World AIDS Day Shabbat
Led by Cantor Bernstein and Martin Tannenbaum
Drash by Mike Shriver
Register Here for Zoom Service
Meeting ID: 886 7131 3838
Saturday Morning Service:
Decemeber 2nd at 10:00am
Hybrid: On Zoom and In-Person
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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Shabbat Chanukah -- Light, Strength, & Joy
Friday, December 8th at 6pm
6pm Hybrid teaching by Robin Cohn with a light nosh
6:30pm In-person dinner for Kids & Families 0-teens and Drag Story Time
7:30pm Hybrid Communal Chanukah Candle Lighting & Songs -- bring your chanukiah to shul or screen!
7:45pm Shabbat Service
Register here for the in-person 6:30pm family dinner
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Castro Menorah Lighting
December 11th, 6pm, In-person
Jane Warner Plaza at Castro, Market & 17th Street
The Castro Menorah lighting is a fun family event complete with music, singing, dancing, and jelly donuts! Spin a giant dreidel and light your own chanukiah along with our jumbo menorah! Hosted by Congregation Sha’ar Zahav and Castro Merchants Association and the Castro Community Benefit district. No registration required, come and enjoy.
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Kaf Lameds: Come for treats, stay for company!
Friday, December 15, after Shabbat at Sha'ar Zahav
Celebrate the end of Hanukkah with Sha’ar Zahav young adult community, the Kaf Lameds (ages 20s-30s). Come to enjoy an evening of fried foods, friends, and community. All are welcome!
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Jewish Life in Uganda
with Rabbi Gershom Sizomu
Thursday, December 7th at 2pm
Congregation Sherith Israel
(2266 California St, San Francisco)
Sha'ar Zahav and Congregation Sherith Israel are joining together for music and an opportunity to meet Rabbi Gershom Sizomu as we learn about Jewish life in Uganda. Rabbi Sizomu is the spirtual leader of the Moses Synagogue, which he built with the Abayudaya community of rural Eastern Uganda during their Kibbutz movement in the 1980s. Held at Congregation Sherith Israel.
For more information, click here
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Let's talk about it: Antisemitism and Racism
Thursday, December 14, 6:10pm, Hybrid
6pm: Online Candle Lighting
Chanukah, when we celebrate religious freedom, is a great time to gain understanding about the current spike in antisemitism and what we can do about it.
Rabbi Julie Saxe-Taller was the Lead Organizer for the California Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism (RAC-CA), the statewide network of congregations organizing for justice for the past five years, from 2018-2023. Rabbi Saxe-Taller is passionate about bringing the spiritual, creative and justice-seeking elements of Judaism together.
Register for in-person here
Register for Zoom here
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Together in Heartbreak: A Members Gathering About Israel and Gaza
Friday, December 15, 6pm, Hybrid
Join a listening space to talk about the war in Israel and Gaza, led by Rachel Nilson Ralston.
This is a members only space.
Register for in-person here
Register for Zoom here
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Bereavement Spiritual Support Group in Formation
Wednesdays, 12-1:30pm, Jan 10th – Feb 28th, 2024, by Zoom
The group is for anyone who is grieving the death of a human being. All types of loss are welcome. Many of our readings will center LGBTQ grief experiences to reflect our community, but all genders and family relationships are welcome. No Jewish knowledge or identification is required. Group size is limited to eight participants and an intake conversation is required pre-registration.
For more information or to register for an intake conversation email Rabbi Copeland
Led by Rabbi Elliot Kukla (he/they)
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Toy Drive
Join the Bet Sefer B’Mitzvah Chavurah in supporting Ukrainian refugee families and children this holiday season. Click this link to donate a toy for a child in need.
If you would like to make a donation outside of Amazon, contact Irina Klay or if you have other questions contact Shelli Fein.
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Blanket Drive - Blankets for the Homeless
A project of the Social Action Committee
There is a bin in the lobby at 290 Dolores to collect new and lightly used blankets to be distributed to the homeless by The Gubbio Project. Drop by and drop off some blankets. We will be collecting through the end of the year. Thank you.
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Holding Our Community; Holding Ourselves
December 5th, 7:00-8:00pm on Zoom
Jewish Family & Community Services East Bay will share how we have been reaffirming our commitment to supporting and uniting our community—and how each of us can hold ourselves and those we love at this challenging time. Advance registration is required. Register here.
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Recurring Gatherings and Meetings | |
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Theater & Movies Chavurah:
The Women's Balcony
Wednesday, December 6, 6:00-7:15pm on Zoom
Join the Movie and Theatre Chavurah for a discussion of “The Women's Balcony,” a movie about a gender rift in a devout Orthodox community in Jerusalem. Charismatic young Rabbi David appears to be a savior after the accident, but slowly starts pushing his fundamentalist ways and tries to take control. It’s widely available including for free on Kanopy.
Join us: Zoom Link
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Social Action Committee
Note Date Change!
Monday, December 11th, 6:00pm on Zoom
On fair elections, welcoming the stranger, secure housing and food, ending gun violence, and more! Want to join us? Come to our next meeting or contact Nancy Wecker or Neil Young.
Join the Meeting: Zoom link
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SZ Book Group
When the Angels Left the Old Country, by Sacha Lamb
Tuesday, January 9, 7:00-8:00 pm on Zoom
Imagine an angel and a demon, centuries-old friends from a small shtetl. Send them on a journey in early 20th century America, where they and their companions face ghosts, murderers, Ellis Island indignities, and exploitative factory owners – but also unexpected love and self-discovery. A queer Jewish immigration story! Everyone welcome.
Join the Meeting: Zoom link
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12-Step Meetings by and for SZ Members
Weekly on Thursdays
5:00-6:00pm on Zoom
Join CSZ's 12-step group at our new time for some pre-High Holiday reflection in the spirit of recovery! Meetings are open to everyone in our wider SZ community (and the Bay Area Jewish recovery community), and we welcome folks who are members of any 12-step fellowship (AA, NA, Alanon, CMA, etc.). Join us this Thursday at 5pm and use this zoom link. Questions? Email Erika Katske.
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Kaf-Lamed Monthly Gathering
Don't go to Shabbat alone!
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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L'Havin: Understanding Israel and Its Neighbors
4th Monday of the month, 6:00-7:00pm on Zoom
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. 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.
For more information, contact Rachel Nilson-Ralston.
Join the Meeting: 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
6:45-8:00pm
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
Rabbi Copeland and lay leaders lead discussions about the weekly Torah reading. Drop-ins welcome, no experience with Torah nessecary!
Join the Meeting: Zoom link
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Mussar Discussion 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
2nd Saturday of the month, 9:50am
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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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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David Rosenzweig 11/29
Charlotte-Alyss Weissglass 12/1
Rose Heath Katz 12/2
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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. | |
Health and Safety Policies at 290 Dolores | |
For the health and safety of our community, it is Sha’ar Zahav's expectation that all members and visitors who attend in-person services and events will be fully vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19. If you are unvaccinated, sick or experiencing any symptoms of illness, please enjoy services and events via Zoom.
Masks are no longer required at in-person services and events. But we are mask-friendly and fully supportive of visitors, members and service leaders who choose to wear masks for their own personal protection.
Sha’ar Zahav is a scent-free environment. Because keeping our synagogue safe for those with scent and chemical sensitivities is part of our commitment to accessibility, please refrain from wearing perfume/cologne or using other scented products.
For more information, email the Accessibility Committee.
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Thank You to Our Grantors | |
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