I’ve only gotten a couple of RSVPs to my November 9 field trip to Afikomen Judaica. Read some ideas of why you might enjoy coming below. Then if you are “sold” shoot me an email. If I don’t get critical mass, I’ll have to cancel.
What makes a home “Jewish”? This can be answered on so many levels, but today let’s look at the physical ones. How does one decorate, enhance, and embellish a home to display its identity as a Jewish home?
Mezuzah
Often the very first thing one sees that identities a house as Jewish, is the mezuzah on the doorpost. If you decide to hang one on your doorpost there is a brief blessing that is said. Also, there is a specific place relative to your door’s orientation that it is placed. Mezuzot (plural of mezuzah) may be hung on doorways inside your house as well. There are some very sweet ones that are particularly aimed at the bedroom doors of children.
Art
Once inside, there are typically immediate visual clues. Art can be Jewish because of the subject matter or the artist. I suggest browsing to find the colors and images that are pleasing to you. The non-Jewish partner should have a distinct say in what feels homey.
Books
As the daughter of a bookstore owner I can state that, “a home is not a home without books”. First, if there are children in your home, they need Jewish books so that they experience being seen in the world. PJ Library is a peerless program that sends an age appropriate book once a month to a child. Parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles can sign up a child. In most communities, like ours in the Bay Area, the books are free.
For adults, I believe you should have a siddur/prayer book that reflects your Jewish community – in other words, if you’re Conservative, have a Conservative prayer book. Be able to look things up at home.
Fiction? YES! Read books from different Jewish cultures so that you gain an understanding of how varied Jews around the world are. There are a number of terrific fantasies or magical realism novels available.
History, Jewish law, cookbooks, I could go on forever. Whatever your interest, find Jewish flavored books.
Holiday objects
I have a Passover Seder plate that isn’t a plate, it’s a Kearah (tray). It is so beautiful that I leave it out on display year round. I often see lovely hanukiah displayed as art in Jewish homes. There are truly endless beautiful objects that can serve as both art and function.
Lifecycle objects
How does your family define itself? Are you outdoorsy? Animal lovers? Social activists?
Animal lovers: NOAH’S ARK! Need I say more? I have a million ideas.
Social action: Get a Tzedakah box. Money helps, but a box will remind you to make gifts of love, time, and engagement. That could be volunteering to read to children, cleaning up our parks.
Family oriented: Every family member, as they reach the age of adulthood under Jewish law, 12 for girls, 13 for boys, could get their own Kiddish cup and/or Shabbat candlesticks, kippah, tallit, or jewelry. (My son wanted a BIG star of David necklace for his bar mitzvah.)
Nature lovers: Tu BiShvat – a hundred ways to love the earth and protect it. Make your own decorations. In fact, I’m so excited about my ideas that I hereby commit to a Tu Bishvat program on Feb. 1, 2026 – put that on your calendar!
Friends, I could go on, but there’s too much to say. If you have a particular question, email me (dawn@buildingjewishbridges.org).
P.S. There’s a huge benefit to occupants of the home in having their identity confirmed in their most intimate surroundings.
EVENTS
Exploring Judaism (Tiburon)
Building Bridges between Jews and Palestinians (San Rafael)
Recipes from the American South with Michael Twitty (San Francisco)
November Jewish Young Adult Happy Hour (Sunnyvale)
Gallery Tour and Meet the Artist: Chama Mechtaly (Foster City)
On Bob Dylan: with Dr. Stephen Daniel Arnoff (Tiburon)
Exploring Judaica for Your Home: A Fieldtrip (Berkeley)
The Golden State Valkyries Jewish Community Celebration (Berkeley)
Friendship Shabbat: The Orchard (Young Adult program in Los Altos Hills)
Life’s Biggest Questions, What Does Judaism Say? (San Rafael)
Hanukkah Party with Isaac Zones! (San Carlos)
Exploring Judaism
This seven-month course is a great opportunity for those who want to begin learning about Judaism, as well as those who are seeking to deepen their learning. This is also the course for anyone considering choosing Judaism as their spiritual path and home. It covers biblical and rabbinic texts, history and culture, holy days, festivals, Shabbat, Jewish concepts of God and ethics, life cycle, dietary laws and Israel. Drawn from the Miller Introduction to Judaism curriculum from American Jewish University, it is taught by our clergy.
