Contact office@shaarzahav.org to sponsor Oneg or Flowers for Shabbat.

Friday Night Services for Tzav

March 29th at 7:30pm

On Zoom Only

Transgender Day of Visibility Shabbat

Led by Rabbi Copeland and Martin Rawlings-Fein

Drash by M Eifler

Register Here for Zoom Service

Meeting ID: 886 7131 3838


Saturday Morning Service:

March 30th 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.

Community Get Together!

JOHN LEWIS MEMORIAL VOTER ENGAGEMENT GROUP

Postcard Party!

Tonight! Wednesday, March 27, 7:00pm, Zoom only

We will gather together on Zoom to write postcards in community. Join us for an hour as we write cards together to voters in Virginia and Georgia encouraging them to vote.

Please contact Geri Kahn or Tirtza Pearl if you need more cards and addresses.

Zoom link

The Campus Climate for Jewish Students:

Are We at an Inflection Point?

Monday, April 1, 7:00pm, Zoom only

Gregg Drinkwater, Program Director, UC Berkeley's Antisemitism Education Initiative, will present an inside perspective of how the Israel-Hamas War is impacting College campuses (including UC Berkeley) and what potentially lies ahead in this increasingly volatile environment.

Zoom link

Annual Interfaith Iftar

Thursday, April 4, 6:30pm-9:30pm, In-Person at Grace Cathedral

Grace Cathedral is honored to host the annual San Francisco Ramadan Interfaith Iftar Dinner. This year’s theme is “Ramadan: The Month of Connecting Communities.” This year’s program focuses on the dimensions of life that connect us: our embeddedness in civic life and public space, and the sacred texts and traditions that remind us of mutual responsibility and shared destiny.

Sha'ar Zahav is a proud co-sponsor.

Register here

The Third Annual Alvin H. Baum Jr. Memorial Lecture

Sunday, April 7, 6:30pm-8pm, Hybrid (in-person at USF and on Zoom)

The third annual Alvin H. Baum Jr., Memorial Lecture in honor of an LGBTQIA+ Jewish social justice activist will be delivered by Mike Shriver. Mike has been involved in HIV/AIDS advocacy, activism, program development, organizational development and public policy efforts for over 30 years. His efforts have encompassed issues such as HIV+ primary prevention efforts, overall HIV prevention efforts, substance use/abuse interventions, HIV/AIDS care, community organizing and mobilization as well as HIV research.

Sha'ar Zahav is a proud co-sponsor.

Click here for more information

Register here for Zoom

Recurring Gatherings and Meetings

SZ Book Group

Kantika, by Elizabeth Graver

Tuesday, May 7, 7:00-8:00 pm on Zoom 

Love reading and talking about books with other book lovers? Join us on May 7! We’ll discuss Kantika – “a dazzling Sephardic multigenerational saga that moves from Istanbul to Barcelona, Havana, and New York, exploring displacement, endurance, and family as home.” And, oh yes, a strong-willed woman who challenges antisemitism, misogyny and disablism. For more info, contact Ami Zusman

Join the Meeting: Zoom link

Social Action Committee

The first Monday (unless a holiday) of the month

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

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.

L'Havin: Understanding Israel and Its Neighbors

Last Monday night of each month, 6pm

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. Led by Rachel Nilson-Ralston. Contact the office to add yourself to the listserv.

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

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!

torah-reading.jpg

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

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

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

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.

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

Birthdays this week!

Miriam Menzel 3/27

Michael Hulton 3/28

Giovanni Winters Raff 3/28

Daryl Smith 3/29

Robert Gutterman 3/29

Ira Hirschfield 3/29

Tony Harris 3/30

Deborah Cohler 3/30

Carolina Ornelas-Dorian 3/31

Andrew Mann 3/31

Merle Malakoff 4/1

Eliana Frank 4/2

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.

Thank You to Our Grantors

Programs at Sha’ar Zahav are supported by the Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund, the Gilbert and Eleanor Kraus Initiative for Immigrant and Refugee Justice of the Religious Action Center, the National Center to Encourage Judaism and the generous support of our members. Toda rabba!

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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