Welcome to our What's New page! Here we list events around the San Francisco Bay Area that are of interest to those who want to learn more about Judaism.
Coming up January 30 online
Creating and Sustaining Jewish Traditions at Home
Whether you’re the Jewish parent or the non-Jewish parent, you’re probably busy. That makes integrating Jewish traditions an additional task – and a time consuming one at that!
What can you do?
What do you have time to do??
Who is in your home – toddlers, school age kids, teens, just the two of you?
Let’s brainstorm about what you wish for and what you hadn’t even thought of to make your house the home of YOUR Jewish practices. I’ll come with ideas. You come with curiosity – and ideas of your own!
Here’s the article that got me thinking about this.
Date: Thursday, January 30, 2025
Time: 7 to 8pm
Online
Free
For more info or to receive the Zoom link please email me at [email protected]
Creating and Sustaining Jewish Traditions at Home
Whether you’re the Jewish parent or the non-Jewish parent, you’re probably busy. That makes integrating Jewish traditions an additional task – and a time consuming one at that!
What can you do?
What do you have time to do??
Who is in your home – toddlers, school age kids, teens, just the two of you?
Let’s brainstorm about what you wish for and what you hadn’t even thought of to make your house the home of YOUR Jewish practices. I’ll come with ideas. You come with curiosity – and ideas of your own!
Here’s the article that got me thinking about this.
Date: Thursday, January 30, 2025
Time: 7 to 8pm
Online
Free
For more info or to receive the Zoom link please email me at [email protected]
Some Current Activities Around the Bay
Jewish Mindfulness Meditation
Come explore the Jewish practice of “grounding,” a practice that facilitates the ability to find strength and stability amid chaos, crisis, and internal/external strife.
“Groundedness” leads to the Jewish attribute of Equanimity, Hishtavoot. Hishtavoot allows you to be present, to be able to respond mindfully to situations and not react with extremes of emotion. This promotes a sense of stability.
Join Steve Goldstein as he leads a monthly Jewish Guided Meditation session in cultivating middot (attributes) such as gratitude, loving kindness, joy, forgiveness/self-forgiveness, and compassion. All are welcome, both experienced meditators and those who are new to meditation.
You are welcome to come to one or all the sessions. Each class is a stand-alone session. Register
Date: Saturday, January 25
Time: 9:00am
Place: Temple Sinai’s Albers Chapel, 2808 Summit St., Oakland
www.oaklandsinai.org
Crash Course on Israel
What Has Changed since October 7th
Are you still trying to process what happened since October 7th? How did it happen? How do we continue to move forward and experience not just grief or hopelessness, but deep joy and light in all the darkness?
Join us on Zoom to learn from Charlotte Korchak, an engaging teacher and Senior Educator and Director of International Programs for StandWithUs Israel. Charlotte will cover key developments including 10/7, the wars with Hamas and Hezbollah, attacks from and against Iran, the effect on the Israeli and Palestinian people and leaders, the impact on the Middle East, the Abraham Accords and more.
Date: Sunday, January 26
Time: 10:00am
Place: Zoom
Hosts are Beth Jacob, Redwood City and Beth Am, Los Altos Hills
SIGN UP NOW! The lecture and Q&A are free, but registration is required to get the Zoom link.
Refugee Awareness Shabbat
Jewish Family & Community Services East Bay (JFCS East Bay), in partnership with Temple Sinai’s Social Action committee, will sponsor a community-wide “Refugee Shabbat” at our Friday night service. Refugee Shabbat is a HIAS-initiated project, giving congregations across the U.S. the opportunity to dedicate time to reflect on the refugee crisis around the world and to raise awareness of local resettlement efforts of refugees and immigrants from such countries as Ukraine, Afghanistan, and Central America. The themes of Refugee Shabbat include oppression, escape, and the rebuilding of lives. A guest speaker from HIAS will present current information on immigrants and refugees. We will also hear from an individual who was resettled by JFCS East Bay. Learn about the particular challenges that HIAS and JFCS East Bay face in the coming years with refugee resettlement and support for immigrants. We hope that you can attend.
