333 Cortland Ave, SF, CA 94110

This Shabbat:

Friday, January 27, 7:00 pm

The Brandeis School, 655 Brotherhood Way

Rabbi Chaya has invited friends from around the bay area to come and experience the magic of Or Shalom. please come and enjoy! Goody bags will be provided at our post-service oneg.

Along With Congregations Around the World, Or Shalom Will Participate in HIAS’ Annual Refugee Shabbat Friday, February 3rd.

For this special service, we hope you will join us at Brandeis at 7:00 pm, Friday, February 3, to welcome our friends and colleagues from Faith in Action Bay Area as we explore together the concept of refuge through the lens of our Friday night service. There will be Spanish-English translation, time to share in small groups with bi-lingual translators, and time to schmooze during our kiddush.

Actions, Activities, and Learning Opportunities in Honor of Refugee Shabbat:

• Sunday, February 5, 9:00 am: Join HIAS via Zoom for a deep dive into how the global climate crisis is impacting refugees around the world.
• Look for opportunities to advocate for immigrants to government officials at HIAS.
• Find the Facts – Check out this HIAS list of articles and videos to learn more about the global refugee and asylum crisis and share these resources with family and friends. Discuss what you’ve learned with them!
• Learn a Language with Refugees – Sign up to learn Arabic, Armenian, French, Kurdish, Persian, or Spanish by employing a refugee as a teacher through NaTakallam. You can even purchase “Gift of Conversation” packages for family and friends who are eager to learn. Professional translation services are also available for individuals and organizations worldwide.
• Donate to a Bond Fund – Consider contributing to a bond fund to assist in releasing immigrants from detention.

Or Shalom is a Sanctuary synagogue in the spirit of the New Sanctuary movement as described by T’ruah. If you would like to participate in Or Shalom’s Sanctuary activities, contact sanctuary@orshalom.org.

Purim Jewelry Making Class

Sunday, February 26, 11:00 am - 12:00 pm

B's Jewelry Shop, 535 Grant Avenue

Purchase Tickets via Eventbrite Here

Make your favorite Queen Esther or Vashti (or yourself) Purim beads and bangles and help support the Chinatown Volunteer Coalition (CVC). A portion of the funds collected from this fun workshop will go to the Coalition’s Community Fund, supporting Chinatown businesses that have been badly affected by the dual epidemics of COVID-19 and anti-Asian acts of violence.

The cost of this one-hour class is $10. Materials cost $8-20 depending on whether you create a bracelet or necklace. Everyone is welcome to take this class, but space is limited, please sign up early to get a spot!

Mystical Tu Bishvat Seder

Sunday, February 5, 4:00 pm, via Zoom

Register Here

The New Year of the Trees! This is my favorite holiday because who doesn’t like trees? Come to our beautifully illustrated Zoom Seder, where we'll learn the mystical associations with various fruits and understand our part in creating benevolence in the world. (Could our world use a little more benevolence right now?)

Register in advance, because you will need some instructions to prepare for the evening. A Zoom link will be sent upon registration!

Paint your own Kiddush Cup or Seder Plate!

Sunday, February 19, 1:30 - 3:30 pm

Terra Mia Ceramics, 1314 Castro St

$36 Materials Fee

Register Here

Our first SJLA field trip will be to Terra Mia Ceramics! You will be able to choose your choice of ceramic to paint to make a ritual object: A seder plate, a kiddush cup, whatever! Rabbi Me’irah will do a little instructing, both about the rituals associated with the objects and also as an artistic resource, if needed. It will be a lot of fun!

Ner Tamid: "Jews for Justice"

With Special Guest Rabbi Jerry Goldstein

Wednesday, February 1, 7:00 pm

Zoom Link + Password: RIGHTS

Ner Tamid has an ongoing program called "Jews for Justice," where we aim to educate ourselves and discuss matters of racial justice in the United States. On February 1, we welcome special guest speaker, Rabbi Jerrold Goldstein. 

