Summer is a great time to go see different types of casual services. Many synagogues move their services outside. Whether it’s with marshmallows or guitars or both, this is a upbeat, relaxed time of year. Check out some of the interesting options going on. This is a grab bag of activities. If you don’t see what you want, email me (dawn@buildingjewishbridges.org) or look at the websites of your local synagogues.
EVENTS
Kumzits / Campfire Shabbat (Oakland)
Two Shabbat Services & Pizza Dinner (Walnut Creek)
Kol HaNeshama: The Meditative Service (Foster City)
Tot Shabbat (Foster City)
All Around This World – Musical Program (Oakland)
JymBABIES (San Rafael)
Toddler Playgroup (Oakland)
Tisha B’Av Today: Contemplating Our Tragedies (Burlingame)
Workshop: Enriching the Self (Danville)
PJ Library Playdate (Walnut Creek)
5th Annual Tu B’Av Wine & Chocolate Oneg Shabbat (Los Altos Hills)
Kesher Community Picnic! (Palo Alto)
The Secrets of An Urban Farm: A Interactive Farm Tour (Berkeley)
Grief and Growing: Weekend for Bereaved Individuals and Families (Santa Rosa)
Healing Prayers (Burlingame)
San Francisco Giants Jewish Heritage Night (San Francisco)
The San Francisco Jewish Film Festival continues through August 7. Take a look at their films.
Kumzits/Campfire Shabbat
Join us for family service around the fire. There will be lots of singing and s’mores!
Come in campfire attire and bring a picnic blanket.
Date: Friday, August 5
Time: 6:30pm
Place: Temple Sinai, 2808 Summit St., Oakland, In the Sacred Garden (Lower Courtyard off the parking lot.)
www.oaklandsinai.org
Two Shabbat Services & Pizza Dinner
Come for Tot Shabbat and/or Pizza dinner and/or Family Shabbat Services – see the schedule below. We welcome back Cantor Chabon as she leads both services this evening!
5:30pm – Tot Shabbat
6:00pm – Pizza Dinner
6:30pm – Family Shabbat Service
Date: Friday, August 5
Place: B’nai Tikvah, 25 Hillcroft Way, Walnut Creek
Cost for dinner is $10 for adults, $5 for kids 4-12, 3 and under is free.
RSVP to Amanda at amanda@tikvah.org
www.tikvah.org
Kol HaNeshama: The Meditative Service
Join us for a Petach (entryway) into our Shabbat morning Tefillah (prayer experience).
We will pray together before the Shabbat morning service with the help of niggunim (wordless melodies), meditation, breathing exercises, singing, English, and more. This is a wonderful way to learn how to engage oneself in a meaningful prayer through meditation, singing, traditional and alternative prayer models.
Date: Saturday, August 6
Time: 9:15 am
Place: Peninsula Sinai, 499 Boothbay Avenue, Foster City
www.peninsulasinai.org
Tot Shabbat
Cantor Doron will be leading Shabbat songs and fun activities for kids ages 2-6!
Date: Saturday, Aug 6
Time: 11 am
Place: Peninsula Sinai, 499 Boothbay Avenue, Foster City
www.peninsulasinai.org
All Around This World – Musical Program
Meet musician Jay Sand visiting from Philadelphia, where he runs All Around This World
As Jay describes the program, “All Around This World is a unique, interactive global music and world cultures program for children 0-9 years old that encourages children and their families to explore the world by enjoying global music, rhythms and movement.”
Jay’s program focuses on presenting to young children (he has three cute ones of his own) amazing world Jewish music, on which he is one of the country’s leading experts.
What could be more fun than that? Come join us with your kids to play and listen to some great multicultural Jewish music on Sunday.
Date: Sunday, Aug. 7
Time: 10 am
Place: Temple Beth Abraham, 327 MacArthur Blvd, Oakland
www.tbaoakland.org
JymBABIES
A drop in play space for ages birth to two with parent or caregiver
Open every Tuesday for Drop In! Soft indoor playground for climbing, crawling, sliding, bouncing in our bounce house, building and dancing, scooting and more! On-site café for kid-friendly food and snakes.
Dates: Tuesdays – in August – 9, 16, 23, 30
Time: 9:30 to 11am
Place: Marin JCC, 200 N San Pedro Road, San Rafael
See cost details here
Toddler Playgroup
Toddlers and their caregivers are welcome to join a new playgroup. The group is ideal for those starting Temple Sinai Preschool in the fall, but is open to all toddlers. Parents, care-givers, grandparents are welcome. There is no fee and no commitment, just a great opportunity to engage with other kids and adults. Please contact Ellen Lefkowitz with any questions at(510) 832-6800 x313 but feel free to just show up on Tuesday.
Dates: Tuesdays, dates in August are 9, 16, 23, 30
Time: 9:15-10:15am
Place: Temple Sinai 2808 Summit St., Oakland
www.oaklandsinai.org
Tisha B’Av Today: Contemplating Our Tragedies
Tisha B’Av, or the 9th of Av, commemorates many tragedies in Jewish history, most notably the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in 586 BCE and again in 70 CE. This year, we will dedicate our contemporary observance of Tisha B’av to remembering not only what happened to us, but what happens every day to those who are in physical, spiritual and emotional exile in the 21st century.