In partnership with HIAS, JFCS East Bay, and Temple Sinai Social Action Committee Artwork by Rabbi Peretz Wolf-Prusan
Date: Friday, January 31
Time: 6:30pm
Place: Livestream and Temple Sinai, 2808 Summit St., Oakland
www.oaklandsinai.org
Tot Shabbat
The best family friendly Shabbat experience in Alameda for families with children ages 5 and under!
Music! Puppets! Stories! Holidays!
Dates: Feb. 8, 2025, March 8, 2025 and April 12, 2025
Time: 10:30am
Place: Temple Israel Courtyard, 3181 Mecartney Rd., Alameda
Free
Questions: [email protected]
Jewish Mindfulness Meditation
Come explore the Jewish practice of “grounding,” a practice that facilitates the ability to find strength and stability amid chaos, crisis, and internal/external strife.
“Groundedness” leads to the Jewish attribute of Equanimity, Hishtavoot. Hishtavoot allows you to be present, to be able to respond mindfully to situations and not react with extremes of emotion. This promotes a sense of stability.
Join Steve Goldstein as he leads a monthly Jewish Guided Meditation session in cultivating middot (attributes) such as gratitude, loving kindness, joy, forgiveness/self-forgiveness, and compassion. All are welcome, both experienced meditators and those who are new to meditation.
You are welcome to come to one or all the sessions. Each class is a stand-alone session. Register
Date: Saturday, January 25
Time: 9:00am
Place: Temple Sinai’s Albers Chapel, 2808 Summit St., Oakland
www.oaklandsinai.org
Crash Course on Israel
What Has Changed since October 7th
Are you still trying to process what happened since October 7th? How did it happen? How do we continue to move forward and experience not just grief or hopelessness, but deep joy and light in all the darkness?
Join us on Zoom to learn from Charlotte Korchak, an engaging teacher and Senior Educator and Director of International Programs for StandWithUs Israel. Charlotte will cover key developments including 10/7, the wars with Hamas and Hezbollah, attacks from and against Iran, the effect on the Israeli and Palestinian people and leaders, the impact on the Middle East, the Abraham Accords and more.
Date: Sunday, January 26
Time: 10:00am
Place: Zoom
Hosts are Beth Jacob, Redwood City and Beth Am, Los Altos Hills
SIGN UP NOW! The lecture and Q&A are free, but registration is required to get the Zoom link.
Refugee Awareness Shabbat
Jewish Family & Community Services East Bay (JFCS East Bay), in partnership with Temple Sinai’s Social Action committee, will sponsor a community-wide “Refugee Shabbat” at our Friday night service. Refugee Shabbat is a HIAS-initiated project, giving congregations across the U.S. the opportunity to dedicate time to reflect on the refugee crisis around the world and to raise awareness of local resettlement efforts of refugees and immigrants from such countries as Ukraine, Afghanistan, and Central America. The themes of Refugee Shabbat include oppression, escape, and the rebuilding of lives. A guest speaker from HIAS will present current information on immigrants and refugees. We will also hear from an individual who was resettled by JFCS East Bay. Learn about the particular challenges that HIAS and JFCS East Bay face in the coming years with refugee resettlement and support for immigrants. We hope that you can attend.
In partnership with HIAS, JFCS East Bay, and Temple Sinai Social Action Committee Artwork by Rabbi Peretz Wolf-Prusan
Date: Friday, January 31
Time: 6:30pm
Place: Livestream and Temple Sinai, 2808 Summit St., Oakland
www.oaklandsinai.org
Tot Shabbat
The best family friendly Shabbat experience in Alameda for families with children ages 5 and under!
Music! Puppets! Stories! Holidays!
