Pesach 2021: Set Your Table and Join Us
Second Night Community Seder

Sunday, March 28 on Zoom
6:00 pm

Set your table for the holiday and let's get ready to rejoice together in our liberation!

Our community seder will take place on the second night, and it is open to members and non-members with a suggested donation.

Shabbat Services: This Week
HIAS Refugee Shabbat: March 26 at 7:30 pm

Led by Rabbi Copeland and Deborah Levy. D'rash by Shawn Matloob.

One night before our Passover holiday begins, we will link our narrative of slavery and liberation to the plight of contemporary refugees. SZ’s Social Action Committee will tell us about our refugee accompaniment team, tell personal immigration stories, and share ways that everyone can get involved. No one is free until everyone is free.

Register Here. Meeting ID: 452 290 988.


Shabbat Morning Service: March 27 at 10 am

Our morning services are interactive and led by Sha’ar Zahav members Ron Edelman and Alan Gordon.

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.
Transgender Day of Visibility
Our History and Our Future: A Sha'ar Zahav TDOV Panel and Sessions in Ray Bernstein z"l Memory

Wednesday, March 31
6:30 - 8:30 pm

Presented by the Trans Gender Non-Conforming Group, this program is an accompaniment to the Trans Jews are Here conference by CBST, co-sponsored by Sha'ar Zahav.

The theme of the panel will be inclusion in the synagogue, and the program will include breakout sessions about pronouns, shifting identities, dispelling misconceptions, and safe-space for trans-attracted people. Questions? Please contact Martin Rawlings-Fein.

Open to All. Join the Zoom Meeting: Zoom link
More Highlights for All
Creativity In Housing Options As We Age: A Presentation by Retirement Communities Experts

Today, Wednesday, March 24
6:30 - 8:00 pm

Traditional models, such as CCRCs (continuing care retirement communities) are changing and becoming more expensive, rendering them out of reach for most of us Boomers. Join us to learn about innovation in housing, from intergenerational living to community housing with affinity groups. Facilitated by Paisha Rochlin. Please feel free to email her with any questions.

Open to All! Join the Zoom Meeting: Zoom link
Coping with COVID. An Interactive Discussion
with Dr. Betsy Stone

Sunday, April 18
4:00 - 5:15 pm

This year has brought us losses and sorrows -- deaths, disappointments and isolation. Many of us have found that our normal coping strategies aren't working. Join Dr. Betsy Stone for an interactive discussion of the impact of COVID and other traumas on our brains, our bodies and our communities.

Open to All, for Free. Join the Zoom Meeting: Zoom link
Sha'ar Zahav Members: We Need Your Input!
Are you a Sha'ar Zahav member? We are looking for your opinions! Please fill out this survey and help us begin to reimagine our community and build sanctuary together post-COVID. Your answers will be completely confidential, so please tell us what you really think!


If you'd like your name and email to be removed from the survey list, or would like to opt-out your responses at any point, please contact Liliana Peliks.
Books, Theater & Movies Together
Theater & Movies Chavurah
Kicks off Tomorrow, Thursday, March 25
6:00 pm

We have re-launched the theatre/movie chavurah and we are starting by watching and discussing "God of Vengeance" on Thursday, March 25 at 6pm.

If you'd like to join the chavurah but didn't have time to watch our kick-off play, please email Yvette Adida or Liliana Peliks. We will convene as a group soon to discuss a plan to move forward with frequency, dates, genres etc.
We Are Reading "The Book of V." by Anna Solomon and Discussing it on April 22
6:00 - 7:00 pm

We are reading "The Book of V." by Anna Solomon as part of the One Bay One Book project of the Jewish Community Library. Let's read and discuss this new novel, rooted in the Book of Esther, where three characters’ stories in different time periods overlap and ultimately collide. Perfect to start reading during Purim!

A limited number of books are available on loan. If you'd like to borrow a copy, please email Liliana Peliks.

Join the Zoom Meeting: Zoom link
Social Action: Ways to Get Involved
Donations for Neighbors Who Still Need a Home
Coordinated by the Social Action Committee

During this season of Passover as we remember how the Jewish people yearned to find a place to call home, we are accepting donations for our neighbors who still have no place to call home and are in need of support and assistance.  

San Francisco has designated a number of Safe Sleep Sites and the Social Action Committee is collecting items for the St. John's Safe Sleep Site Accompaniment Program.  There is an Amazon wish list. If you order directly from the list, the items will be shipped to St. John's. If you would like to make a donation of items purchased other than on Amazon, please contact Deb Farkas to make arrangements for dropping off items or having them delivered to her home.

Thank You Very Much!
Social Action Committee Meeting
Monday, April 5
6:00 - 7:30 pm

Everyone is welcome! Our ongoing topics are post-elections actions, hunger, immigration, homelessness, racial justice, and gun violence. We meet every month but you may contact Geri Kahn or Nancy Wecker anytime.

