Events
We look forward to seeing you!
Purim Carnival!
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Join us for a fun afternoon of activities for the whole family! Sunday, March 4, 2 – 5 PM |
| Photo by Yoel Ben-Avraham |
Celebrate this joyful Jewish costume holiday with carnival booths, a bouncy house, games, crafts, food, drinks, and fun!
- 2:30-4:30 PM - Instrument Petting Zoo!
- 3:30-4 PM - Purim for Preschoolers: Puppets, Songs and Stories for Young Children! With Mimi Greisman and Rabbi Bridget Wynne
- 4:00 PM - Show off your costume in our Costume Parade, then laugh at our interactive telling of the Purim story!
Where: Jewish Community Center of the East Bay, 1414 Walnut St., Berkeley
Admission: Canned food to donate. Tickets for carnival games are $1.
For more info: contact Rabbi Bridget Wynne at rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org or 510-410-0622.
Co-sponsored by Jewish Gateways, the Jewish Community Center of the East Bay, Building Jewish Bridges, Congregation Beth El of Berkeley, the Jewish Music Festival, and Tehiyah Day School.
Past Events
Hanukah Festival of Light and Isaac Zones Family Concert
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Join us for a fun day of activities for the whole family! Sunday, December 11, 10 am – 2 pm |
| Photo by Aaron Goldberg |
When: Sunday, Dec. 11, 10 am – 2 pm.
- 10 am: Hanukah crafts, raffle, "Ask A Rabbi," and food open.
- 10:15 - 10:45 am: Preschool Storytelling with Miriam Schwartz.
- 11 am - 12 noon: Family Hanukah Concert with Isaac Zones and Band.
- 12:15 - 12:45 pm: PJ Library Stories.
- 1:00 - 2:00 pm: JCC Preschool Mural Rededication.
- 2 pm: Hanukah crafts, raffle, "Ask a Rabbi," and food close.
Where: Jewish Community Center of the East Bay, 1414 Walnut St., Berkeley
For more info: contact Rabbi Bridget Wynne at rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org or 510-410-0622.
Suggested donation: $5/person + canned food donations
Co-sponsored by Jewish Gateways, the Center for Jewish Living & Learning/PJ Library, the Jewish Community Center of the East Bay, Building Jewish Bridges, and Tehiyah Day School.
Family Sukkot Celebration: the Jewish Harvest Festival!
Enjoy dinner outdoors under the sukkah, or harvest hut ... ... as we celebrate the holiday of Sukkot!
Friday, Oct. 14, 4:30 - 7:30
Join other families with children to decorate and celebrate in the sukkah.
All are welcome!
Our gathering will include holidays crafts for kids and for adults, dinner for all, wine and snacks for adults, singing, and a brief program about Sukkot with Rabbi Bridget Wynne.
When: Friday, October 14, 4:30 - 7:30pm
Where: Jewish Community Center of the East Bay, 1414 Walnut Street, Berkeley.
Feel free to invite friends who might be interested!:
How: Suggested donation of $5/person. Feel free to contact Rabbi Bridget at 510-410-0622 or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org for more information. The event is wheelchair accessible, and no one will be turned away for lack of funds.
As we enjoy our decorated outdoor shelter ... and go home to our houses ... we will collect donations for a local women's shelter for those without houses to go home to. Please bring new clothing or grooming items to donate:
• New undergarments for all ages and sizes (preschool-adult)
• Gently used outerwear for all ages (cleaned and washed)
• Toothpaste, toothbrushes, dental floss
• Diapers size 4, 5, or 6
Thank you!
Co-sponsored by Jewish Gateways and the Jewish Community Center of the East Bay.
Jewish Gateways High Holidays Services 2011
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No experience necessary. Free and open to the public. Services are engaging, inclusive, and primarily in English. We look forward to welcoming you, your family, and your friends! Led by Rabbi Bridget Wynne with warmth, creativity, and a commitment to addressing the big questions of life with openness and honesty . . . . . . and by Cantorial Soloist Angela Gold, who brings her beautiful voice and love of enabling people to connect through music. |
Erev Rosh Hashanah/Eve of the New Year: Wed., Sept. 28, 7:00 PM
Rosh Hashanah/New Year: Th., Sept. 29
- Special Family Service for parents and their children 11 years and younger: 9:30-10:00 AM
- Morning Service: 10:30 AM-12:30 PM
Erev Yom Kippur/Eve of the Day of Atonement: Fri., Oct. 7, 7:00 PM
Yom Kippur/Day of Atonement: Sat., Oct. 8
- Special Family Service for parents and their children 11 years and younger: 9:30-10:00 AM
- Morning Service: 10:30 AM-12:30 PM
- Healing Service 4:30-5:00 PM
- Yizkor/Memorial Service 5:00-5:30 PM
- Neila/Closing Service 5:30-6:00 PM
Where: Jewish Community Center of the East Bay, 1414 Walnut St., Berkeley. CLICK HERE for map. CLICK HERE for info on parking.
How: CLICK ABOVE to RSVP, or contact Rabbi Bridget at 510-410-0622 or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org for more information and to RSVP. Services are free, donations are appreciated.
Celebrate the Jewish New Year in a way that works for you!
Join us for Jewish Gateways free, no-experience-necessary High Holiday Services, or, if you prefer a synagogue service, we'll help you find the best match!
The New Year begins Sept. 28, 2011.
No experience necessary, free and open to the public. Services are primarily in English. We look forward to welcoming you, your family, and your friends.
When: Rosh Hashanah/New Year Services are on the evening of Wed., Sept. 28, and morning of Th., Sept. 29. Special Family Services on Sept. 29. Yom Kippur/Day of Atonement Services are on the evening of Fri., Oct. 7, and day of Sat., Oct. 8. Family Services on Oct. 8.
Where: Jewish Community Center of the East Bay, 1414 Walnut Street, Berkeley, CA 94709
How: Services are free and RSVP is requested. Donations are welcome. CLICK HERE for complete information and to RSVP, or contact Rabbi Bridget at 510-410-0622 or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org for more info.
CLICK HERE for more information and to reserve your spot.
Thinking of going to a service, but not sure where? Want to find holiday services where non-members are welcome? Jewish Gateways can help.
When: Rosh Hashanah (New Year) begins the evening of Wed., Sept. 28.
Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) begins the evening of Fri., Oct. 7.
Where: A variety of locations throughout the San Francisco Bay Area
How: Contact Rabbi Bridget at 510-410-0622 or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org as early as possible and tell her what you’re looking for! Besides helping you find the best match, we can get tickets for you if you'd like, and connect you with a family or individual at that synagogue to host you.
Apples & Honey: Family Celebration of the Jewish New Year!
Sunday, September 25.
3-5pm. FREE.
Join other families to taste apples and honey ...
and to learn about them from local farmers!
Enjoy Rosh Hashanah-themed arts and crafts ...
children's storytelling, yummy snacks, and more!
All are welcome!
Place: Jewish Community Center East Bay, Oakland Branch, 5811 Racine Street
Learn about the tradition of celebrating the new year with special sweet foods, hear the blast of the shofar (ram's horn), and explore fun ways to celebrate the holiday with your family!
For more info, contact Rabbi Bridget at 510-410-0622 or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org or Sam Young at 510-848-0237 ext. 148 or samy@jcceastbay.org.
Cosponsored by Jewish Gateways and Jewish Community Center East Bay.
Apple & Honey Tasting for a Sweet New Year, followed by Shabbat Dinner
Friday, September 16.
Taste apples and honey, offered in person by local farmers!
5:30-6:15pm. FREE.
Join us afterwards, if you'd like, for a delicious Community Shabbat Dinner.
6:15-8:30pm. Info below on how to reserve space.
All are welcome!
Place: Jewish Community Center East Bay, Berkeley Branch, 1414 Walnut Street
Sample, learn about, and have the opportunity to purchase a variety of local apples and honeys. These are traditional foods for welcoming the Jewish New Year, which begins on September 28.
The Community Shabbat Dinner that follows is a wonderful chance to relax, chat, and have someone else bring the food and watch the kids!
The meal is catered and vegetarian. Child supervision is provided by great staff from the JCC's After School Program. We will sing, light Shabbat candles, and then enjoy our dinner.
Reservations for dinner are requested by Thursday morning, September 15. Cost is $10 adults/$7 children in advance, $13 adults/$10 children at the door.
CLICK HERE to RSVP.
For more info, contact Rabbi Bridget at 510-410-0622 or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org or Sam Young at 510-848-0237 ext. 148 or samy@jcceastbay.org.
Cosponsored by Jewish Gateways and Jewish Community Center East Bay.
A Jewish Evening of Love
Welcoming singles and couples of all orientations, Jewish, non-Jewish, and everything in between!!
Join us Thurs., August 11, 7-9 PM
We'll celebrate the little-known Jewish holiday of love, called Tu B'Av, on a midsummer evening in our courtyard. Please join us for:
• “Dancing in the Vineyards: Sensual Poetry from Jewish Tradition”- Opening talk by Rabbi Andrea Berlin
• Enjoy champagne and chocolate
• Meet new people with easy icebreakers
• Israeli folk dancing - instruction included!
• Explore Jewish wedding traditions with a modern twist
• Renew your love, or receive a blessing for love, with Rabbi Bridget Wynne under the wedding canopy (chuppah)
• Compose your own arousing love letters
• Wood crafts
• Cupcake decorating
• Fun photo booth with LOVE-ly costumes
Must be 21 or older to participate.