Dates: Feb. 8, 2025, March 8, 2025 and April 12, 2025
Time: 10:30am
Place: Temple Israel Courtyard, 3181 Mecartney Rd., Alameda
Free
Questions: [email protected]
Online Learning Options
There are a LOT of online Jewish educational opportunities. Naturally, not all of them are good. Here are some that I trust.
New Lehrhaus
One of you mentioned that Lehrhaus is one of your favorite places to learn. I agree! This program, Becoming Jewish, originated at Lehrhaus Judaica as the result of a grant! Lehrhaus was founded by Fred Rosenbaum in 1974. It has morphed into New Lehrhaus and continues to offer stellar adult learning opportunities.
Valley Beit Midrash
Is an educational organization currently run by Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz. Classes typically cost $18.
Hadar
In person and online classes around the USA. This is the site where I find classes by Rabbi David Kasher. Rabbi Kasher was a the UC Berkeley Hillel rabbi for several years and worked upstairs from me when I was at Lehrhaus Judaica.
My Jewish Learning
This site has a wealth of information AND a newsletter with articles and workshops. Browse around it. I like that they have writers from different streams of Judaism so you get a broader view of Jewish thought and practice.
The Hub from My Jewish Learning
An email listing online classes. The downside is that they are always very short notice. So you have to check it on a day you know you'll be free. Still, there are some fun topics.
Aish
This site is Orthodox and offers a traditional view on Judaism. What I like is that it is a good foundational viewpoint on the Parsha and Jewish practice.
Jewfaq
This looks like a bare bones site - no pictures or fancy graphics. But it is phenomenal. A vast amount of information carefully spelled out. AND! Each page is ranked as: Gentile, Basic, Intermediate or Advanced. If you're finding a concept difficult then perhaps it is an Advanced page and you need to speak with your rabbi about it.
Send us YOUR suggestions for this list to [email protected]
New Lehrhaus
One of you mentioned that Lehrhaus is one of your favorite places to learn. I agree! This program, Becoming Jewish, originated at Lehrhaus Judaica as the result of a grant! Lehrhaus was founded by Fred Rosenbaum in 1974. It has morphed into New Lehrhaus and continues to offer stellar adult learning opportunities.
Valley Beit Midrash
Is an educational organization currently run by Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz. Classes typically cost $18.
Hadar
In person and online classes around the USA. This is the site where I find classes by Rabbi David Kasher. Rabbi Kasher was a the UC Berkeley Hillel rabbi for several years and worked upstairs from me when I was at Lehrhaus Judaica.
My Jewish Learning
This site has a wealth of information AND a newsletter with articles and workshops. Browse around it. I like that they have writers from different streams of Judaism so you get a broader view of Jewish thought and practice.
The Hub from My Jewish Learning
An email listing online classes. The downside is that they are always very short notice. So you have to check it on a day you know you'll be free. Still, there are some fun topics.
Aish
This site is Orthodox and offers a traditional view on Judaism. What I like is that it is a good foundational viewpoint on the Parsha and Jewish practice.
Jewfaq
This looks like a bare bones site - no pictures or fancy graphics. But it is phenomenal. A vast amount of information carefully spelled out. AND! Each page is ranked as: Gentile, Basic, Intermediate or Advanced. If you're finding a concept difficult then perhaps it is an Advanced page and you need to speak with your rabbi about it.
Send us YOUR suggestions for this list to [email protected]
Got a baby?
Get support from the Bay Area's Jewish Baby Network
Connect Today!
The JBN Newsletter says, "We would love for you and your family to become part of the Jewish Baby Network community. Please let us know a little bit about you so we can help you connect to other families and resources near you.
Our programs are designed for families with children aged 0 – 36 months. We welcome everyone, including non-affiliated, interfaith, multi-ethnic, single parent, and LGBTQ families.
Find your region here"
This is a lovely group; I encourage you to get in touch.