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OUT TO EAT SHABBAT AND BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS
TOMORROW
FRI, OCT 23 • 11:30 AM - 1 PM
Mezzeluna, Cotati
Join us for this monthly no-host lunch gathering where we celebrate this month's birthdays and visit different restaurants in our county.
There will be cake!
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HOLECHIM
SONOMA WALKING CLUB
THIS SUNDAY
SUN, OCT 25 • 11 AM - 1 PM
Location TBD
Get outside, explore Sonoma County and make new friends with Holechim, the Sonoma Walking Club. Join us on the last Sunday of each month for a leisurely group walk along some of the North Bay’s most beautiful trails. All experience levels are welcome, and routes are relatively flat so everyone can enjoy the scenery at their own pace.
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FINE ARTS MUSEUMS SF DOCENT TOUR: Something Fishy is Going on Here!
MON, OCT 26 • 10:30 AM – 12 PM
Online (Via Zoom)
Join docents Joy Bullen and Shelley Ford for a free guided exploration of this week's theme: Something Fishy is Going on Here!
Fish have swum throughout the human imagination and made their way into great art for centuries appearing in such diverse forms as ancient Roman mosaics, 18th century Chinese porcelain and 19th century paintings of American sport fishing. Fish have symbolized fertility, abundance, and prosperity. However we also appreciate fish for their endless variety, brilliant colors, and for their value as a culinary delight. Please join us for this captivating presentation that will surely get you hooked, and, if you like, share your best fishing tale with us.
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If you haven’t considered logging on for a quick trip to the museum with us, you should before this special program takes a break in November and December. | | |
WE MET AT GROSSINGER'S
TUES, NOV 17 • 1 & 6:30 PM
Rialto Cinemas, Sebastopol
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We Met at Grossinger’s is an immersive journey through the Jewish Catskills—once known as the Borscht Belt—reviving the iconic resort that inspired Dirty Dancing and defined an era of Jewish American life.
Throughout decades of prejudice stifling the integration of Jewish immigrants in America, the Borscht Belt in the Catskills provided an oasis of belonging, and Grossinger’s Resort and Hotel was the crown jewel. The real-life inspiration for the setting of the 1987 classic film Dirty Dancing, Grossinger’s provided both a physical and mental getaway where Jews—and others from marginalized communities—needing a break from NYC could relax.
The resort’s growing reputation attracted a wide variety of comedians, athletes, and political figures, including Mel Brooks, Jerry Seinfeld, Jackie Robinson and Eleanor Roosevelt. Award-winning filmmaker Paula Eiselt (Aftershock, 93Queen) resurrects this vanished world with an immersive warmth, providing a timely reminder of the historic richness of Jewish culture and its immeasurable contributions to American life.
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COMING UP: SONOMA COUNTY & BEYOND
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INTERGENERATIONAL SHABBAT
FRI, OCT 23 • 5:30 PM
Congregation Shomrei Torah, Santa Rosa & Online (Via Zoom)
Join our clergy and Director of Education & Youth Engagement Nicole Novach for a joyful, multigenerational Shabbat celebration for all ages, young and old.
5:30 – 6:00 PM Dinner • 6:15 PM Shabbat Service During the D'var Torah, elementary-school-age children will have the opportunity to participate in a kids' program.
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Advance registration is necessary.
Members $22, nonmembers $28, children 12 and under free.
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SPOOKY HOUR WITH CST YOUNGISH
THU, OCT 29 • 5:15 - 7:15 PM
Waterhawk Lake Club, Rohnert Park
Join us for a no-host happy hour at "The Haunting" pop-up at Waterhawk, where we can enjoy a special menu of Halloween-themed cocktails and snacks.
Wondering if you’re “Youngish”? It’s a stage of life, not a specific age. Many of us are in our 30s to early 50s, but all Youngish Jews are welcome, whether or not you’re a CST member.
| Please RSVP to cstyoungish@gmail.com by October 28 so we can have a solid headcount. | | |
THE ORIGINS OF THE BIBLE AND HOW TO READ IT
Taught by Rabbi Jeremy S. Morrison
WEDS, OCT 28, NOV 4 & 11 • 7 PM
Online (Via Zoom)
How did the Bible come to be—and what does it mean to read it as Reform Jews today? In this four-session course, we’ll explore how the Bible was created through the adaptation and transformation of older stories, traditions, and literary forms. We’ll also learn how historical-critical approaches can open up new ways of understanding familiar texts. Along the way, we’ll consider what these insights mean for us as modern Reform Jews who continue to find meaning, challenge, and wisdom in the Bible.
| | Online only. Free and open to nonmembers. | | |
GROUP MEDITATION
FRI, OCT 23 • 5:30 - 6:30 PM
Congregation Shomrei Torah, Santa Rosa & Online (Via Zoom)
Ready to slow down, be present, and reconnect? Join us for Jewish Mindfulness Meditation, blending mindfulness practice with Jewish teachings to cultivate greater clarity, calm, and well-being. No previous experience necessary.
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Contact Alissa Hirshfeld at ajhirshfeld@gmail.com for information, to register, or to get the Zoom link.
Additional dates:
Nov 6 & 13, Dec 11 & 18.
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KIRTAN SHABBAT
FRI, OCT 23 • 6 - 7:30 PM
B'nai Israel Jewish Center, Petaluma
Join us on the 4th Friday for Kirtan Shabbat with Esther Riesenberg, This chanting service without books uses call and response and Chasidic niggunim (melodies). Followed by a light Oneg.