Co-sponsored by Jewish Gateways, Building Jewish Bridges, and the Jewish Community Center of the East Bay.
When: Thursday, August 11, 7-9 PM
Where: Jewish Community Center of the East Bay, 1414 Walnut Street, Berkeley
FREE.
For more info: Contact Rabbi Bridget Wynne at 510-410-0622 or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org.
The Jewish All-Nighter!
Join us June 7th for free . . .
dawn-to-dusk . . .
celebrating, learning and snacking!
Join hundreds of adults, teens, and children for the original Jewish all-nighter! It is a dusk until dawn gathering that offers free learning with over 40 rabbis and Jewish teachers, plus snacks, musical prayer services, family programs, and room for napping if you wish!
No previous background is necessary, and all are welcome. Teachers range from secular to Orthodox, and will address Jewish topics of all sorts.
This annual event celebrates the Jewish holiday of Shavuot, which commemorates the Jewish people receiving the Torah. It is called a Tikkun Leyl Shavuot, meaning a gathering to learn and celebrate for the night of Shavuot. Jewish Gateways cosponsors this event, and Rabbi Bridget teaches one of the sessions.
TIME: Event begins at 6:45 PM with your choice of a Musical Shavuot Service or a Shavuot Family Program, followed by full schedule of learning sessions all night until dawn Wednesday! Rabbi Bridget teaches 10:25-11:10 PM. Special programs for children ages 2-5 years and kindergarten-2nd grade 7-8 PM, plus free childcare 8:30 PM-7 AM.
PLACE: Jewish Community Center of the East Bay, 1414 Walnut St., Berkeley
Snacks available, and a quiet room for napping -- bring sleeping bags and pillows if you want.
For more information, including a complete schedule for the event, please contact Rabbi Bridget at Jewish Gateways, (510) 559-8140, or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org.
Community Passover Seder - All are welcome!
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SORRY, THIS EVENT IS FULL. PLEASE JOIN OUR MAILING LIST TO HEAR ABOUT FUTURE EVENTS! Join us for this warm, lively, and interactive celebration! All are welcome, and no Jewish knowledge or experience is necessary. Monday, April 18, 7:30 – 9:30 PM |
| Photo by Josh Jackson |
Full Seder meal with chicken, matzah ball soup and wine. Vegetarian option available.
Led by Rabbi Bridget Wynne and guitarist and songleader Gerry Tenney.
Where: Jewish Community Center of the East Bay, 1414 Walnut St., Berkeley
RSVP required. Please call the JCC East Bay Front Desk at 510-848-0237.
$18.00 per child (13 and under)
$45.00 per adult or teen (14+)
$36.00 JCCEB member, senior & college student
**Volunteer discounts available on first come basis.
**Some subsidies are available. Contact Sam at samy@jcceastbay.org or 510-848-0237 x148.
Free childcare will be provided from 7-9:30 PM. The Community Seder will be preceded by a Seder for Families with Young Children. If you'd like to attend both Seders you may do so. The price of the Community Seder includes the Family Seder.
Sponsored by the Jewish Community Center of the East Bay.
Passover Seder for Families with Young Children
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SORRY, THIS EVENT IS FULL. PLEASE JOIN OUR MAILING LIST TO HEAR ABOUT FUTURE EVENTS! Join us for this fun evening! Monday, April 18, 5 – 7:30 PM |
| Photo by Karen Blumberg |
Especially for 2-7 year olds and their families, though younger and older children are also welcome.
No Jewish knowledge or experience necessary!
Led by Rabbi Bridget Wynne and guitarist and songleader Gerry Tenney.
The Seder will include a light, kid-friendly meal, served picnic style. Please bring a blanket or pillows to sit on! Vegetarian option available.
Where: Jewish Community Center of the East Bay, 1414 Walnut St., Berkeley
RSVP required. Please call the JCC East Bay Front Desk at 510-848-0237.
$9.00 per child (13 and under)
$18.00 per adult or teen (14+)
**Volunteer discounts available on first come basis.
**Some subsidies are available. Contact Sam at samy@jcceastbay.org or 510-848-0237 x148.
The Family Seder will be followed by a Community Seder. Free childcare will be provided from 7-9:30 PM. If you'd like to attend both Seders you may do so. The price of the Community Seder includes the Family Seder.
Sponsored by the Jewish Community Center of the East Bay.
Passover Celebration for Young Children!
SORRY, THIS EVENT IS FULL. PLEASE JOIN OUR MAILING LIST TO HEAR ABOUT FUTURE EVENTS!
Join other families with young children . . . and enjoy puppets, songs,
and holiday foods! Saturday, April 16, 4-5:30 PM
Join other families with young children to celebrate this exciting and joyful Jewish holiday. We'll hear how the ancient Israelites escaped from slavery in Egypt, we'll hop like the frogs who jumped all over Pharaoh, we'll sing about freedom, and enjoy special Passover foods.
Open to all children age 0-5 years and their grown-ups. No Jewish knowledge or experience necessary.
Our gathering will be led by wonderful early childhood specialist Mimi Greisman and Rabbi Bridget Wynne.
When: Saturday, April 16, 4-5:30 PM
Where: Jewish Gateways' cozy home, near El Cerrito Plaza and BART station just north of Berkeley
Who: Families with children 0-5. Feel free to invite friends who might be interested!
How: RSVP above, or contact Rabbi Bridget at 510-559-8140 or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org for info and to RSVP.
Free for first-time participants, $5 per family for return participants. No one will be turned away for lack of funds.
Passover "University" - All are welcome!
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Explore this exciting holiday! Learn to make yummy Passover foods ... discover the history behind the holiday ... experience the Passover story through music and drama ... learn holiday songs... create your own Passover Seder cup ... and more!
Join us for fun, free, hands-on Passover activities, for adults and for families. No Jewish experience or knowledge is necessary. Sunday, April 10, 10 AM – 1 PM |
| Photo by Michael Pieracci |
- 10 AM Snacks and getting started!
- 10:15-11:15 AM First Session of Passover activities
- 11:15-11:45 AM Bagel Brunch, with Fair Trade and Gift Shop Passover goods available for sale
- 11:45 AM-12:45 PM Second session of Passover activities
Where: Congregation Beth El, 1301 Oxford St., Berkeley
Free childcare with reservations by April 6. Drop-in childcare $5/child. To register for childcare contact Debra Massey at debra@bethelberkeley.org or 510-848-2122.
For more info contact Rabbi Bridget Wynne at rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org or 510-559-8140.
Co-sponsored by Jewish Gateways, Building Jewish Bridges, Wilderness Torah, PJ Library, Lehrhaus Judaica, Congregation Beth El, Congregation Netivot Shalom, and the Jewish Federation of the East Bay.
Workshop and Activity Schedule
*Indicates that these workshops are family-friendly and welcome all ages
Session One: 10:15 AM-11:15 AM
*Awakening to Spring-Led by Zelig Golden: Come outside with Zelig, Wilderness Torah Founding Co-Director, and discover how connecting the inner and outer landscapes during our spring festival can make your Passover celebration even more powerful!
The Deeper Meanings of Passover-Led by Rabbi Shalom Bochner: Passover is our most celebrated holiday and it many ways is the essence of a Jewish festival: rituals, family, and food. Passover contains some foundational aspects of Judaism that are often lost in the telling. In this workshop we'll examine the holiday, the seder, and the haggadah with a goal of creating meaningful rituals, stimulating seder discussions, and enhancing our understanding of the holiday of freedom and matzah.
The Midrash of the Four Children-Led by Rabbi Yoel Kahn: Who are the "four children" of the Passover Seder? Do the questions they ask match their "characters"? We will examine the midrashic origins of the four children of the Seder and their representation in Haggadahs over time and in our own Seders. (Texts in Hebrew and translation. Everyone welcome!)
*Seder Tunes-Led by Martha Birnbaum: Join Martha to learn some melodies that are sure to add zest to your Passover celebrations! We will be singing some of the Passover "basics" as well as ones that may not be so familiar.
Tips and Tricks to Making the Seder Fun for Everyone-Led by Dawn Kepler: Got hungry preschoolers and scholarly elders at your seder? How about Jews, Christians & Muslims? Bored teens and eager ten year olds? This is the workshop for you! We’ll offer many ways of engaging everyone at your table. We’ll also share an assortment of Haggadot (books for the seder) that you can peruse.
*Create your own Miriam’s Cup-Led by Sara Kupor: Elijah’s Cup has been on the table for generations, its now time to add the cup for Miriam. Join our art instructor as we paint our own cups and discuss the symbolism of the Miriam’s cup.
Session Two: 11:45 AM-12:45 PM
What Really Happened in the Exodus?-Led by Jehon Grist: The story of the Exodus is not just the basis of Passover; it's the birth moment of the Jewish People. But do we have any idea what really happened over 3000 years ago? In this richly illustrated presentation, we'll explore Biblical and other ancient texts, as well as archaeological discoveries in Egypt and Israel to shed at least some light on the mysteries of the Exodus.
Preparing for Passover-Led by Rabbi Dorothy Richman: What do you need to do to prepare yourself for Passover? Whether you are thinking about your kitchen or your heart, come for an interactive learning session with text study and lots of space for questions.
*Let my People GO!-Led by Oren Massey: A children’s exodus adventure that will take us to Live Oak Park to do some hiking, singing and acting. Please wear comfortable shoes for walking.