If you are interested in supporting newly arrived immigrants, join an Accompaniment Team. Contact us to learn more about the training session in May.


Join the Zoom Meeting: Zoom link
Post Cards to Voters of Color with Sha'ar Zahav's John Lewis Voter Engagement Group

We would like to thank everyone who came to hear Andrea Miller speak last Sunday. The John Lewis Memorial Voter Engagement Group will be working with Andrea Miller's organization, the Center for Common Ground. If you would like to be part of this effort by writing postcards please contact Tirtza Pearl. These postcards will help voters turn out for the June 2021 primary election in Virginia.

If you would like to be part of a small group making phone calls with text message follow-ups to voters for an important state election in Texas (district 6), please contact Ruth Schoenbach.
Learning With Us
Adult B’Mitzvah Program
Begins Soon on Zoom

Many of us did not become B’Mitzvah as children and feel like it might be time to make that connection. Our Adult B’mitzvah Program (ABP) is a monthly group educational program, which runs for approximately 8 – 12 months. In the ABP you will learn about the history of the ritual and explore what it means to become an adult B’mitzvah. You will have practical classes in giving a D’var Torah, reading/chanting from the Torah, leading services, and learning the prayer service.

There will also be sessions on the who, what, and why of prayer, different perspectives of G-d, everyday spirituality and much more. The process culminates in either an individual or group B’mitzvah on a Saturday morning at Sha’ar Zahav.

Contact the coordinator Mark Pressler to let us know you are interested or would like to hear more!
Weekly Mussar Group
Tomorrow, Thursday, March 25
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 Zoom Meeting: Zoom link
Weekly Torah Study Group
Wednesday, March 31
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.

Join the Zoom Meeting: Zoom link

Finding God in a Pandemic
Weekly from April 5 - May 10
7:00 - 8:30 pm

Jews love to say we are “God-strugglers,” so let’s explore the rich Jewish landscape of God-talk, from the classics like Buber, Kaplan, Heschel to feminist and queer Jewish theologies. We will explore how theology, pantheism, and atheism attempt to answer the most profound questions of our time.

Sign up for the whole class or drop in when you’re able. We'll be counting the omer. Open to all.

Free to Members and $15 for Non-members. Register Here.

Upcoming Community Events
Virtual Co-Working Space at the Synagogue
Wednesdays During the Month of March
10:00 am - Noon

Let's work together at Sha'ar Zahav's Gathertown, set up by Rebbetzin Kirsti Copeland. We'll be in the virtual space on Wednesdays from 10am-12pm for the month of March. Want to join? Have questions? Please email Sara Beroff.

Join Virtually: Sha'ar Zahav Gathertown
Weekly Art Group: Drop-in
Tomorrow, Thursday, March 25
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 Zoom Meeting: Zoom link
Disability and Accessibility Committee
Second Meeting! Monday, March 29
Noon - 1:30 pm

Join to meet others with disabilities and work towards a more accessible Sha'ar Zahav on Zoom and when we go back to the synagogue building. We are also looking forward to starting programs and events centered around queer, Jewish, and disabled identities. Want to join? Have questions? Please email Eliana Smithstein.

Join the Zoom Meeting: Zoom link
Kaddish Memory Circle
Thursday, April 1 and April 15
8:30 - 9:00 am

During this time of immense loss and grief, we are holding regular Kaddish Memory Circles to support each other. Rabbi Mychal Copeland, Ora Prochovnick and Martin Tannenbaum will alternate leading these circles twice a month.

Join the Zoom Meeting: Zoom link
Yoga Practice
Saturday, April 3
8:45 am - 9:45 am

You are invited to a twice-a-month Shabbat morning exploration of yoga and Judaism that integrates mind, body, and spirit. Stuart Dick and Rabbi Mychal Copeland will alternate leading the first and third Saturday of every month.

Join the Zoom Meeting: Zoom link
Meditation Chavurah
Saturday, April 3
10:30 am - 12:00 pm

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 Zoom Meeting: Zoom link
Kaf-lamed Pesach Gathering: In-person and Socially-distanced Event

Saturday, April 3 at Dolores Park, SF
5:00 pm

The Kaf-lameds are Sha’ar Zahav’s young adults (20-30s) community. At this special gathering, we'll talk and learn about different cultures in the diaspora and how they celebrate Passover and honor our ancestors.

This will be a great time to connect with others you have only met online. Everyone must stay 6-feet apart and wear a mask at all times.

Weekday Morning Prayer
Tuesday, April 6
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 Zoom Meeting: Zoom link
Remember When...
Second Meeting! Wednesday, April 7
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 Zoom Meeting: Zoom link
Co-presented by Sha'ar Zahav
A Continent in Flux: Europe and It's Jews Enter the 2020s. Co-presented by Hamaqom and Sha’ar Zahav.