Rabbi Goldstein was integral to a 1964 civil rights demonstration when he was arrested and jailed in St Augustine, Florida. There were 17 rabbis arrested, the largest mass arrest of rabbis in American history (read the joint letter from these rabbis here). He has spoken many, many times throughout the years about this experience, and the struggle for civil rights in our country.

Beyond the Count: Perspectives and Lived Experiences of Jews of Color

Wednesday, February 1, 5:00 pm, via Zoom

RSVP Here

Dayenu, the Jewish movement for climate action, is teaming up with the Jews of Color Initiative on February 1 at 5:00 pm PT for a virtual teach-in event about the complex fabric of JoC identities, lived experiences, and perspectives. 

Arya Marvazy, Senior Director of Programs at the Jews of Color Initiative, will present critical research that presents the largest dataset of Jews of color in United States history. He will be joined by Chicago EcoJews co-leader Maetal Gerson and Rav Tiferet Berenbaum of Temple Beth Zion for a panel discussion. JoCI Board Director and Dayenu Advisory Board member Ginna Green will moderate and Dayenu Young People Organizer Sumner Lewis will MC.

Charlie Varon: The 5 Most Important Things I've Learned as a Writer

Sunday, February 5, 10:00 am, via Zoom

Purchase Tickets Here Use code OrShalom for $10 off!

Charlie Varon is hosting a webinar where he'll share 60% of what he knows about writing in 90 minutes, including the 5 most important things & how he learned them, two brief writing prompts, and a demo of how he coaches writers & performers.

QueerCore Talmud: Rearrange with Change!

Sundays, February 5 – March 12, 10:00 am

via Zoom

Learn More and Register

Join Maggid Jhos Singer, Julie Batz, and Rabbi Batshir Torchio for an uplifting, queer-normative, inclusive, and traditionally radical, 6-week, SVARA method, Beit Midrash where we will unpack a core rabbinic teaching on ways to rearrange your life. Not only were the sages contemplating what forces can shift our path for the better, they were also laying down the foundation for some of the central tenets of the High Holy Days (with a few amazing twists!).

Students must be familiar enough with the Hebrew alphabet and vowels to sound out words written in Hebrew, with or without comprehension. 10% discount with code: QCTPARTNER10%

Tzedakah

We gratefully acknowledge these contributions from our community:

• Jody Reiss, In Memory of Al Sion.
• Jurate Raulinaitis & Kirk Schneider, In Memory of Al Sion.
• Judy Olasov, in Memory of Al Sion.
• Robin Roth, In Memory of David Gershan
• Corey Weinstein & Pat Skala, In Memory of Robert Ostrowski.
• Gloria & Hans Kolbe-Saltzman, in Memory of Rabbi Murray Saltzman.
• Howard Fallon, in Memory of Julee & Kendra
• Me'irah Iliinsky, to the School of Jewish-Living Arts
• Miriam Lewis and Douglas Mandell, to the School of Jewish-Living Arts.

Yahrzeits

On the anniversary of their deaths, we remember:

Abe Offner, Albert Glassman, Charlotte Fine, Elaine Carter, Esther Rubinstein, Eugene Bernstein, Hattie Green Shulman, Herman Boren, Jaclin Burtzlaff, Lillian Offner, Mark Itelson, Max Ruchames, Michael Mitchel, Natalie Gavrin Nixon, Rene Klein Pleaner, Rosa Shoshana Shmuel, Sophye Patla Olasov

This Week's Parsha

The parsha for this week is Bo (Exodus 10:1-13:16)

Commentaries:

from Reconstructing Judaism

from Truah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights

from American World Jewish Service

Please note our NEW mailing address!

Or Shalom Jewish Community

333 Cortland Ave

San Francisco, CA 94110

To reach Or Shalom by phone, please call: (415) 469-5542

Read our Covid-19 Policy for in person events here