Students who wish to take a single class by topic may do so. The first 30-minutes of the course is dedicated to learning to read Hebrew, while topical learning begins at 10:00am.
Dates: Begins Sunday, Nov. 2 to March, 29, 2026
Time: 9:30am to noon
Place: Kol Shofar, 215 Blackfield Drive, Tiburon
Tuition: Free for members. $275 18-week series or drop-in $20 per class for the community.
Register here
Building Bridges between Jews and Palestinians
with Dr. Yasmeen Abu Fraiha
Join our clergy in conversation with New Israel Fund board member and Harvard Kennedy School Fellow Dr. Abu Fraiha. As a Palestinian Bedouin doctor in Israel, she was a first responder who treated incoming victims of Hamas’ brutal attacks on October 7 and lost many colleagues, friends, and neighbors in Gaza. Hear her remarkable story and learn about her commitment to kindness and activism.
Please register below to attend this in-person event.
Date: Wednesday, November 5
Time: 7:00pm – 8:00pm
Place: Rodef Sholom, 170 North San Pedro Road, San Rafael
Register here
Recipes from the American South with Michael W. Twitty & Bryant Terry
Join acclaimed culinary historian and James Beard Award-winning author Michael W. Twitty and artist, chef, and publisher bryant terry for a powerful conversation about Twitty’s new book, Recipes from the American South. In this deeply personal and illuminating work, Twitty traces the roots and evolution of Southern cuisine – celebrating its joys, confronting its contradictions, and honoring its deep ties to Black history and identity.
Blending memoir, history, and irresistible recipes, Twitty invites us to see Southern food not just as comfort, but as a living archive of resilience and resistance. Join us for a wide-ranging conversation on foodways, faith, culture, and how what we eat shapes who we are.
Date: Wednesday, Nov. 5
Time: 7 to 8:30pm
Place: SF Jewish Community Center, 3200 California Street, San Francisco
Cost: $25, register here
For people in their 20s and 30’s
November Jewish Young Adult Happy Hour
Join ENGAJ and JYA for our monthly Jewish young adult happy hour! Geared toward Jewish 20s and 30s, we’re all about welcoming new friends, catching up with familiar faces, and strengthening our Jewish community! Interfaith couples are welcome. We’ll provide pitchers of beer, cider, and soda, plus bar snacks!
Date: Thursday, Nov 6
Time: 7:00 to 9:00pm
Place: Fuego Sports Bar and Club, 140 South Murphy Avenue, Sunnyvale
Cost: $5, register in advance on MeetUp here
Gallery Tour and Meet the Artist: Chama Mechtaly
Meet Chama Mechtaly, our esteemed artist and educator, over Moroccan tea, and explore exquisite jewelry from her startup, Moors & Saints, inspired by Moorish design and sacred architecture.
Step into the vibrant world of Moroccan-born artist, educator, and cultural strategist Chama Mechtaly. Join her for a guided tour of PJCC’s fall gallery exhibition, where she’ll share insights into her multimedia work that bridges heritage, identity, and resilience. Following the tour, stay to meet Chama in person.
Date: Thursday, November 6
Time: 1:30 pm – 2:15 pm
Place: Peninsula Jewish Community Center, 800 Foster City Blvd, Foster City
Free, no registration required
Details here
On Bob Dylan with Scholar-in-Residence Dr. Stephen Daniel Arnoff
A night of spirit, story, and song featuring Dr. Stephen Daniel Arnoff, CEO of the Fuchsberg Jerusalem Center and author of About Man and God and Law: The Spiritual Wisdom of Bob Dylan.
With musical support from members of the Friday Night Musical Kabbalat Shabbat Band, Stephen brings Bob Dylan’s spiritual depth into conversation with Jewish tradition, culture, and text—through live performance, reflection, and a touch of rock ‘n’ roll soul.