Two More Sessions: Today and March 31
5:30 - 6:45 pm

Focusing on France, Germany, Poland, and Hungary, this program will examine the current condition of their Jewish communities, now facing their greatest challenges since the fall of the Berlin Wall. We will analyze the recent surge in anti-Semitism, the deteriorating image of Israel, advances and setbacks in commemorating the Holocaust, and more. Led by award-winning
historian, educator, and teacher Fred Rosenbaum.

In God's Image: LGBTQ Dignity and the Jewish Community. Co-presented by Hamaqom and Sha’ar Zahav.

Wednesdays, April 14 thru April 28 (3 sessions)
5:30 - 6:30 pm

This three-part session with Keshet explores LGBTQ+ language, identity, and inclusion, not only in our secular world but also in our Jewish community. Led by Keshet educators: Randi Reed
and Rabbi Micah Buck-Yael.

Learn More and Register Here. Use code "friendsofSZ" for $18 off at checkout.
B’Tzelem Elokim: A Mother Discusses Her Fight for Transgender Rights. Co-presented by the Jewish Community Library and Sha’ar Zahav.

Sunday, May 2
2:00 - 3:00 pm

Mimi Lemay, author of "What We Will Become" will speak about her journey away from the ultra-orthodox community, and her own family's journey in affirming the chosen gender of their son, Jacob.

We Also Invite You To
San Francisco Observance of Yom HaShoah: A Virtual Commemoration

April 7, 2021
Reading of Names | 5:00 pm (PDT)
Program & Ceremony | 7:00 pm (PDT)

Program features a special conversation between guest scholar Dr. Deborah Lipstadt and Dr. Anita Friedman, Executive Director of JFCS. Rabbi Mychal Copeland will be reading names this year as well.

April 8 – 9, 2021
Days of Commemoration

Interactive workshops featuring Holocaust survivor testimony and expert-led
conversations focused on the lessons and legacies of the Holocaust. Attend one or all sessions.

March Birthdays
birthday_dog_party.jpg
Jo Ellen Kaiser, 1-Mar
Arthur Slepian, 1-Mar
Noah Friedman, 2-Mar
Robin Cohn, 3-Mar
Michael Rice, 3-Mar
Howard Herman, 3-Mar
Edward Leddy, 3-Mar
Thomas Miller, 4-Mar
Smadar Lavie, 5-Mar
Nancy Wecker, 5-Mar
Samantha Hymanson, 5-Mar
Elias Rose, 5-Mar
Stephanie Godt, 5-Mar
Chava Novogrodsky-Godt, 5-Mar
Robert Heller, 6-Mar
Miriam Meier, 6-Mar
Kevin Stein, 6-Mar
Jill Pomrantz, 7-Mar
Arlene Singer, 7-Mar
Tom Medin, 9-Mar
Sam Yelland, 9-Mar
Stephen Shotland, 10-Mar
Dana Vinicoff, 10-Mar
Jessie Ap'neva, 11-Mar
Judith Scherr, 12-Mar
Hershey Hirschkop, 12-Mar
David "Duke" Crestfield, 12-Mar
Andrew Williamson, 13-Mar
Mary Schroeder, 13-Mar
Blythe Nielsen, 14-Mar
Isa Elfers, 14-Mar
Gwendolyn A. Lochlainn, 14-Mar
Priyanka Shah Grunwald, 15-Mar
Oona Alexandra, 16-Mar
Michael Rosenberg, 16-Mar
Joel Lachter, 16-Mar
Geri Kahn, 16-Mar
Rachel Kripke-Ludwig, 17-Mar
Falyn Sokol, 17-Mar
Ann Bauman, 18-Mar
Amy Kaufman, 19-Mar
Mol Dezern, 19-Mar
Kathy McHenry, 20-Mar
Michael Abramson, 21-Mar
Paisha Rochlin-Lehrman, 21-Mar
Allison Snipes, 21-Mar
David Mishook, 22-Mar
Ellen Novogrodsky, 22-Mar
Jim Greenberg, 23-Mar
Andrew Ramer, 24-Mar
Randall Weiss, 25-Mar
Scott Kramer, 25-Mar
Victoria Gnessin, 26-Mar
Patricia Ryan, 27-Mar
Giovanni Winters Raff, 28-Mar
Marjorie Sturm, 28-Mar
Michael Hulton, 28-Mar
Robert Gutterman, 29-Mar
Daryl Smith, 29-Mar
Ira Hirschfield, 29-Mar
Tony Harris, 30-Mar
Deborah Cohler, 30-Mar
Carolina Ornelas, 31-Mar
Zachary Kaplan, 31-Mar
Zadie Whittow, 31-Mar
Pray

Friday Evening Service
March 26, 7:30 pm 

14 Nissan
Tzav
Shabbat haGadol
Led by Rabbi Copeland and Deborah Levy

Saturday, Lay-led Morning Service
March 27, 10:00 am
Meeting ID: 365 434 855
Passcode: 068575




Contact [email protected] to sponsor a Shabbat
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.
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