Life After Freedom?-Led by Rabbi Bridget Wynne: Passover is not the end of the story – it’s the beginning! What comes after the freedom we celebrate on Passover? Not only for our ancestors, but for us, too?
*Hands-On Sedering-Led by Elana Naftalin Kelman: Come experience the seder using all of your senses! We will be focusing on specific parts of the seder and learning how to make the seder more accessible and interactive for all ages!
The Four Fours of Passover-Led by Rabbi Yoel Kahn: Four Questions, Four Glasses, Four Children, Four Promises....Why are there so many fours in the Passover Seder? Where do the customs of Passover come from--and which are essential and which are not so important? Answers to these and all of your other questions along with ideas for how to make your Seder experience meaningful (and keep it moving along)...
*Healing Charoset-Led by Baruch Schwardon: Bring out the healing magic of charoset with chef Baruch Schwadron of PassionFoods! We will learn to make this magic mortar and explore healing herbs to celebrate freedom of our bodies, minds, souls, and most of all taste buds. Making mortar has never been so liberating!
Purim for Adults: the Jewish Mardi Gras!
Celebrate this wild and crazy holiday, with a stimulating evening of comedy, adult discussion, drinks, and dessert!
Join us Thursday, March 24, 7-9 PM
No Jewish experience or knowledge is necessary. We will gather at 7 PM for a brief and boisterous telling of the Purim story with Vietnamese Jewish comedian Joe Nguyen, then choose from among several exciting, interactive learning sessions:
Hidden Holiness: Unmasking the Spiritual Teachings of Purim, with Rabbi Bridget Wynne
Beyond the Mask, Beyond the Body: A Look at Gender From the Other Side, with Maggid Jhos Singer
Persian Treats: A Cooking Demonstration with Jewish native of Tehran, Niloufar Yadegar
Magic Behind the Mask: The Transformative Potential of Interfaith Relationships, with Dawn Kepler
After thought provoking conversations we’ll join together at 8:20 to share sweets and schnapps tasting, plus schmoozing (chatting)!
When: Thursday, March 24, 7-9 PM
Where: Jewish Community Center of the East Bay, 1414 Walnut Street, Berkeley
Who: All those 21 and over are welcome! No Jewish knowledge or experience is necessary.
FREE.
For more info: Contact Rabbi Bridget Wynne at 510-559-8140 or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org.
Co-sponsored by Jewish Gateways, the Jewish Community Center of the East Bay, Building Jewish Bridges, and JIMENA.
Purim for Preschoolers: Celebrate the Jewish Costume Holiday!
Puppets, stories,
... songs, costumes,
... and Purim treats!
Join us at 10:30 AM on Saturday, March 19
Join other families with young children to celebrate this silly and joyful Jewish holiday. We'll hear the Purim story of how brave Queen Esther saved the Jewish people, and celebrate our freedom by singing, eating Hamantaschen (holiday cookies) and dressing up in costumes.
Open to all children age 0-5 years and their grown-ups. No Jewish knowledge or experience necessary!
Our gathering will be led by wonderful early childhood specialist Mimi Greisman and Rabbi Bridget Wynne.
When: Saturday, March 19, 10:30 AM - noon
Where: Jewish Gateways' cozy home, near El Cerrito Plaza and BART station just north of Berkeley
Who: Families with children 0-5. Feel free to invite friends who might be interested!
How: RSVP above, or contact Rabbi Bridget at 510-559-8140 or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org for info and to RSVP.
Free for first-time participants, $5 per family for return participants. No one will be turned away for lack of funds.
A Jewish Celebration of Trees! for Young Children
Join other families with young children to celebrate trees . . . and enjoy puppets, songs, stories, and bagels!
Sun., Jan. 23, 10:30 AM - noon
Experience Tu B'Shevat, Jewish tradition's annual "birthday of the trees," and celebration of the environment.
Our gathering will be led by beloved early childhood specialist Mimi Greisman and Rabbi Bridget Wynne.
When: Sunday, January 23, 10:30 AM - noon
Where: Jewish Gateways' cozy home, near El Cerrito Plaza and BART station just north of Berkeley
Who: All children age 0-5 years and their grown-ups. No Jewish knowledge or experience necessary! Feel free to invite friends who might be interested.
Space is limited, so RSVP is requested.
How: Click above to RSVP, or contact Rabbi Bridget at 510-559-8140 or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org for more information and to RSVP.
Free for first-time participants, $5 per family for return participants. No one turned away for lack of funds.
Community Festival of Light & Elana Jagoda Family Concert!
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Join us for a fun, FREE day of activities for the whole family! Sunday, December 5, 10 AM – 2 PM |
| Photo by Michael Radwin |
When: Sun., Dec. 5, 10 AM – 2 PM.
- 10 AM Hanukah Celebration for Young Children: Puppets, Songs and Stories! With Mimi Greisman and Rabbi Bridget Wynne
- 10:30 AM Shalom Sesame Hanukah Episode: The Missing Menorah
- 12 noon Concert with Elana Jagoda (Hear her music here)
- Plus ongoing: Lots of latkes, Hanukah-themed art & craft projects, Story readings from PJ Library!
Where: Jewish Community Center of the East Bay, 1414 Walnut St., Berkeley
For more info: contact Rabbi Bridget Wynne at rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org or 510-559-8140.
Please bring: a new children's toy or game to donate to a local charity.
Co-sponsored by Jewish Gateways, the Center for Jewish Living & Learning/PJ Library, the Jewish Community Center of the East Bay, and Building Jewish Bridges.
Chanukah Celebration for Young Children!
Join other families with young children . . . for puppets, songs, stories, menorah lighting, and latkes!
Saturday, Dec. 4, 10:30 AM - noon
Enjoy sharing the holiday story and traditions. You'll leave with fun ideas for ways to celebrate Chanukah at home!
Our gathering will be led by beloved early childhood specialist Mimi Greisman and Rabbi Bridget Wynne.
When: Saturday, December 4, 10:30 AM - noon
Where: Jewish Gateways' cozy home, near El Cerrito Plaza and BART station just north of Berkeley
Who: All children age 0-5 years and their grown-ups. Feel free to invite friends who might be interested!
Space is limited, so early RSVP is recommended.
How: Click above to RSVP, or contact Rabbi Bridget at 510-559-8140 or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org, for more information and to RSVP.
Free for first-time participants, $5 per family for return participants. No one will be turned away for lack of funds.
Explore the Spirituality of Everyday Life
Discover mindful living . . .
through Jewish teachings . . .
honest conversation . . .
and experiential learning.
Join us for Ayeka (Where are you?): Mindful Jewish Living. No Jewish, Hebrew, or religious knowledge is necessary.
Facilitated by Rabbi Bridget Wynne, Ayeka offers participants a unique learning environment in which to explore their own paths of intellectual and spiritual engagement.
This seminar, which has been offered nationally, has literally changed lives. Jewish Gateways now has the opportunity to present it for the first time in the Bay Area.
"A Taste of Ayeka," the opening session, is offered free of charge and with no obligation to continue, Nov. 7, 7:30-9pm, at Jewish Gateways, 409 Liberty Street, El Cerrito. Registration is required.
Ayeka then continues as a ten-session course every other Sunday, with Thanksgiving and winter breaks: Nov 7 & 14, Dec 5, Jan 9 & 23, Feb 6 & 20, Mar 6 & 20, Apr 3. There is a $180 fee, which includes materials.
All are welcome! Feel free to pass the word to friends, colleagues, or family members who might be interested.
To register please click the Sign Up tab above, or contact Rabbi Bridget at Jewish Gateways, (510) 559-8140, or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org.
For more information about Ayeka's methods and international program, go to their website.
Chanukah for Adults
Tired of the kiddie games for Chanukah? Ready for adult discussion, drinks, and dessert?
Join us! Thursday, Dec. 2, 7 PM
Join us for an adult evening celebration of Chanukah. We'll gather at 7 PM for candle lighting. You are welcome to bring your own menorah and candles if you'd like.
At 7:15 we'll move into conversations. Pick from:
• Light in the Darkness: Mystical Understandings of Chanukah, with Rabbi Bridget Wynne
• Oil Vey! Chanukah Foods Around the World, with food columnist Faith Kramer
• Christmas in a Jewish Family, with Dawn Kepler, director of Building Jewish Bridges
• Oil: Miracle or Finite Resource? with Ron Feldman, lecturer in Jewish Studies
Afterwards we’ll come together at 8:20 for chocolate, port and schmoozing (chatting).
When: Thursday, December 2, 7 PM
Where: Jewish Community Center of the East Bay, 1414 Walnut Street, Berkeley
Who: All those 21 and over are welcome!
FREE.
For more info: Contact Rabbi Bridget Wynne at 510-559-8140 or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org.
Co-sponsored by Jewish Gateways, the Jewish Community Center of the East Bay, and Building Jewish Bridges.
Good Night: Making Bedtime Special with Jewish Songs and Stories
Join other families with young children
... to enjoy songs, puppets, stories,
... and snacks!
Saturday, Oct. 16, 10:30 AM - noon
Learn ways to enrich your family with Jewish-themed bedtime routines. You'll go home with resources so you can integrate these traditions into your family if you choose.
All are welcome!
Our gathering will be led by beloved early childhood specialist Mimi Greisman and Rabbi Bridget Wynne.
