Links of the week: Read about our Archives Committee findings that were featured on front of the J.


Read about one of our youngest SZ activists-Zach Lipsett!

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

Friday Night Services for Parshiot Chukat-Balak:

June 30th at 7:30pm.

On Zoom Only

Led by Karen Schiller and Marika Straw.

Drash by Marika Straw.

Register Here for Zoom Service

Meeting ID: 886 7131 3838


Saturday Morning Service:

July 1st 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.

Staff will be working from home on Monday, July 3rd and the office will be closed on Tuesday, July 4th.

Celebrate Pride with Sha'ar Zahav!

CLGS Presents:

The Spirit of Pride: Jewish Lesbian History and Storytelling

Thursday, June 29, 1:00-2:00pm on Zoom

Rabbi Julie Greenberg has been a queer activist for fifty years. She is one of the first out lesbians admitted to rabbinical seminary, and has been an organizer in our community on many different justice issues in different cities throughout the country. Join as she recounts inspirational and sometimes humorous stories from many different Pride rituals and celebrations.

To join, click here

Sha'ar Zahav is a co-sponsor of this event.

Community Get Together!

A B’yachad Invitation

Sunday, July 2, 12:00-2:00pm

All SZ members are invited to join our 94114 neighborhood B’yachad at Duboce Park under the big tree on the southwestern side of the park, near the N-Judah tracks. Bring something to sit on.

For more info please contact: Bob GordonPaisha Rochlin or Marvin Lehrman.

Terry Fletcher's Bat Mitzvah

Terry Fletcher will be called to the Torah as a Bat Mitzvah on July 8, 2023 at an outdoor ceremony in Berkeley. The service will be Zoomed. (There will be no Saturday morning service at SZ that day.) All are invited to attend; for in person attendance an RSVP is required by June 30. For more information or to RSVP please contact Terry.

Anniversary Shabbat and Va'ad Installation

Friday, July 7, 7:30pm

Celebrate SZ's 1977 beginnings and welcome in our new Va'ad members.

Grief and Redemption:

Tisha B'Av as a Spiritual Practice

July 10th, 20th, and 24th, 7pm on Zoom

Tisha B'Av is our communal commemoration of loss and mourning. Over three sessions corresponding to the traditional three weeks leading up to Tisha B'Av, we will explore themes of grief and destruction, redemption and the experience of living in diaspora. This sacred space strives to support people in connecting with and make meaning of this time in our calendar. You're welcome to drop-in as you're able, but you're encouraged to attend all three to experience the depth of this seasion. All are welcome regardless of experience with this Jewish practice. Led by Carey Averbook and Rabbi Copeland.

Register for the Meeting: Zoom Link

Streets of Gold:

America's Untold Story of Immigrant Success

July 17th, 6pm on Zoom

With heaps of evidence, data, and stories, Prof. Boustan debunks the myths our country tells about immigration. 1920's study found that closing the border actually lowered the earnings of US workers, while accelerating automation in agriculture as the sector struggled to cope with the loss of immigrant labor. Click here to read about her groundbreaking work.

Register for the Meeting: Zoom Link

Israel Trip!

A great mitzvah opportunity: 

Help other SZniks join the trip to Israel

Would you be willing to donate airline miles to help another congregant afford SZ’s October 2023 Israel trip? If so, please contact Karen Schiller to find out how to help. 

Sha’ar Zahav’s Israel Trip - Join Us!

Open to Members, loved ones and friends

Registration deadline: July 15th

The official website for the October 13 to 22, 2023 trip has information about our trip and registration details. Please sign up soon! Join us as we explore the reality we don’t always see on the news: the winding streets of Jerusalem and the sidewalk cafes of Tel Aviv, ancient Jewish sites, Palestinian fields, and Jewish settlements. If you have disability concerns, need financial support or have other questions about the trip, please email us.

Click here for our trip website

Recurring Gatherings and Meetings

Social Action Committee

Monday, July 10, 6:00-7:30pm on Zoom

Together we can create a more Just and Peaceful World. Act to Welcome the Stranger, Secure Housing and Food, End Gun Violence, Protect Fair Voting, and more!


What’s on your mind? Come to our next meeting or contact Nancy Wecker or Geri Kahn

Join the Meeting: Zoom Link

SZ Book Group

The Question of David: A Disabled Mother’s Journey

By Denise Sherer Jacobson

Tuesday, July 25, 7:00-8:00 pm on Zoom

You’re invited! The Book Group and Disability & Accessibility Committee celebrate Disability Pride Month with The Question of David: A Disabled Mother’s Journey Through Adoption, Family and Life. Local Jewish disability rights icon Denise Sherer Jacobson (featured in the film Crip Camp), shines in this moving memoir. Everyone welcome!

Join the Meeting: Zoom link

For more info, contact ami.zusman@berkeley.edu

Theater & Movies Chavurah: Rasheviski’s Tango

 Wednesday, August 2, 6:00-7:15pm on Zoom

Join the Movie and Theatre Chavurah for a discussion of “Rasheviski’s Tango,” a portrait of three generations of a Jewish family wrestling with issues of identity, love, interfaith marriage and long-held family secrets. The play is available for rent on Vimeo



Join us: Zoom Link


Kaf-Lamed Monthly Gathering

Don't go to Shabbat alone!

Join Sha'ar Zahav's young adult group (The Kaf Lameds) for a monthly gathering at Shabbat Services in person! Perfect for those who've ever felt intimidated to go to Shabbat in person services alone. Or perfect for those who just want a few buddies to join on Friday night services! This is a monthly gathering, where we'll do "Shabbat Together" the 3rd Friday of each month.

Contact Emily Ornelas-Dorian.

L'Havin: Understanding Israel and Its Neighbors

4th Monday of the month, 6:00-7:00pm on Zoom

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.

For more information, contact Rachel Nilson-Ralston.

Join the Meeting: Zoom link

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

Racial Equity Committee

2nd Tuesday of the month, 6:00-7:30pm on Zoom

Come help assure that SZ is always a place of welcome, inclusion and equity for all.






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!

Remember When

1st Wednesday of the Month

Note Time Change! 6:45-8:00pm

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. Email Marv Lehrman.

Join the Meeting: Zoom link

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.

12-Step Meetings by and for SZ Members

Weekly on Sundays On Zoom

1:00-2:00pm

The meeting will be run in the usual 12-step format but will also feature some thoughts and reflections from members bringing Judaism into their 12-step practice. Contact Erika Katske.

For Sha'ar Zahav Members Only. Register Here to Attend.

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!

Lisa Katz 6/28

Emma Woodward 6/29

Eve Meyer 6/29

Bari June Gregory 6/30

Raphael Lubeck-Weiner 7/2

AJ Turpen Fried 7/3

Lydia Zinn 7/3

Virginia Donohue 7/3

Emma Pines-Schwartz 7/4

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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