Our evening will begin with a study session from Reform CA that will help us transform the mourning of our Temple’s destruction into a call of action to repair the wrongs in today’s society. We will conclude with an evening prayer service and a modern chanting from Eichah, the Book of Lamentations.
Join Peninula Temple Sholom and Peninsula Temple Beth El with Support from Reform CA. Led by Rabbi Molly Plotnik and Rabbi Lisa Kingston
Date: Saturday, August 13
Time: 7:00 to 8:30pm
Place: Peninsula Temple Sholom, 1655 Sebastian Drive, Burlingame
www.sholom.org
Workshop: Enriching the Self
Jenifer Zetlan is offering this three-session seminar that provides an introduction to theSefirot, “God’s emanations,” and how its wisdom can enrich and deepen the meaning of daily living.
Dates: Sundays, August 14, 21 & 28
Time: 4:00-5:30pm
Place: Beth Chayim, 1800 Holbrook Drive, Danville
Cost: $40, Materials Fee: $10
More information here
To register, contact the Beth Chayim office at admin@bethchaim.com
PJ Library Playdate
If you have a young kiddo in the Walnut Creek area, please join us at Small Talk Café for our PJ Library Playdate! (Facebook event)
Admission is 50% off for PJ Library subscribers — $6 for all day play — who are crawling and older. Pre-crawlers and adults are always free at Small Talk Café.
Date: Wednesday, August 17
Time: 9:15 – 11:30 am
Place: Small Talk Café, 1536 Newell Ave., Walnut Creek
(Please park across from Kaiser in the lot with the other shops)
Sponsored by Sprout, the Federation’s family initiative, designed to serve East Bay Jewish families
Got questions about Sprout? Contact Liora Brosbe, Youth and Family Concierge at 510-809-4914. She’s incredibly nice and wants to help.
5th Annual Tu B’Av Wine & Chocolate Oneg Shabbat
Co-sponsored by Beth Am Women and Beth Am Men
Come celebrate Tu B’Av, the Jewish Day of Love, with a wine and chocolate Oneg Shabbat under the trees. The 15th of Av is a post-Biblical holiday of joy and matchmaking, rejuvenated in modern Israel with singing and dancing beneath the full moon.
This service will include a D’var Torah by Nancy Federman, the new President of Beth Am Women; and we’ll welcome the new 2016-17 Beth Am Women Board as they receive a special blessing. Then stay for our popular Oneg Shabbat featuring fragrant wines and delectable chocolates.
Beth Am Women and Beth Am Men invite you to embrace the spirit of the festival of Tu B’Av. Whether you love someone special or just wine and chocolate, this community event is for you!
Date: Friday, August 19
Time: Immediately Following the Shabbat Service
Place: Beth Am, 26790 Arastradero Rd., Los Altos Hills – in our outdoor chapel
www.betham.org
Kesher Community Picnic!
Great activities, Sweet Prizes, Free Kosher Food, Fun for all ages!
This is a FREE Picnic and hosted by Kesher, the south Pen’s concierge for Jewish families and our Partner organizations.
Date: Sunday, Aug. 21
Time: 10:30am – 1:30pm
Place: Shoup Park, University Ave., Palo Alto
Info here
The Secrets of An Urban Farm: A Interactive Farm Tour
Join us for our monthly farm tour led by the farmers who make it thrive. We’ll share our secrets to soil fertility, plant propagation, growing food in water, and so much more. Tours include an exclusive meeting with the goats, chickens, bees and worms. Bring your sunhat and join us!
Farm tours are open to all. Children should be accompanied by an adult. Pre-registration is not required but we kindly ask you to register in advance if you can. We encourage you to stay for our community volunteer day (2:00-5:00 pm) immediately following the tour.
Like all events here on the farm, we ask that you bring a canned food item to contribute to our farm stand. Thanks for your support!
Date: Aug 21
Time: 12:45 pm – 1:45 pm
Place: Urban Adamah, 1050 Parker St. Berkeley
Sign up here
www.urbanadamah.org
Grief and Growing: A Healing Weekend for Bereaved Individuals and Families
This unique weekend is designed to help individuals and families attend to their losses and mourning in a comfortable setting. This weekend is the only one of its kind in the Jewish community, welcoming our diverse community. See Jewishhealingcenter.org for more information and a registration form. For financial aid, please call the Bay Area Jewish Healing Center at (415) 750-3436.
Date: August 26-28
Place: Camp Newman, Santa Rosa
www.jewishhealingcenter.org
Healing Prayers
For body, soul, mind and spirit
A Vision of Wellness: The Healing Power of Prayer
Many of us find music to be soothing and uplifting, particularly when we’re in need of healing. At this creative service, the soaring and soulful music and prayers led by Rabbi Dan Feder and Musical Accompanist Emily Pelc will be a spiritual healing balm.
Date: August 27
Time: 10:30 to 11:30am
Place: Peninsula Temple Sholom, 1655 Sebastian Drive, Burlingame
www.sholom.org
San Francisco Giants Jewish Heritage Night
It’s that time of the year again! Everyone is invited to join other members of the Bay Area Jewish community for San Francisco Giants Jewish Heritage Night.
Date: Tuesday, August 30
Game time: 7:15pm
Place: AT&T Park, San Francisco
Details on the Giants’ website here.