When: Saturday, Oct. 16, 10:30 AM - noon
Where: Jewish Gateways' cozy home, near El Cerrito Plaza and BART station just north of Berkeley
Who: Families with children 0-5. Feel free to invite friends who might be interested!
Space is limited, so RSVP is recommended.
How: Click above to RSVP, or contact Rabbi Bridget at 510-559-8140 or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org for more information and to RSVP. The event is free for first-time participants, and $5 per family for return participants. No one turned away for lack of funds.
Jewish Harvest Holiday Celebration for Young Children
Enjoy puppets, stories, ... songs and snacks, ... as we celebrate the Jewish harvest holiday of Sukkot!
Sunday, Sept. 26, 10:30 AM - noon.
Join other families with young children to decorate and celebrate in the outdoor harvest hut, called a "sukkah."
All are welcome!
Our gathering will be led by wonderful early childhood specialist Mimi Greisman and Rabbi Bridget Wynne.
When: Sunday, September 26, 10:30 AM - noon
Where: Jewish Gateways' cozy home, near El Cerrito Plaza and BART station just north of Berkeley
Who: Families with children 0-5. Feel free to invite friends who might be interested!
Space is limited, so early RSVP is recommended.
How: Click above to RSVP, or contact Rabbi Bridget at 510-559-8140 or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org for more information and to RSVP. The event is free for first-time participants, and $5 per family for return participants. No one turned away for lack of funds.
Jewish Gateways High Holiday Services 2010
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No experience necessary. Free and open to the public. Services are engaging, inclusive, and primarily in English. We look forward to welcoming you, your family, and your friends! Led by Rabbi Bridget Wynne with warmth, creativity, and a commitment to addressing the big questions of life with openness and honesty . . . . . . and by Cantorial Soloist Angela Gold, who brings her beautiful voice and love of enabling people to connect through music. |
Erev Rosh Hashanah/Eve of the New Year: Wed., Sept. 8, 7:00 PM
Rosh Hashanah/New Year: Th., Sept. 9
- Family Service for parents and their children 11 years and younger: 9:30-10:00 AM
- Morning Service: 10:30 AM-12:30 PM
Erev Yom Kippur/Eve of the Day of Atonement: Fri., Sept. 17, 7:00 PM
Yom Kippur/Day of Atonement: Sat., Sept. 18
- Family Service for parents and their children 11 years and younger: 9:30-10:00 AM
- Morning Service: 10:30 AM-12:30 PM
- Healing Service 4:30-5:00 PM
- Yizkor/Memorial Service 5:00-5:30 PM
- Neila/Closing Service 5:30-6:00 PM
Where: Jewish Community Center of the East Bay, 1414 Walnut St., Berkeley
How: Click the Sign up tab above to RSVP, or contact Rabbi Bridget at 510-559-8140 or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org for more information and to RSVP. Services are free, donations are appreciated.
Celebrate the Jewish New Year in a way that works for you!
Join us for Jewish Gateways free, no-experience-necessary High Holiday Services, or, if you prefer a synagogue service, we'll help you find the best match!
The New Year begins Sept. 8, 2010.
No experience necessary, free and open to the public. Services are primarily in English. We look forward to welcoming you, your family, and your friends.
When: Rosh Hashanah/New Year Services are on the evening of Wed., Sept. 8, and morning of Th., Sept. 9. Family Services on Sept. 9. Yom Kippur/Day of Atonement Services are on the evening of Fri., Sept. 17, and day of Sat., Sept. 18. Family Services on Sept. 18.
Where: Jewish Community Center of the East Bay, 1414 Walnut Street, Berkeley, CA 94709
How: Services are free and RSVP is requested. Donations are welcome. CLICK HERE for complete information and to RSVP, or contact Rabbi Bridget at 510-559-8140 or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org for more info.
CLICK HERE for more information and to reserve your spot.
Thinking of going to a service, but not sure where? Want to find holiday services where non-members are welcome? Jewish Gateways can help.
When: Rosh Hashanah (New Year) begins the evening of Wed., Sept. 8.
Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) begins the evening of Fri., Sept. 17.
Where: A variety of locations throughout the San Francisco Bay Area
How: Contact Rabbi Bridget at 510-559-8140 or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org as early as possible and tell her what you’re looking for! Besides helping you find the best match, we can get tickets for you if you'd like, and connect you with a family or individual at that synagogue to host you.
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Jewish New Year Celebration for Families with Young Children!
Join other families with young children . . . to celebrate with puppets and music, hear the blast of the shofar (ram's horn), and taste apples and honey for a sweet year!
Saturday, Sept. 4, 10:30 AM - noon
For children age 0-5 and their grown-ups.
Our gathering will be led by beloved early childhood specialist Mimi Greisman and Rabbi Bridget Wynne.
When: Saturday, Sept. 4, 10:30 AM - noon
Where: Jewish Gateways' cozy home, near El Cerrito Plaza and BART station just north of Berkeley.
Who: All are welcome. No experience necessary. Feel free to invite friends who might be interested!
Space is limited, so RSVP is requested.
How: Click above to RSVP, or contact Rabbi Bridget at 510-559-8140 or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org for more information and to RSVP.
FREE for first-time participants, $5 per family for return participants. No one turned away for lack of funds.
Chocolate Chip Challah!
Join other families
... with young children,
... for puppets, stories, songs,
... and to make and decorate a yummy Jewish treat!
10:30 AM on Sunday, July 25
ALL ARE WELCOME!
You'll go home with your own chocolate-chip challah, a special Shabbat bread, plus the recipe, and ideas for ways to make Shabbat special for your family.
Our gathering will be led by beloved early childhood specialist Mimi Greisman and Rabbi Bridget Wynne.
When: Sunday, July 25, 10:30 AM - noon
Where: Jewish Gateways' cozy home, near El Cerrito Plaza and BART station just north of Berkeley
Who: All families with children 0-5. Feel free to invite friends who might be interested!
How: RSVP above, or contact Rabbi Bridget at 510-559-8140 or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org for info and to RSVP.
The event is free for first-time participants, and $5 per family for return participants. No one will be turned away for lack of funds.
Family Pajama Party!
Join other families with young children to enjoy puppets,
... stories, songs, a bagel brunch,
... and a Jewish welcome to the new week!
Join us at 10:30 AM on Sunday, June 13
Keep your PJs on, and feel free to bring a blanky or favorite stuffed animal so we can be cozy!
Besides puppets, songs, and stories, we'll enjoy the brief and beautiful Jewish ritual for beginning the week by smelling sweet spices, watching a braided candle burn, and wishing one another a good week.
Our gathering will be led by beloved early childhood specialist Mimi Greisman and Rabbi Bridget Wynne.
When: Sunday, June 13, 10:30 AM - noon
Where: Jewish Gateways' cozy home, near El Cerrito Plaza and BART station just north of Berkeley
Who: All families with children 0-5. Feel free to invite friends who might be interested!
Space is limited, so RSVP is required.
How: RSVP above, or contact Rabbi Bridget at 510-559-8140 or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org for info and to RSVP.
The event is free for first-time participants, and $5 per family for return participants. No one will be turned away for lack of funds.
The Jewish All-Nighter!
Join us May 18th for free . . .
dawn-to-dusk . . .
learning and snacking!
Join hundreds of adults, teens, and children for the original Jewish all-nighter! It is a dusk until dawn gathering that offers free learning with over 40 rabbis and Jewish teachers, plus snacks, musical prayer services, and room for napping if you wish!
No previous background is necessary, and all are welcome. Teachers range from secular to Orthodox, and will address Jewish topics of all sorts.
This annual event celebrates the Jewish holiday of Shavuot, which commemorates the Jewish people receiving the Torah. It is called a Tikkun Leyl Shavuot, meaning a gathering to learn and celebrate for the night of Shavuot. Jewish Gateways cosponsors this event, and Rabbi Bridget teaches one of the sessions.
TIME: Event begins at 6:30 PM with a Musical Shavuot Service, followed by full schedule of learning sessions all night until dawn Wednesday! Rabbi Bridget teaches 11:15 PM-midnight. Special program for children 6:30-8 PM, plus free childcare 8 PM-7 AM.
PLACE: Jewish Community Center of the East Bay, 1414 Walnut St., Berkeley
Snacks available, and a quiet room for napping -- bring sleeping bags and pillows if you want.
For more information, including a complete schedule for the event, please contact Rabbi Bridget at Jewish Gateways, (510) 559-8140, or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org.
Wonderful World: A Jewish Exploration of Nature for Families with Young Children
Join other families with young children . . . to explore the outdoors together!
Saturday, May 15, 10:30 AM - noon
Pick lemons from our tree and make lemonade, dance like a butterfly, paint your own picture of the world to take home, and enjoy yummy snacks, and Jewish stories and songs about caring for the earth.
Our gathering will be led by beloved early childhood specialist Mimi Greisman and Rabbi Bridget Wynne.
When: Saturday, May 15, 10:30 AM - noon
Where: The back yard of Jewish Gateways' cozy home, near El Cerrito Plaza and BART station just north of Berkeley.
Who: All children age 0-5 years and their grown-ups . . . whether you're Jewish or just curious. Feel free to invite friends who might be interested!
Space is limited, RSVP is required.
How: Click above to RSVP, or contact Rabbi Bridget at 510-559-8140 or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org for more information and to RSVP.
Free for first-time participants, $5 per family for return participants. No one turned away for lack of funds.
What is Jewish Mysticism?
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Is spirituality basic to Judaism?
