Upcoming Services:
Friday, December 3rd, hybrid (in-person & Zoom)
Saturday, December 4th, hybrid (in-person & Zoom)
Registration is required for Shabbat services. See links below.
Shabbat: Join Us
Friday Night Services:
December 3, at 7:30 pm Hybrid (in-person and on Zoom) Led by Rabbi Copeland, Cantor Bernstein, Jonathan Funk. D'rash by Andrew Berger.
Register Here for Zoom Service. Meeting ID: 452 290 988. Open to members and non-members, more info is on the registration form.

Saturday Morning Service: December 5 at 10:00 am. Hybrid (in-person and on Zoom) Register for In-Person Service.
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.
Next Week:
Friday Night Service, December 10, at 7:30 pm. On Zoom. Led by Karen Schiller. D'rash by Gabriel Lampert.
Saturday Morning Service: December 11, at 10:00 am Hybrid: In-person and on Zoom.
Contact [email protected] to sponsor a Shabbat
WELCOME BACK!
“You shall not place a stumbling block before the blind“ – Leviticus 19:14
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
Chanukah 2021 - coming this week
For a complete listing of happenings during Chanukah, please see the website.
Daring to Burn: A Ritual for Abuse Survivors - On Zoom
December 2nd from 6:30-7:30 pm

During Chanukah, we celebrate the miracle of a tiny bit of oil lasting for eight days against all odds. We remember how our ancestors kept up hope in the face of great adversity. How can we translate these lessons into our daily lives as survivors of abuse? Join Liana Thomason of Shalom Bayit for a Chanukah healing ritual exploring how we light our lights and continue shining brightly, even when things are difficult. This ritual, designed for survivors of abuse but open to all, will take place on December 2nd from 6:30-7:30 pm. Be sure to bring your own menorah for candle lighting if you have one. Register for Zoom here
New Member Welcome - In Person
December 3rd from 6:00-7:00 pm., In-Person, before Shabbat services.
If you have joined our community during the past 18 months and have not had a chance to come to 290 Dolores yet, please join us for a New Member welcome. We will have time to connect, hear a bit about CSZ, and tour the building. We will host another New Member Welcome in the new year on Zoom which will be more detailed and available for those of you who are not local to the Bay Area. Please let us know you are coming.
After Shabbat Social for Kaf Lameds - In Person
December 3rd, after Shabbat, around 9 pm

Join Sha'ar Zahav's young adult group (The Kaf Lameds) for an after Shabbat Social at Pilsner Inn at 225 Church Street, SF. Come for a drink, and stay for community! We'll spend time celebrating Hanukkah, and having conversations honoring the holiday. We hope to see you there! Reach out to Kaf Lamed co-leader Emily for any questions.
Yoga of Rededication: In-Person
Saturday, December 4th, 9:00 - 10:00 am

Celebrate the Chanukah holiday by rededicating our in-person yoga practice, led by Rabbi Mychal Copeland. We will move, chant, and share in our holiday of lights. Wear clothes you can move in. No previous experience with yoga is necessary; mats provided. Can’t come but interested? Email Susie to get on our yoga list. Members and nonmembers are invited.
Registration is required, including vaccination cards and signing our brit/covenant.
Hanukkahfest Jewish Film Institute
November 28 - December 5, 2021
Join the Jewish Film Institute for 8 days of outstanding cinema and a special Hanukkah celebration. Enjoy 8 days of illuminating programs including a celebration that will recognize the JFI Filmmakers-in-Residence on December 5th. Find out more here.

Community: Let's Get Together
Rose Katz is being honored with a new fund at the Friends of the Jewish Community Library fund. To find out more information and to contribute, click here. 
Social Action Committee
Monday, December 6, 6:00 - 7:30 pm
On fair elections, welcoming the stranger, secure housing and food, ending gun violence, and more! Lend your voice and ideas as together we plan new events with interesting guest speakers. Also, we are looking for one or two more people to join our newest Accompaniment team. Interested? Come to our next meeting or contact Nancy Wecker or Geri Kahn.
Join the Meeting: Zoom Link
Music in the Mishkan returns! 
Violinist and longtime CSZ member Randy Weiss has put together 3 concerts, all Sundays at 4 pm in the CSZ sanctuary:
Sunday, January 16: piano trios by Schumann, Wilson and Mendelssohn 
Sunday, March 20: music of Foote, Gershwin and Brahms
Sunday, May 1: music of Krein, Beethoven and Faure
Learning Together
Climate Action Committee
Monday, December 13, 2021
5:00 pm Learning Session 6:00 - 7:00 Action Meeting
How renewables are redefining the grid, threatening PG&E and improving prospects for equity. This evening we'll explore how solar and other energy technologies are decentralizing energy distribution. Using a recent article from Wired, Gregg Morris, director of the Green Power Institute, will lead a discussion (5-6) on how the new grid will better serve and unite our communities.
Join the Meeting: Zoom Link