The evening celebrates two meaningful milestones:
Six women marking their adult B’not Mitzvah earlier that day
The vital work of the Fuchsberg Center, the Conservative Movement’s home for immersive learning in Jerusalem.
The night kicks off with dessert, wine, and maybe even a nod to Dylan’s own whiskey brand.
Date: Saturday, November 8
Time: 6:00 – 9:00pm
Place: Kol Shofar, 215 Blackfield Drive, Tiburon
Cost: $10/person, $18/couple
Register here
Exploring Judaica for Your Home: A Field Trip to Afikomen
Judaica definition: any object, artifact, or text related to Judaism, encompassing religious books, ceremonial items, artworks, and historical materials and covers a wide range of items from ancient manuscripts and Torah scrolls to modern pieces of jewelry and decorative art.
Join me for a tour of the Jewish store, Afikomen Judaica, in Berkeley. We’ll see items for weddings, Shabbat, holidays and life cycle events. The owner, Nell, will give a tour and then answer any questions you have.
We will have time to browse! Supervised children are welcome.
Date: November 9
Time: 2 to 3:30pm
Place: Afikomen Judaica, 3042 Claremont Ave, Berkeley
Free
RSVP by emailing dawn@buildingjewishbridges.org
The Golden State Valkyries Jewish Community Celebration
Let’s celebrate the amazing inaugural season of our favorite team. Join us for t-shirt and swag giveaways, Boichik Bagel bites, good times and more.
Free Event • All Ages Welcome
Wear your Valkyries fan merchandise!
Date: Sunday November 16
Time: 12:00pm-2:00pm
Place: Afikomen, 3042 Claremont Ave, Berkeley|
More info here
Community Presenters: Afikomen Judaica and Value Culture
Community Partner: Boichik Bagels
YOUNG ADULTS EVENT (You must be in your 20s or 30s to attend)
I am trying to find and share events aimed at young adults. It can be daunting to be a young couple dropped into a gathering of couples with teenagers and older. If you’re in graduate school or a new job, your schedule and lifestyle are distinctively different from families raising kids. Finding the latter circle is easy. Finding the young adult crowd is not.
Friendship Shabbat: The Orchard
As Thanksgiving approaches, gather with friends old and new to celebrate Shabbat with a festive Friendsgiving twist! Join other adults in their 20s and 30s for a warm evening of gratitude, good food, and community. The table will be full — all that’s missing is you. Bring your appetite and spirit of thanks as we welcome Shabbatsgiving together.
Date: Friday, November 21
Time: 7:30pm
Place: Beth Am, 26790 Arastradero Road, Los Altos Hills
Register here
Please note, Beth Am’s Young Adult program is called The Orchard and is run by Rabbi Nambi. If you are interested in speaking to her, she is very kind and accessible.
Life’s Biggest Questions, What Does Judaism Say?
What does Judaism say… about life after death, faith and doubt, and good and evil? Join us for a deep dive as Rabbi Stacy takes us through the profound and essential question that have guided human thought for centuries.
Each session will be a deep dive into one of these essential topics, giving us a space to explore and reflect. Sign up for one or join us for the whole series.
What Happens After I Die?
Can Faith and Doubt Co-Exist?
Why is There Evil in the World?
Dates: Thursdays, Dec. 4, 11, 18
Time: 7 to 8pm
Place: Rodef Sholom, 170 North San Pedro Road, San Rafael
Sign up here
Hanukkah Party with Isaac Zones!
Get ready for Hanukkah with themed activities and music with Isaac Zones at The Reading Bug! Co-sponsored by PJCC and PJ Library. This event is geared toward families with children 3-5 years old.
Date: Sunday, December 14
Time: 10:30-11:30 am
Place: The Reading Bug, 785 Laurel St, San Carlos
Free admission; advanced registration required.
Hosted by Wornick Jewish Day School, Peninsula Jewish Community Center and PJ Library.