How about Kabbalah,
. . . meditation,
. . . or finding God within?
Join us to explore these questions Friday, April 30.
We will share a delicious, no-experience-necessary
Shabbat dinner, eat, laugh, and learn.
All are welcome.
Time: 6:15 PM
Place: Jewish Gateways' cozy home near El Cerrito Plaza and BART station, just north of Berkeley
Childcare: free by reservation
After gathering at 6:15, we'll continue with:
6:30 - Candle lighting and dinner
7:30 - Rabbi Bridget Wynne will lead a lively interactive introduction to Jewish mysticism
8:30 - Dessert and schmoozing (time to hang out and chat)
Space is limited, so RSVP is required.
Click above to RSVP, or contact Rabbi Bridget at 510-559-8140 or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org for info and to RSVP.
First-time participants, please bring a potluck dish to share or contribute $7 towards dinner. Return participants, please bring a potluck dish and a contribution of $5 towards dinner, or contribute $10 towards dinner. No one turned away for lack of funds.
Family Shabbat Fun!
Join other families with young children
. . . for a fun family project.
Make and take home a decorated cover
. . . for challah, the yummy Shabbat bread.
When: Saturday, April 24, 10:30 AM - noon
We'll also enjoy songs, puppets, and stories, and explore ways to make Shabbat into fun and meaningful family time.
Open to all children age 0-5 years and their grown-ups . . . whether you're Jewish or just curious.
Our gathering will be led by wonderful early childhood specialist Mimi Greisman and Rabbi Bridget Wynne.
When: Saturday, April 24, 10:30 AM - noon
Where: Jewish Gateways' cozy home, near El Cerrito Plaza and BART station just north of Berkeley
Who: Families with children 0-5. Feel free to invite friends who might be interested!
How: Click above to RSVP, or contact Rabbi Bridget at rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org or 510-559-8140 for more information and to RSVP. The event is free for first-time participants, and $5 per family for return participants. No one will be turned away for lack of funds.
Passover Celebration for Young Children
Hear the Passover story,
... and enjoy puppets, songs,
... and holiday treats!
Join us on Saturday, March 27, 10:30 AM - noon.
Join other families with young children to get ready to celebrate this exciting and joyful Jewish holiday. We'll hear the story of how the ancient Israelites escaped from slavery in Egypt, we'll hop like the frogs who jumped all over Pharaoh, we'll sing about freedom, and taste special Passover foods.
Open to all children age 0-5 years and their grown-ups... whether you're Jewish or just curious.
Our gathering will be led by wonderful early childhood specialist Mimi Greisman and Rabbi Bridget Wynne.
When: Saturday, March 27, 10:30 AM - noon
Where: Jewish Gateways' cozy home, near El Cerrito Plaza and BART station just north of Berkeley
Who: Families with children 0-5. Feel free to invite friends who might be interested!
How: Click above to RSVP, or contact Rabbi Bridget at 510-559-8140 or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org for info and to RSVP.
A Taste of Freedom!
Join us March 19 for pre-Passover
tasting and teaching!
Photo by Suzie T
Passover begins on the evening of March 29. In preparation, we will share a no-experience-necessary Shabbat dinner that includes favorite Passover foods. We'll explore their meanings, and send you home with recipes!
All are welcome.
Date:Friday, March 19
Time:6:15 PM
Place:Jewish Gateways' cozy home near El Cerrito Plaza and BART station
Childcare:free by reservation
After gathering at 6:15, we'll continue with:
6:30 - Candle lighting and dinner, during which we'll explore the meanings of Passover foods in lively and interactive discussions with Rabbi Bridget
8:30 - Dessert and schmoozing (time to hang out and chat)
Space is limited, so RSVP is required.
Click above to RSVP, or contact Rabbi Bridget at 510-559-8140 or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org for info and to RSVP.
First-time participants, please bring a potluck dish to share or contribute $7 towards dinner. Return participants, please bring a potluck dish and a contribution of $5 towards dinner, or contribute $10 towards dinner.
Looking for a Passover Seder? Rabbi Bridget welcomes your call or email and will be glad to help you find the best match.
Purim Carnival!
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Join us for a fun, free afternoon of activities for the whole family! Sunday, February 28, 2 – 5 PM |
| Photo by Yoel Ben-Avraham |
Enjoy this Jewish costume holiday, a silly and joyful celebration of how Queen Esther saved the Jewish people.
- 2-3 PM Purim Puppets, Songs and Stories for Young Children! With Mimi Greisman and Rabbi Bridget Wynne
- 2-4:30 PM Carnival booths, jump house, games, prizes, face painting, magician, and holiday arts & crafts!
- 4:30-5 PM Show off your costume in our Costume Parade, then laugh at our interactive telling of the Purim story!
Where: Jewish Community Center of the East Bay, 1414 Walnut St., Berkeley
For more info: contact Rabbi Bridget Wynne at rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org or 510-559-8140.
Co-sponsored by the Jewish Community Center of the East Bay, Jewish Gateways, and Congregation Beth El of Berkeley.
Celebration of Purim, the Jewish Costume Holiday, for Young Children!
Puppets, stories,
... songs, costumes,
... and Purim treats!
Join us at 10:30 AM on Saturday, February 27
Join other families with young children to celebrate this silly and joyful Jewish holiday. We'll hear the Purim story of how brave Queen Esther saved the Jewish people, and we'll celebrate our freedom by singing, eating Hamantaschen (holiday cookies) and dressing up in costumes.
Open to all children age 0-5 years and their grown-ups... whether you're Jewish or just curious.
Our gathering will be led by wonderful early childhood specialist Mimi Greisman and Rabbi Bridget Wynne.
When: Saturday, February 27, 10:30 AM - noon
Where: Jewish Gateways' cozy home, near El Cerrito Plaza and BART station just north of Berkeley
Who: Families with children 0-5. Feel free to invite friends who might be interested!
How: RSVP above, or contact Rabbi Bridget at 510-559-8140 or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org for info and to RSVP.
What is Jewish Spirituality?
How can it help us to . . . enrich our lives, and . . . connect with the divine?
Join us to explore these questions, and to enjoy a no-experience-necessary Shabbat dinner.
All are welcome!
When: Friday, February 19, 6:15 PM
Where: Jewish Gateways' cozy home, near El Cerrito Plaza and BART station just north of Berkeley
Childcare: Free by reservation
After gathering at 6:15, we'll continue with:
6:30 - Candle lighting and dinner
7:30 - Rabbi Bridget Wynne will lead a lively interactive teaching on Jewish spirituality
8:30 - Dessert and schmoozing (time to hang out and chat)
Space is limited, RSVP is required.
How: Click above to RSVP, or contact Rabbi Bridget at 510-559-8140 or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org for more information and to RSVP.
First-time participants, please bring a potluck dish to share or contribute $7 towards dinner. Return participants, please bring a potluck dish and a contribution of $5 towards dinner, or contribute $10 towards dinner.
What Makes Someone a Jew?
Who your parents are? What you believe? What you do?
Fri., Jan. 15, 6:15 PM
Or is the answer more complicated?
Join us to explore these questions, and how they apply to us! And, enjoy a no-experience-necessary Shabbat dinner.
All are welcome!
When: Friday, January 15, 6:15 PM
Where: Jewish Gateways' cozy home, near El Cerrito Plaza and BART station just north of Berkeley
Childcare: Free by reservation
Space is limited, RSVP is required.
How: Click above to RSVP, or contact Rabbi Bridget at 510-559-8140 or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org for more information and to RSVP.
First-time participants, please bring a potluck dish to share or contribute $7 towards dinner. Return participants, please bring a potluck dish and a contribution of $5 towards dinner, or contribute $10 towards dinner.
A Jewish Celebration of Trees, for Young Children & Those Who Love Them
Join other families with young children . . . to enjoy puppets, songs, stories, and bagels!
Sun., Jan. 10, 10:30 AM - noon
Experience Tu B'Shevat, Jewish tradition's annual birthday of the trees and celebration of the environment.
Our gathering will be led by beloved early childhood specialist Mimi Greisman and Rabbi Bridget Wynne.
When: Sunday, January 10, 10:30 AM - noon
Where: Jewish Gateways' cozy home, near El Cerrito Plaza and BART station just north of Berkeley
Who: All children age 0-5 years and their grown-ups . . . whether you're Jewish or just curious. Feel free to invite friends who might be interested!
Space is limited, RSVP is required.
How: Click above to RSVP, or contact Rabbi Bridget at 510-559-8140 or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org for more information and to RSVP.
Free for first-time participants, $5 per family for return participants. No one turned away for lack of funds.
Hanukah Celebration for Young Children!
Join other families with young children . . . for puppets, songs, stories, menorah lighting, and latkes!
Sat., Dec. 19, 10:30 AM - noon
Share the holiday story and traditions. You'll leave with ideas about how to celebrate Hanukah at home.
Our gathering will be led by beloved early childhood specialist Mimi Greisman and Rabbi Bridget Wynne.
When: Saturday, December 19, 10:30 AM - noon
Where: Jewish Gateways' cozy home, near El Cerrito Plaza and BART station just north of Berkeley
Who: All children age 0-5 years and their grown-ups . . . whether you're Jewish or just curious. Feel free to invite friends who might be interested!
Space is limited, so early RSVP is recommended.
How: Click above to RSVP, or contact Rabbi Bridget at 510-559-8140 or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org for more information and to RSVP.