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SHABBAT CAMP FOR FAMILIES FRI, NOV 6 • 4 - 6 PM
B'nai Israel Jewish Center, Petaluma
Family fun the first Friday each month! Snacks, singing and challah. Geared for families with children in pre-school, TK, K or 1st grade.
Email Rabbi Shalom for more info or to RSVP.
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ISRAEL'S ELECTION
SUN, OCT 25 • 1:30 - 2:45 PM
B'nai Israel Jewish Center, Petaluma
Israel will hold elections on Oct. 27th to elect a new government. Join Dr. Michael Harris for a presentation exploring how Israeli elections work, how governments are formed, and what the polls suggest about Israel’s next prime minister.
No charge to attend. Please RSVP for planning purposes.
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DANCE NIGHT & HAVDALAH
SAT, OCT 24 • 7 - 9 PM
Congregation Beth Ami, Santa Rosa
An evening of music, dancing and community, as we say goodbye to Shabbat and welcome the new week.
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SHIR SHABBAT, DINNER & SPEAKERS
FRI, NOV 6 • 6 PM+
Congregation Beth Ami, Santa Rosa
6 PM Shir Shabbat with Rabbi Koas and the music of Klezmer Creek.
6:45 PM Shabbat dinner by David Kahn and other talented chefs.
Dinner will be followed by speakers on the South East Greenway project, with information on plans and how to make your ideas and wishes known.
| Dinner is $18 for members age 12 and up. $24 non members, age 12 and up. $9 for under 12. RSVP by noon Nov. 5 to the office. Please note, our new policy on reservation after Thursday noon prior to a Shir Shabbat catered dinner and for those at the door, a late fee of 5 dollars will be added to the regular charge. | | | |
KABBALAT SHABBAT & POTLUCK
FRI, NOV 6 • 6 PM
Harmony School Assembly Hall, Occidental
As the days grow shorter, welcome Kabbalat Shabbat with song, prayer, and community, led by Rabbi Zelig Golden and Hazzanit Julie Batz with guitar, cello, and percussion accompaniment. Families welcome and childcare available during the service. Community potluck at 7:30 PM, please bring a hearty dish to share.
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NITZANIM FAMILY HIKE
SAT, NOV 7 • 10 AM
Local Hiking Trail, Santa Rosa
Join us for a relaxed Shabbat morning with a hike in a local, beautiful location in nature. Put on some sturdy shoes, pack up your kids and some snacks and lets feel the beauty of nature merge with the magic of Shabbat. Location shared with participating families, please email nitzanim@nershalom.org to learn more.
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AN EVENING WITH STANDING TOGETHER
THU, NOV 12 • 7 - 9 PM
Community Church of Sebastopol. Sebastopol
Standing Together is a progressive grassroots movement organizing Jewish and Palestinian citizens of Israel against the Occupation and for peace, equality, and social justice. Come join Sally Abed and Nadav Shofet, two leaders of Standing Together, in conversation with Rabbi Irwin, as they discuss the organization’s work – its successes, its challenges, and its hopes for the future – and the impact of the October elections in Israel. For those who wish, there will be an opportunity to support their work. This event is free, but you must register.
| | JOIN CAMP TAWONGA'S 2027 SEASON | | |
Tap into joyful Judaism, belonging, and epic adventure at Camp Tawonga this summer! Tawonga has served as a leader in Jewish camping for a century. Supported by an inclusive, loving environment, campers build self-esteem, make lifelong friendships, strengthen Jewish identities and connect to nature.
Join Tawonga at their stunning site in the Sierras for 1-week, 2-week and 3-week summer camp sessions, teen leadership programs, and adventure quests on the road. You can also check out family camps for all ages and adult retreats. Peek at the magic in this video and join an info session led by a Tawonga director to get all your questions answered. Registration opens to the public on Nov. 17.
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GRIEVING THE LOSS OF A LOVED ONE
STARTS - OCT 27
In San Francisco, San Rafael, and Virtual
Together, we will explore the grieving process, share experiences, and gently build tools for navigating difficult emotions such as loneliness, loss, and isolation. The group also offers guidance on how to carry grief while beginning to re-engage with life in meaningful ways.
| | Pre-registration is required, and we request your commitment to attending all eight sessions when you enroll. The cost is $180 for the series. Please note, no one is turned away for lack of funds. | | INHERITANCE OF MEMORY - Holocaust Story Project | | Inheritance of Memory gathers the testimonies of Holocaust survivors alongside the reflections of their children — the generation who grew up inside the silence, the absences, and the love these histories left behind. | | Each chapter follows a single family across the borders they were forced to cross. The survivors tell what happened. Their children tell what it was to inherit it — the questions never asked at dinner, the relatives known only as names, the maps drawn from half-remembered stories. Together the two voices form something neither could hold alone. | This site is a companion to the book: a way to hold these photographs in your hands, trace these journeys across a map, and sit for a moment with the people who lived them. | | |
MAHJONG DAY OF PLAY
SUN, NOV 1 • 10 AM - 3 PM
Burton Ave Recreation Center, Rohnert Park
Play American, Chinese, or Siamese Mahjong as we raise funds for The Living Room Kitchen's renovation and expansion project.
- Hours of play with old and new friends
- Scrumptious lunch by The Living Room included
- Drawings for delightful prizes
Please bring your 2026 Mahjong card.
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| | Our eNews editions are also archived on our web page,
so each week's full collection of events from communities/groups can also be revisited and accessed. | | | | |
