COMING UP: SONOMA COUNTY & BEYOND
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1ST OF ELUL KABBALAT &
5787 Youth Program Launch
FRI, AUG 14 • 4 - 9 PM
Salmon Creek School, Occidental
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Please join us for a joyful and soulful community gathering as we begin Year Two of Makom Shalom and step together onto the spiritual journey toward the High Holidays.
We will begin the afternoon with a community ancestral skills workshop for adults, alongside introductions and games with youth mentors for our new Makom Shalom Youth Program, B'nai Shalom.
We will share a meal, prepared with love by our resident chef Andrea Blum, The main course menu she dreamed up: Handmade lasagna with Winter squash and herbs (from her garden) and Zuni style roast chicken over bread salad with currents, greens and tomatoes.
We will learn about Makom Shalom Year Two membership, and enter into Kabbalat Shabbat prayer, song, and celebration.
| | Shabbat is open to all, and we look forward to celebrating with you. Makom Shalom is a membership based community, and we hope you will join us. Non-member visitors, please consider making a donation when you RSVP, to support this emerging Forest Synagogue. |
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MAKOM SHALOM HIGH HOLIDAYS
The High Holidays are approaching, and we are joyfully preparing to enter the year 5787 together. Makom Shalom will gather over four sacred days, carrying us from the sweetness of beginning again into the deep work of teshuvah, forgiveness, and return.
Rabbi Zelig Golden will guide our communal journey alongside other community teachers, with Sacred Music Leader Alex Kugler and a beautiful ensemble of community musicians and prayer leaders.
Together, we will pray, sing, awaken with the shofar, share festival meals, gather around the sacred fire, remember those who came before us, and renew our lives for the year ahead.
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THE BIG EASY JAZZ ORCHESTRA
SUN, AUG 23 • 3 - 5:30 PM
Congregation Beth Ami, Santa Rosa
Absolute Music invites you to join them for contemporary big band swing in the tradition of Count Basie and Gordon Goodwin, powerful, brass, vibrant rhythms, and wonderful music.
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Cost: $35
https://absolutemusicsr.org
| | GETTING READY FOR THE HIGH HOLY DAYS | |
Selichot: Sat, Sep 5 at 7:30 PM
We’ll begin the evening with a potluck meal, followed by the tradition of dressing the Torahs in white and our Selichot service.
Erev Rosh Hashanah: Fri, Sep 11 at 7:30 PM
Welcome the New Year with Rabbi Koas and cantorial soloist Jessie. Following services, join us for a festive oneg with champagne, apple cider, and honey cake.
Rosh Hashanah: Sat & Sun, Sep 12 & 13
Services with Rabbi Koas and cantorial soloist Jessie, followed by Tashlich on Sunday.
Kol Nidre: Sun, Sep 20 at 6:00 PM
Kol Nidre services with Rabbi Koas and cantorial soloist Jessie.
Yom Kippur & Break-the-Fast: Mon, Sep 21
Following the conclusion of Yom Kippur, join us for Break-the-Fast in the CBA Social Hall.
RSVP by noon on Wednesday, September 16.
There is a cost for the Break-the-Fast meal.
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We do not charge to attend High Holiday services. RSVPs for non-members are needed. We are very grateful for the donations that help us to keep our doors open. | | |
MUSICAL FAMILY SHABBAT
FRI, AUG 14 • 5 - 6:30 PM
Congregation Ner Shalom, Cotati
A fun, musical Shabbat service for families with children of all ages, and for everyone!
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NITZANIM BAGEL BRUNCH
& OPEN HOUSE
SUN, AUG 23 • 10 - 12:30 PM
Congregation Ner Shalom, Cotati
We invite families who have joined or are considering joining our Nitzanim activities this year to meet each other, eat, sing, and play! Bagels, cream cheese, lox, and mimosas. Games, songs, and an introduction to the year's programs.