Free for first-time participants, $5 per family for return participants. No one turned away for lack of funds.
Not Jewish Enough? Hanukah Sheds New Light on This Question!
Who is "Jewish enough"?
Who is "too Jewish"?
And who decides?
Friday, December 18, 6:15pm
Like us, the Jews of 2,000 years ago struggled to draw the boundaries between Jewish and not Jewish, between being distinctively Jewish vs. assimilating into an attractive and welcoming mainstream culture. That's what the story of Hanukah is about.
Join us to explore our identities, Jewish, not Jewish, part Jewish, or not sure, in light of the Hanukah story, and to enjoy a delicious, no-experience-necessary Shabbat dinner, on Friday, December 18.
All are welcome!
Time: 6:15 PM
Place: Jewish Gateways' cozy home near El Cerrito Plaza and BART station
Childcare: free by reservation
After gathering at 6:15, we'll continue with:
6:30 - Candle lighting and dinner
7:30 - Rabbi Bridget leads a lively discussion about Jewish identity
8:15 - Dessert and schmoozing (time to hang out and chat)
For more info or to RSVP: please contact Rabbi Bridget Wynne at rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org or 510-559-8140, or just click above to make a reservation. First-time participants, please bring a potluck dish to share or contribute $7 towards dinner. Return participants, please bring a potluck dish and a contribution of $5 towards dinner, or contribute $10 towards dinner.
Community Celebration of Light: Making Hanukah Meaningful
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Join us for a fun, free day of activities for the whole family! Sunday, December 13, 10 AM – 4 PM |
| Photo by Marc Levin |
When: Sun., Dec. 13, 10 AM – 4 PM.
- 10 AM Hanukah Celebration for Young Children: Puppets, Music, Songs and Stories! With Mimi Greisman and Rabbi Bridget Wynne
- 11 AM Concert with Elana Jagoda (Hear her music here)
- 12 noon Latke Lunch
- 12:30 PM PJ Library Storytime, Family Community Service Activity, Arts & Crafts, and More!
- 1:45 PM Menorah Lighting Led by Rabbi Bridget Wynne and East Bay Holocaust Survivors Group
- 2-4 PM Community Dance Party with Live Band!
Where: Jewish Community Center of the East Bay, 1414 Walnut St., Berkeley
For more info: contact Rabbi Bridget Wynne at rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org or 510-559-8140.
Please bring: non-perishable food items, books for ages 3-18, and toiletries to donate to local charities.
Co-sponsored by the Jewish Community Center of the East Bay, Jewish Gateways, and PJ Library.
The Wonder of Everyday: Creating Jewish Home Traditions for Young Children
Join other families with young children . . . to enjoy puppets, songs, and stories . . . and explore how to create your own Jewish home traditions.
Sat., Nov. 21, 10:30 AM - noon.
Open to all children age 0-5 years and their grown-ups . . . whether you're Jewish or just curious.
Our gathering will be led by beloved early childhood specialist Mimi Greisman and Rabbi Bridget Wynne.
When: Saturday, November 21, 10:30 AM - noon
Where: Jewish Gateways' cozy home, near El Cerrito Plaza and BART station just north of Berkeley
Who: Families with children 0-5. Feel free to invite friends who might be interested!
Space is limited, so early RSVP is recommended.
How: Click above to RSVP, or contact Rabbi Bridget at 510-559-8140 or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org for more information and to RSVP. The event is free for first-time participants, and $5 per family for return participants. No one turned away for lack of funds.
Radical Gratitude: Jewish Wisdom on Everyday Thankfulness
Sometimes our hearts well up with gratitude...
but usually this heightened sense doesn't last.
Jewish tradition offers us spiritual practices that can make gratitude -- and the joy it brings -- part of our everyday lives.
Join us to explore radical gratitude, and to enjoy a delicious, no-experience-necessary Shabbat dinner, on Friday, November 13!
All are welcome.
Time: 6:15 PM
Place: Jewish Gateways' cozy home near El Cerrito Plaza and BART station
Childcare: free by reservation
After gathering at 6:15, we'll continue with:
6:30 - Candle lighting and dinner
7:30 - Rabbi Bridget leads a lively discussion about Jewish wisdom on cultivating gratitude in everyday life
8:15 - Dessert and schmoozing (time to hang out and chat)
A Jewish Holiday That's Like Decorating a Christmas Tree?
Yes. Ornaments hanging from branches,
... fragrant leaves,
... sparkly lights,
-- it's... Sukkot!
All are welcome.
Sukkot honors the fall harvest, and the ancient Jews who lived in makeshift huts as they wandered in the desert. The tradition is to build a hut outdoors called a sukkah, and to decorate it with ornaments, paper chains, gourds, strings of lights, branches, and whatever else you want.
It's traditional to eat in the sukkah, and even to sleep in it.
Join us in our Sukkah!
Time: 6:15 PM
Place: Jewish Gateways' cozy home near El Cerrito Plaza and BART station
Childcare: free by reservation
After gathering at 6:15, we'll continue with:
6:30 - Candle lighting and dinner
7:30 - Rabbi Bridget leads a lively discussion about this fun and often-overlooked holiday
8:15 - Dessert and schmoozing (time to hang out and chat)
Please contact Rabbi Bridget Wynne at Jewish Gateways, (510) 559-8140, or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org, for more information, or just click above to make a reservation. First-time participants, please bring a potluck dish to share or contribute $7 towards dinner. Return participants, please bring a potluck dish and a contribution of $5 towards dinner, or contribute $10 towards dinner.
Jewish Harvest Holiday Celebration for Young Children
Enjoy puppets, stories, ... songs and snacks, ... as we celebrate the Jewish harvest holiday of Sukkot!
Sunday, October 4, 10:30 AM - noon.
Join other families with young children to decorate and celebrate in the outdoor harvest hut, called a "sukkah." We’ll sing together and listen to wonderful PJ Library Sukkot stories.
Open to all children age 0-6 years and their grown-ups . . . whether you're Jewish or just curious. Feel free to invite friends who might be interested!
Our gathering will be led by wonderful early childhood specialist Mimi Greisman and Rabbi Bridget Wynne.
When: Sunday, October 4, 10:30 AM - noon
Where: Jewish Gateways' cozy home, near El Cerrito Plaza and BART station just north of Berkeley
Who: Families with children 0-5. Feel free to invite friends who might be interested!
Space is limited, so early RSVP is recommended.
How: Click above to RSVP, or contact Rabbi Bridget at 510-559-8140 or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org for more information and to RSVP. The event is free for first-time participants, and $5 per family for return participants. No one turned away for lack of funds.
Cosponsored by Jewish Gateways, and by PJ Library, a wonderful program that sends free, Jewish-themed books to families with young children. More info here.
Gathering for Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement: Return/Reflect/Remember
On Yom Kippur, Jewish tradition invites us to reflect. Where are our lives going? How are we spending our precious time?
We will explore these questions through learning, discussion, song, and time for introspection, and take time to remember those we have lost.
No experience with Jewish ritual is necessary. All are welcome!
Childcare available free by reservation.
When: Sun., Sept. 27, 12-3 pm
Where: Jewish Gateways' cozy home, near El Cerrito Plaza and BART station just north of Berkeley
How: Space is limited, so early RSVP is recommended. $5/person. No one turned away for lack of funds. Click above to RSVP, or contact Rabbi Bridget at 510-559-8140 or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org for info and to RSVP.
Celebrate the New Year: No-Experience-Necessary Rosh Hashanah Seder
Want to learn more about the Jewish New Year holidays in a homey environment? Celebrate informally with food, song, and interactive learning at a Rosh Hashanah Seder.
Yes, like the Passover Seder, there is a traditional New Year Seder! Share a festive meal and explore how the holiday can speak to you personally.
Childcare available free by reservation.
When: Fri., Sept. 18, 6 pm
Where: Jewish Gateways' cozy home, near El Cerrito Plaza and BART station just north of Berkeley
How: Space is limited, so early RSVP is recommended. We'll ask you to bring a potluck dish to share. If your schedule doesn't allow this, we offer you the option of contributing $10 toward the dinner. Click above to RSVP, or contact Rabbi Bridget at 510-559-8140 or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org for more info.
New Year Celebration for Families with Young Children!
Join other families
with young children
to welcome a happy New Year.
Celebrate with puppets and music,
hear the blast of the shofar,
taste apples and honey for a sweet year.
For children age 0-5 years and their grown-ups.
All are welcome!
When: Sun., Sept. 13, 10:30 am-noon
Where: Jewish Gateways' cozy home, near El Cerrito Plaza and BART station just north of Berkeley
How: Space is limited, so RSVP is required, and early RSVP is recommended. $5/family. No one turned away for lack of funds. Click above to RSVP, or contact Rabbi Bridget at 510-559-8140 or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org for more info.
Family Shabbat Fun!
Join other families with young children
. . . for a fun family project.
Make and take home a decorated cover
. . . for challah, the yummy Shabbat bread.
When: Saturday, August 8, 10:30 AM - noon
We'll also enjoy songs, puppets, and stories, and share ideas about ways Shabbat can offer you fun and meaningful family time.
Open to all children age 0-5 years and their grown-ups . . . whether you're Jewish or just curious.
Our gathering will be led by wonderful early childhood specialist Mimi Greisman and Rabbi Bridget Wynne.
When: Saturday, August 8, 10:30 AM - noon
Where: Jewish Gateways' cozy home, near El Cerrito Plaza and BART station just north of Berkeley
Who: Families with children 0-5. Feel free to invite friends who might be interested!
