Link of the Week: "Sedition by a sitting president. Treason by false patriots," San Jose Spotlight OpEd co-authored by Sha'ar Zahav member, Jeffrey Levin.

In this one hour session, Rabbi Shmuly will share Torah on cultivating hope in light in difficult times. We'll explore how our inner life is interconnected with our outer life. Further, Rabbi Shmuly, through stories and texts, will open a window into developments in progressive Orthodoxy (feminism, same sex marriages, universalism, etc.).

Free for Members and $15 for Non-members. Registration Required to Join.

From Tu B’shvat to Pesach: Discovering the Ecological Depths of Judaism. A Conversation by Rabbi Ellen Bernstein

Join us for Erev Shabbat at 7:30 pm and stay for a conversation with R. Ellen Bernstein, founder of Shomrei Adamah, Keepers of the Earth, the first national Jewish environmental organization, and creator of the first ecologically-centered Tu B'Shvat seder.

Everyone is Welcome! Registration Required to Join.

The Adult Orphans Friendship Circle has organized a presentation about Hills of Eternity to help you plan for end of life and give yourself peace of mind. Staffers of the Memorial Park have a conflict in their schedule, but former team member and Sha'ar Zahavnik, James Carlson will step in to present! Everyone is welcome to attend! For more information, please contact Paisha Rochlin.

Join the Zoom Meeting: Zoom link

Interested in working toward racial justice with fellow Sha'ar Zahavniks? Join the Racial Equity Group. Can't make this meeting but want to be a part of the work? Email Sue Bojdak.

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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.

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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.

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Erev Shabbat: Evening Service

Shabbes Beat with Cantor Bernstein. D'rash by Tiela Chalmers.

Register here. Meeting ID: 452 290 988.

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.

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.

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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.

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Va'ad meetings are open to everyone in our member community. We meet the third Wednesday of every month. Join us!

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Come to explore how yoga and Judaism integrate the mind, body, and spirit. We will blend traditional yoga and Judaism, Jewish prayers and chants. The group meets twice-a-month on Shabbat mornings. Stuart Dick and Rabbi Mychal Copeland alternate leading. To get on our yoga list, please email Liliana Peliks.

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Be a part of this monthly gathering of kids age 0-2 and their families. Connect about parenting thrills and fears, share tips and tricks, laugh and cry together. Email Sue Bojdak to get on the list, but you may also join anytime.

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This monthly puppet-led gathering is for kids ages 3-5 & their grown-ups. We are building Jewish community through play while we learn about Shabbat & other holidays. Please contact Sue Bojdak if you would like to join on a regular basis.

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An interactive seder for all ages. There will be stories, seasonal/edible seder symbols, and time for creativity. You will need some materials, so please use this list to prepare in advance. We encourage you to work with what you have, and get creative if you need to!

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Jonathon Thunderword, a fellow Sha'ar Zahav member, will share his spiritual autobiography tracing a path from Christianity to Judaism, and well into Eastern traditions. His journey led Jonathon to becoming a believing non-believer, a theistic atheist, and perhaps, a “possibility model” for those who are beginning to seek their own spirituality.

Free for Members and $15 for Non-members. Learn More and Register.

Golan Moskowitz will share with us the evolution of Maurice Sendak’s artistic vision and its appeal for American, Jewish, and queer audiences. The talk will show how Sendak’s multiple perspectives as a gay, Holocaust-conscious, American-born son of Yiddish-speaking Polish immigrants informed his life and work, changed the face of children’s literature.

Free for Members and $15 for Non-members. Learn More and Register.

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

Have you ever asked yourself, "Am I Jewish Enough?" Wondered whether you could say a prayer or blessing in front of others? Questioned what's happening during a service? You are not alone! Join us and Rabbi Copeland for a conversation about the early Jewish notions of who's a Jew, using based on ancient text. Ideal for young adults in their 20-30s.

Join the Zoom Meeting: Zoom link

A place to ask questions and discuss your ideas! This group will explore issues that arise for people who are considering, are in the process of, or have recently completed, converting to Judaism. Those with a Jewish parent (or parents), but raised with little or no Jewish experience are also welcome.

Thursdays, from February 18 until May 6

Would you like to be able to decode Hebrew, so that you can follow along in the prayer book? Have you always wondered how the Hebrew language works? It is never too late to start!

This class is intended for first time Hebrew students, and will begin at the very beginning by learning the letters and the sounds that they make. This class provides a friendly and supportive learning environment, and patience and sensitivity will be shown to adult learners with limited time for study. Questions? Email the class instructor Michael Lederma.

$54 for Members and $126 for Non-members. Email Liliana Peliks to Register.

4 Weekly Sessions, Starting on Monday, February 22

In today's world, discussions about Israel and Palestine can quickly devolve into inflammatory disagreements and personal attacks that leave everyone angry and unheard – even in a loving community like ours! We often won’t succeed at convincing others to see things our way. But can we create a culture of resilient and respectful learning about Israel and Palestine at Sha'ar Zahav? There is a participant fee but anyone who needs assistance will be aided.

For Members Only. Fee: $54 for 4 Sessions. Learn More and Register.

Do you have a professional practice, a business or a community resource that you would like to share with fellow Sha'ar Zahav members? We are curating a list of health and wellness resources, social services, products, or just community offerings! Anything useful during and post-Covid from which the community can benefit.

Please email Liliana Peliks with your ideas.

Our neighbors at Grace Fellowship are hosting another blood drive on Sunday, January 24th to support the medical community. The folks at Vitalant, the company running the drive, are very organized, friendly and well-protected.

Contact sharonh@shaarzahav.org to sponsor a Shabbat

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