This bagel brunch is open to families interested in our Nitzanim Family Experiential Education Program, B.Mitzvah Academy or Midweek Hebrew Program.
| | | NITZANIM REGISTRATION IS OPEN! | | |
OCTOBER - MAY
Congregation Ner Shalom, Cotati
Nitzanim (TK-5th graders & their grown ups):
Rooted in Jewish wisdom and inspired by the natural world, Nitzanim Family Learning invites families to explore, create, and connect. This year, we'll explore Gemilut Chasadim—the Jewish practice of loving-kindness—and discover how everyday acts of care can transform our families and the world around us.
Midweek Hebrew (4th grade & up):
Unlocking the treasures of Jewish tradition, one letter at a time. Through joyful, small-group learning, students build confidence in Hebrew as a living language of prayer, Torah, and connection—supporting their B. Mitzvah journey and a lifetime of Jewish learning.
B.Mitzvah academy (6-8 grade):
A two-year journey into Jewish adulthood rooted in curiosity, purpose, and belonging. Through hands-on learning, community, service, nature, and meaningful Jewish practice, students create a B. Mitzvah experience that reflects who they are and who they are becoming.
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Torah Lishmah (Ages 13+)
For teens beyond B. Mitzvah who want to keep asking, learning, and growing. In a relaxed, discussion-based community, we explore Jewish texts, big questions, current events, history, and the wisdom of our tradition.
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CLERGY'S TISCH: Transgression and Confession in our High Holy Day Worship
FRI, AUG 14 • 6:15 - 7:30 PM
Congregation Shomrei Torah, Santa Rosa & Online (Via Zoom)
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Join with Rabbi Morrison and Cantor Wisner for a presentation on the components of our High Holy Day worship that focuses us on where we’ve missed the mark. Our clergy will explore the vocabulary of sin, the development of the liturgy itself, and how music meets the moment. Liturgical examples may include Sh’ma Koleinu, Ashamnu, and Al Cheit.
Schedule:
Please note our new format. Timing is approximate.
6:15 PM – Shabbat Blessings
6:25 PM – Community Oneg
6:45 PM – Good News and Mi Shebeirach
6:50 PM – Presentation
7:30 PM – Kaddish and Conclusion
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Our new Clergy's Tisch format does not include a catered meal. Instead, we invite you to bring a bottle of wine or a dessert to share as we gather for a community Oneg before the presentation. Advance registration is necessary to help us plan for parking, shuttles, and refreshments.
$10 per person.
Available in-person, online via Zoom, or live stream. The Zoom link and password are available in your weekly CST Connect email.
| | SOCIAL CONNECTIONS EVENT:
An Afternoon with Lowell Cohn | SUN, AUG 16 • 3 PM
Congregation Shomrei Torah, Santa Rosa | |
Join the Social Connections Committee for an engaging conversation with acclaimed Bay Area sports writer Lowell Cohn as he shares stories from his forthcoming memoir, Brooklyn Jew: Journey of an American Sports Writer. Presented by the Social Connections Committee, this event will explore Lowell's remarkable career, his Brooklyn Jewish roots, and the experiences that shaped his life and writing.
Lowell Cohn’s Jewish identity plays a central role in shaping both his life and his writing. Growing up in a close Brooklyn Jewish community formed his sense of justice, resilience, curiosity, and responsibility—traits that carried him through a long, distinguished career in national sports media.
| Advance registration is necessary to help us plan for parking, shuttles, and refreshments. Free for CST members; $18 for non-members. In-person only. | | Biography:
Lowell is a retired columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle and the Santa Rosa Press Democrat who taught in the Stanford Creative Writing Program, was awarded San Francisco Bay Area Sports Columnist of the Year eight times, and has won numerous national awards for his work. He is a member of the Writer’s Division of the NFL Hall of Fame and the Jewish Sports Hall of Fame. | | HIGH HOLY DAYS SERVICES
CST High Holy Days Registration Is Now Open! | | |
As we prepare to welcome the New Year, Rabbi Morrison and Cantor Wisner look forward to gathering with you for these Days of Awe. Whether you're a longtime CST member, join us each year for the High Holy Days, or are visiting for the first time, we warmly invite you to register and join our community for this sacred time of reflection, connection, and renewal.