How: Click above to RSVP, or contact Rabbi Bridget at rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org or 510-559-8140 for info and to RSVP.
Chocolate Chip Challah!
Join other families with young children
... to decorate, bake,
... and take home your own challah
-- a yummy treat for Shabbat!
Saturday, July 18, 10:30 AM - noon
We'll also enjoy songs, puppets, and stories. You'll leave with ideas about how to make Shabbat -- the Jewish Sabbath -- a special time for your family.
Open to all children age 0-5 years and their grown-ups... whether you're Jewish or just curious.
Our gathering will be led by wonderful early childhood specialist Mimi Greisman and Rabbi Bridget Wynne.
When: Saturday, July 18, 10:30 AM - noon
Where: Jewish Gateways' cozy home, near El Cerrito Plaza and BART station just north of Berkeley
Who: Families with children 0-5. Feel free to invite friends who might be interested!
Space is limited, so RSVP is required.
How: Contact Rabbi Bridget at 510-559-8140 or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org for more information and to RSVP. The event is free for first-time participants, and $5 per family for return participants. No one will be turned away for lack of funds.
What is Jewish Spirituality?
How can it help us to
... connect with the divine,
... gain inspiration,
... and enrich our inner lives?
Join us to explore these questions, and to enjoy a no-experience-necessary Shabbat dinner.
All are welcome!
Date: Friday, June 26, 2009
Time: 6:15 PM
Place: Private home in Oakland's Lake Merritt area
Childcare is free by reservation.
After gathering at 6:15, we'll continue with:
6:30 - Candle lighting and dinner
7:30 - Rabbi Bridget Wynne will lead a lively interactive teaching on Jewish spirituality
8:30 - Dessert and schmoozing (time to hang out and chat)
Space is limited, so RSVP is required.
Please contact Rabbi Bridget Wynne at Jewish Gateways, (510) 559-8140, or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org, for more information, directions, and reservations. First-time participants, please bring a potluck dish to share or contribute $7 towards dinner. Return participants, please bring a potluck dish and a contribution of $5 towards dinner, or contribute $10 towards dinner.
Good Morning, Good Night: Making Bedtime and Morning Time Special with Jewish Songs & Stories
Join other families with young children
... to enjoy songs, puppets, stories,
... and snacks!
Saturday, June 20, 10:30 AM - noon
Learn ways to enrich your family with Jewish-themed bedtime and morning-time routines. You'll go home with resources so you can integrate these traditions into your family if you choose.
Open to all children age 0-5 years and their grown-ups... whether you're Jewish or just curious.
Our gathering will be led by wonderful early childhood specialist Mimi Greisman and Rabbi Bridget Wynne.
When: Saturday, June 20, 10:30 AM - noon
Where: Jewish Gateways' cozy home, near El Cerrito Plaza and BART station just north of Berkeley
Who: Families with children 0-5. Feel free to invite friends who might be interested!
Space is limited, so RSVP is required.
How: Contact Rabbi Bridget at 510-559-8140 or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org for more information and to RSVP. The event is free for first-time participants, and $5 per family for return participants. No one will be turned away for lack of funds.
Shabbat Celebration for Young Children
Enjoy songs, puppets,
... stories,
... and snacks!
Join us on Saturday, May 16, 10:30 AM - noon.
Join other families with young children to share this weekly Jewish holiday of joy and renewal.
Open to all children age 0-5 years and their grown-ups... whether you're Jewish or just curious.
Our gathering will be led by wonderful early childhood specialist Mimi Greisman and Rabbi Bridget Wynne.
When: Saturday, May 16, 10:30 AM - noon
Where: Jewish Gateways' cozy home, near El Cerrito Plaza and BART station just north of Berkeley
Who: Families with children 0-5. Feel free to invite friends who might be interested!
Space is limited, so RSVP is required.
How: Contact Rabbi Bridget at 510-559-8140 or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org for more information and to RSVP. The event is free for first-time participants, and $5 per family for return participants. No one will be turned away for lack of funds.
Why Be Jewish?
Can Jewish identity and connection enrich our lives?
If so, how?
What does this spiritual path, community, and way of life have to offer?
Join us to explore these questions, and to enjoy a no-experience-necessary Shabbat dinner.
All are welcome, whether you're Jewish or just curious!
Date: Friday, May 15, 2009
Time: 6:15 PM
Place: Jewish Gateways' cozy home near El Cerrito Plaza and BART station
Childcare is free by reservation.
After gathering at 6:15, we'll continue with:
6:30 - Candle lighting and dinner
7:30 - Rabbi Bridget Wynne will lead a lively interactive teaching on why one might choose to be Jewish
8:30 - Dessert and schmoozing (time to hang out and chat)
Space is limited, so RSVP is required.
Please contact Rabbi Bridget Wynne at Jewish Gateways, (510) 559-8140, or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org, for more information and to make a reservation. First-time participants, please bring a potluck dish to share or contribute $7 towards dinner. Return participants, please bring a potluck dish and a contribution of $5 towards dinner, or contribute $10 towards dinner.
Passover Celebration for Young Children *** Sorry, this event is now full - please join our mailing list.
Hear the Passover story,
... and enjoy puppets, songs,
... and holiday treats!
Join us on Saturday, April 4, 10:30 AM - noon.
Join other families with young children to get ready to celebrate this exciting and joyful Jewish holiday. We'll hear the story of how the ancient Israelites escaped from slavery in Egypt, we'll hop like the frogs who jumped all over Pharaoh, we'll sing about freedom, and taste special Passover foods.
Open to all children age 0-5 years and their grown-ups... whether you're Jewish or just curious.
Our gathering will be led by wonderful early childhood specialist Mimi Greisman and Rabbi Bridget Wynne.
When: Saturday, April 4, 10:30 AM - noon
Where: Jewish Gateways' cozy home, near El Cerrito Plaza and BART station just north of Berkeley
Who: Families with children 0-5. Feel free to invite friends who might be interested!
How: Contact Rabbi Bridget at 510-559-8140 or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org for info and to RSVP.
Seder Made Simple: How to Host a Fun and Festive Passover Celebration
Want to celebrate Passover with a seder in your own home?
We'll show you how!
Sunday, March 29, 11 AM - 1 PM
Passover is coming! It begins the evening of Wednesday, April 8th, and we want to help you celebrate.
Join us for a free workshop, and learn how to prepare and host a fun Passover Seder in your home!
We'll sample Passover foods and learn the basics of the Seder ritual. You'll leave with recipes, a variety of songs to sing at your Seder, and a free Haggadah, the traditional "Seder how-to guide."
Date: Sunday, March 29, 11 AM - 1 PM
Place: Jewish Gateways' cozy home near El Cerrito Plaza BART, just north of Berkeley
Childcare: free by advance reservation
To RSVP and for info: contact Rabbi Bridget Wynne at 510-559-8140 or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org
Jewish Life: Where Do I Fit?
Are you -- or would you like to be --
... a cultural Jew?
... one who seeks Jewish spiritual connections?
... Jewish community?
... Jewish wisdom and ethics?
... or who connects to the Jewish tradition of social justice?
Join us to explore these questions, and to enjoy a no-experience-necessary Shabbat dinner.
All are welcome!
Date: Friday, March 27, 2009
Time: 6:15 PM
Place: Jewish Gateways' cozy home near El Cerrito Plaza and BART station
Childcare: available free by reservation
After gathering at 6:15, we'll continue with:
6:30 - Candle lighting and dinner
7:30 - Rabbi Bridget Wynne will lead a lively interactive teaching on different ways to be Jewish, and what might work for you
8:30 - Dessert and schmoozing (time to hang out and chat)
Space is limited, so RSVP is required.
Please contact Rabbi Bridget Wynne at Jewish Gateways, (510) 559-8140, or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org, to make a reservation and get directions and your food assignment. If your schedule doesn't allow you to bring a dish to share, we offer you the option of contributing $7 toward the dinner.
Introduction to Judaism (20 week class)
Curious? Rediscovering? Searching?
Explore the beauty of Judaism from a Reform Jewish perspective.
When: Wednesdays, 7:30 – 9:15pm
October 29, 2008 – March 25, 2009 (20 sessions)
Where: Congregation Beth El in Berkeley (first 10 sessions)
&
Temple Sinai in Oakland (last 10 sessions)
This course provides an entry point for people of all backgrounds to participate more fully in Jewish life, and can launch you on a path to authentic personal Jewish identity. You will acquire a basic Jewish vocabulary, and gain an intellectual knowledge of Judaism as well as the skills necessary to “do Jewish.”
If you are curious about Judaism, if you would like to explore Jewish life and thought, if someone you love is Jewish and you want to know more, this class is for you!
Rabbi Bridget Wynne will teach the first 10 sessions of the course at Congregation Beth El in Berkeley, and Rabbis Steve Chester and Jacqueline Mates-Muchin will teach the following 10 sessions at Temple Sinai in Oakland. All are Reform rabbis who encourage students to raise questions and to enter into spirited discussions on all topics.
The class is sponsored by the Reform Movement. This two-hundred-year-old branch of Judaism includes the largest number of religious Jews in America. It has forged a dynamic synthesis of tradition and modernity that allows for an encompassing yet flexible Jewish consciousness.
Tuition for this twenty-week class includes textbooks and handout material and is $280 per individual or couple. Tuition is $195 per individual or couple for those who belong to any Union of Reform Judaism (URJ) congregation.