Joy Ladin "Creative Writing as Spiritual Practice" series
Mondays, December 6, 13, 20, 11:00 – 12:30p.m. PST
Spiritual experience often feels private, isolating, uncommunicable. Spiritual autobiographies use storytelling techniques to break down this sense of isolation, offering others glimpses of our own struggles and exaltations. In this generative writing workshop we will look at examples of spiritual anecdote and autobiography, and practice using midrash, haiku, and self-inventory to develop our own spiritual narratives. Joy Ladin is the author of nine books of poetry, and her memoir of gender transition, Through the Door of Life, was a 2012 National Jewish Book Award finalist. Links to her poems and essays are available at wordpress.joyladin.com. $108 for 3 sessions 
CANCELED! Writing a Drash - Presentation by Howard Steiermann
Wednesday, December 8th, 6:30 - 8:00 pm
This event has been canceled.
Recurring Gatherings and Meetings
Book Group Discussion: 
A Backpack, A Bear, and Eight Crates of Vodka: A Memoir
Tuesday, December 28, 7:00 - 8:00 pm
In 1989-90, the Golinkin family fled the Soviet Union, with little more than a few suitcases, a little cash...and vodka to bribe officials along the way. Lev Golinkin's memoir is told largely through his then nine-year-old eyes. While it's the story of Soviet Jewish refugees, much of it mirrors the experiences of refugees and immigrants today. Read and come discuss. Contact [email protected] for more info. 
Join the Meeting: Zoom Link
Remember When
1st Wednesday of the Month
6:30 - 8:00 pm
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. Everyone is welcome! Questions? Please email Marv Lehrman.
Join the Meeting: Zoom link
Adult Orphans Friendship Circle 
2nd and 4th Wednesday 6:30 - 8:00 pm
For elder members who have little or no family in the Bay Area. We meet for lively discussions and occasional presentations related to aging. Open to the whole SZ Community. Contact Paisha Rochlin for more info.

Join the Meeting: Zoom link. If this zoom link does not work, please email Paisha 
and she will email you an alternate link.
Weekly Torah Study Group
Weekly on Thursdays
8:30 - 9:30 am

Study the weekly Torah portion with Rabbi Copeland and lay leaders. For the first half-hour, we’ll talk, learn and share thoughts about the portion. In the second half, we will practice our Hebrew reading skills in a compassionate environment! Join for either or both parts of the study. To be added to our SZ Torah listserv, email [email protected].
Join the Meeting: Zoom link
Weekly Mussar Group
Weekly on Thursdays
7:00 - 8:00 pm

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! For more information, contact Mark Pressler.
Join the Meeting: Zoom link
Art Group: Drop-in
Weekly on Thursdays
11:00 am - 12:00 pm

Drop in for a joyful hour of free art-making and connection. Everyone is welcome! The group meets every Thursday. For more information, contact Paisha Rochlin, Barbara Cymrot or AJ Turpen Fried.

Join the Meeting: Zoom link
Meditation Chavurah
1st Saturday of the month
10:30 am - 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
Jewish Yoga
4th Shabbat morning of the month at 9:00 am
You are invited to a Shabbat morning exploration of yoga and Judaism that integrates mind, body, and spirit. Led by our member and yoga instructor Surya Stuart Dick. Beginners and experienced yoga practitioners are welcome. Rabbi Copeland will be leading yoga in person on December 4 for Chanukah. To be added to our SZ Yoga listserv, email [email protected].
Join the meeting: Zoom Link
Hiking Chavurah
2nd Saturday of the month, 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. For more information, email Karen Schiller and Ellen Murland
12-Step Meetings by and for Sha’ar Zahav Members
Weekly on Sundays On Zoom
1:00 - 2:00 pm

Come listen and share experience, strength, and hope with other CSZ members who identify as part of any 12-step community (AA, NA, CMA, Alanon, SA, etc.).

The meeting will be run in the usual 12-step format but will also feature some thoughts and reflections from members who are working to bring their Jewish selves and Jewish traditions to their 12-step practice. Contact Erika Katske with any questions.

For Sha'ar Zahav Members Only. Register Here to Attend.
Weekday Morning Prayer
Weekly on Tuesdays
8:30 - 9:00 am

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. For more information, contact Cantor Bernstein.
Join the Meeting: Zoom link
Birthdays this week!
Maxima Alexandra 12/1
Leslie Miessner 12/1
Charlotte-Alyss Weissglass 12/1
Rose Heath Katz 12/2
Jed Herman 12/3
Martin Fenstersheib 12/5
Dan Alpert 12/6
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, San Francisco Humanities, and the National Center to Encourage Judaism.
You are receiving this email because you expressed interest in Sha'ar Zahav. Be sure to add [email protected] 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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