Please review the schedule and register to join us.
We look forward to welcoming you for a meaningful High Holy Day season.
| | See the full High Holy Days schedule
for service times and locations. | We invite you to make a voluntary donation in honor of the High Holy Days. Your generosity helps support the worship, education, and community programming of Congregation Shomrei Torah. Donations of any amount are welcome, and no one is turned away due to financial circumstances. | | STaRS REGISTRATION CLOSES ON AUGUST 19 | | SUNDAYS • 9:30 - 11:30 AM
WEDNESDAYS • 4 - 6 PM
Congregation Shomrei Torah, Santa Rosa | |
Whether you're a returning family or joining our community for the first time, we invite you to be part of a joyful, hands-on Jewish learning experience. STaRS welcomes children and teens ages 2–18 into a nurturing environment where they can explore Jewish traditions, build lasting friendships, and grow emotionally, spiritually, and intellectually.
Our goal is to bring Torah to life through meaningful experiences that help every student feel seen, valued, and inspired to develop their own Jewish practice.
We look forward to welcoming your family for another wonderful year at STaRS!
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If you plan to apply for a scholarship, please complete the registration form and indicate that you are requesting scholarship assistance. A link to the separate scholarship application will be included in your registration confirmation email. Scholarship applications are due by August 1, and scholarship awards will be announced on August 11. | | |
TWO DEMOCRACIES, ONE COMMITMENT TO PARTICIPATION
SUN, AUG 16 • 10 AM
Santa Rosa (Address provided upon registration)
Explore the unique features of Israel's electoral system and discuss how it shapes Israeli democracy. Our guest speaker will be Shimrit Braun Kamin, a lifelong peace activist who was born and raised on a kibbutz in Israel and now lives in the SF Bay Area.
Following the presentation, participate in a nonpartisan letter-writing campaign to encourage voter turnout in the United States.
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Questions? Contact:
Danielle Feldman at socohadassah@gmail.com
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MUSICAL TOT SHABBAT
THURSDAYS • 10 - 11 AM
Joseph Weingarten Chabad Jewish Center, Santa Rosa
Join us for a playful morning of music, movement, and Shabbat fun designed for toddlers ages 0–3. Through songs, challah baking, sensory play, and hands-on activities, families can celebrate Jewish traditions together in a warm, welcoming environment.
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CHABAD HEBREW SCHOOL
- Now Enrolling
TUESDAYS • 4 - 5:30 PM
Joseph Weingarten Chabad Jewish Center, Santa Rosa
Hebrew School of the Arts offers a creative and engaging Jewish learning experience for children ages 4–12, where students build friendships, explore Jewish traditions, and connect with their heritage in a welcoming environment. Open to families of all backgrounds, the program encourages parent involvement and ongoing connection throughout the year.
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FALL GENEALOGY CLASSES
STARTS: AUG 17 • 10:15 AM
Become Your Family’s Historian!
These classes are for YOU
In these FREE, ONLINE classes, you’ll learn how to: establish a methodology for family research; define a research question; discover your ancestors in the records; use various genealogy research databases; solve “brick walls” or “road blocks”; handle genetic (DNA) ancestry testing results; and much more.
| | Questions? Contact: dbeeson@santarosa.edu | | |
ANNUAL SUKKAH HUT BUILD
SUN, AUG 30 • 10 - 12:30 PM
Shir Shalom, Sonoma
Join us as we build the Sukkah Hut!
More details to come!
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HIGH HOLY DAYS SERVICES
B'nai Israel High Holy Days
Registration Is Now Open!
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