For more information and to register, please contact Hannah Weiss at the URJ at (415) 392-7080 x17 or hweiss@urj.org.
Purim Party for Young Children
Puppets, stories,
... songs, costumes,
... and Purim treats!
Join us at 10:30 AM on Sunday, March 8.
Join other families with young children to celebrate this silly and joyful Jewish holiday. We'll hear the Purim story of how brave Queen Esther saved the Jewish people, and we'll celebrate our freedom by singing, eating Hamantaschen (holiday cookies) and dressing up in costumes.
Open to all children age 0-5 years and their grown-ups... whether you're Jewish or just curious.
Our gathering will be led by wonderful early childhood specialist Mimi Greisman and Rabbi Bridget Wynne.
When: Sunday, March 8, 10:30 AM - noon
Where: Jewish Gateways' cozy home, near El Cerrito Plaza and BART station just north of Berkeley
Who: Families with children 0-5. Feel free to invite friends who might be interested!
How: Contact Rabbi Bridget at 510-559-8140 or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org for info and to RSVP.
Jewish Wisdom on Finding Hope and Help in Hard Times
Life hurts. Faced with pain, we may ask:
Why is there suffering? Why me, why my loved ones?
Where can I find comfort? Where is God? Is there meaning in suffering?
How can I help?
Date: Friday, February 27, 2009
Time: 6:15 PM
Place: Jewish Gateways' cozy home near El Cerrito Plaza and BART station
Childcare: available by reservation
After gathering at 6:15, we'll continue with:
6:30 - Candle lighting and dinner
7:30 - Rabbi Bridget Wynne will lead a lively interactive teaching on Jewish sources of hope and help in hard times.
8:30 - Dessert and schmoozing (time to hang out and chat)
Please contact Rabbi Bridget Wynne at Jewish Gateways, (510) 559-8140, or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org, to make a reservation and get directions and your food assignment. If your schedule doesn't allow you to bring a dish to share, we offer you the option of contributing $7 toward the dinner.
A Jewish Celebration of Trees - For Very Young Children... and Those Who Love Them
Did you know that there's a birthday...
... for trees?
Join other families to learn and celebrate!
Join us at 10:30 AM on Saturday, February 7.
Come sing about trees, try being a tree, and explore who lives in trees and why. We'll experience Tu B'Shevat, Jewish tradition's yearly celebration of trees and the environment, and enjoy puppets, stories, bagels and bubbles!
Open to all children age 0-5 years and their grown-ups... whether you're Jewish or just curious.
Our gathering will be led by wonderful early childhood specialist Mimi Greisman.
When: Saturday, February 7, 10:30 AM - noon
Where: Jewish Gateways' cozy home, near El Cerrito Plaza and BART station just north of Berkeley
Who: Families with children 0-5. Feel free to invite friends who might be interested!
How: Contact Rabbi Bridget at 510-559-8140 or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org for info and to RSVP.
Who is a Jew, and Why? A no-experience-necessary Shabbat dinner
Are Jews born
... or made?
Can you choose to be Jewish?
Date: Friday, January 23, 2009
Time: 6:15 PM
Place: Jewish Gateways' cozy home near El Cerrito Plaza and BART station
Childcare: available by reservation
After gathering at 6:15, we'll continue with:
6:30 - Candle lighting and dinner
7:30 - Rabbi Bridget Wynne will lead a lively interactive discussion on who is a Jew, why, and who gets to decide
8:30 - Dessert and schmoozing (time to hang out and chat)
Please contact Rabbi Bridget Wynne at Jewish Gateways, (510) 559-8140, or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org, to make a reservation and get directions and your food assignment. If your schedule doesn't allow you to bring a dish to share, we offer you the option of contributing $7 toward the dinner.
Learn Jewish Bedtime Rituals for Very Young Children... and Those Who Love Them
Learn Jewish bedtime rituals
... and enjoy songs, puppets, stories, bagels,
... and bubbles!
Join us at 10:30 AM on Sunday, January 11.
Bring your children and join other families to enjoy warm and loving bedtime rituals. You'll leave with ideas about ways you can create your own Jewish bedtime traditions at home.
Open to all children age 0-5 years and their grown-ups... whether you're Jewish or just curious.
Our gathering will be led by wonderful early childhood specialist Mimi Greisman.
When: Sunday, January 11, 10:30 AM - noon
Where: Jewish Gateways' cozy home, near El Cerrito Plaza and BART station just north of Berkeley
Who: Families with children 0-5. Feel free to invite friends who might be interested!
How: Contact Rabbi Bridget at 510-559-8140 or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org for info and to RSVP.
Chanukah Celebration for Very Young Children
Puppets, crafts, songs,
... menorah lighting,
... and latkes!
Join us at 10:30 AM on Sunday, December 14.
Open to all children age 0-5 years and those who love them... whether you're Jewish or just curious.
Join our festive Chanukah gathering and share the holiday story and traditions with other families with young children. You'll leave with ideas about how to celebrate Chanukah at home.
Our gathering will be led by wonderful early childhood specialist Mimi Greisman.
When: Sunday, December 14, 10:30 AM - noon
Where: Jewish Gateways' cozy home, near El Cerrito Plaza and BART station just north of Berkeley
Who: Families with children 0-5. Feel free to invite friends who might be interested!
How: Contact Rabbi Bridget at 510-559-8140 or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org for info and to RSVP.
What is Jewish Spirituality?
Can Jewish tradition help us to...
... connect with the divine?
... search our own souls?
... gain inspiration?
Date: Friday, December 12, 2008
Time: 6:15 PM
Place: Jewish Gateways' cozy home near El Cerrito Plaza and BART station
Childcare: available by reservation
After gathering at 6:15, we'll continue with:
6:30 - Candle lighting and dinner
7:30 - Rabbi Bridget Wynne will lead a lively interactive introduction to Jewish spirituality
8:30 - Dessert and schmoozing (time to hang out and chat)
Please contact Rabbi Bridget Wynne at Jewish Gateways, (510) 559-8140, or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org, to make a reservation and get directions and your food assignment. If your schedule doesn't allow you to bring a dish to share, we offer you the option of contributing $7 toward the dinner.
For Very Young Children and Their Grown-ups - Pajama Party to Welcome the New Week
Open to all children 0-5 years
... and the grown-ups who love them,
whether you’re Jewish or just curious.
Join us at 10:30 AM on Sunday, November 23.
We'll sing, enjoy puppets, crafts, and bubbles, have snacks for kids, and bagels, fruit, and coffee or tea for adults.
Enjoy and learn about the Jewish ritual for beginning the week, a brief, beautiful ceremony that kids (and parents!) tend to love. We smell sweet spices, sing, watch a braided candle burn, and wish one another a good week.
This ritual, Havdalah, is traditionally done on Saturday evening. Since mornings are often a better time for young children, we offer Havdalah the following morning as part of a pajama party that gives the homey feeling of Saturday evening.
Bring your child(ren)'s favorite blanky and stuffed animal. You'll leave with information on how to try Havdalah at home if you'd like.
Our gathering will be led by wonderful early childhood specialist Mimi Greisman.
When: Sunday, November 23, 10:30 AM - noon
Where: Jewish Gateways' cozy home, near El Cerrito Plaza and BART station just north of Berkeley
Who: Feel free to invite friends who might be interested
How: Contact Rabbi Bridget at 510-559-8140 or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org for info and to RSVP.
Why Do Jews Pray?
Does prayer really "work"?
How do we know if God hears our prayers?
What is it alright to pray for?
Join us to explore these questions, and to enjoy a delicious, no-experience-necessary Shabbat dinner. We'll eat, laugh, and learn. All are welcome.
Date: Friday, November 14, 2008
Time: 6:15 PM
Place: Jewish Gateways' cozy home near El Cerrito Plaza and BART station
Childcare: available by reservation
After gathering at 6:15, we'll continue with:
6:30 - Candle lighting and dinner
7:30 - Rabbi Bridget Wynne will lead a lively interactive discussion on Jewish prayer
8:30 - Dessert and schmoozing (time to hang out and chat)
Please contact Rabbi Bridget Wynne at Jewish Gateways, (510) 559-8140, or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org, for more information, and to make a reservation and get directions and your food assignment. If your schedule doesn't allow you to bring a dish to share, we offer you the option of contributing $7 toward the dinner.
A Jewish Holiday That's Like Decorating a Christmas Tree?
Yes. Ornaments hanging from branches,
... fragrant leaves,
... sparkly lights
-- it's... Sukkot!
All are welcome.
Sukkot marks the fall harvest, and commemorates our ancestors dwelling in makeshift booths as they wandered 40 years in the desert. The tradition is to build a hut outdoors called a sukkah. We decorate it with ornaments, paper chains, gourds, strings of lights, fabric, branches, and whatever else you can think of.
It's traditional to eat in the sukkah, and even to sleep in it!
You're invited to join us in our Sukkah for dinner. We'll begin our meal there, then go inside to finish before we get too cold.
Time: 6:15 PM
Place: Jewish Gateways' cozy home near El Cerrito Plaza and BART station
Childcare: available by reservation
After gathering at 6:15, we'll continue with:
6:30 - Candle lighting and dinner
7:30 - Rabbi Bridget leads a lively discussion about this fun and often-overlooked holiday
8:15 - Dessert and schmoozing (time to hang out and chat)
Please contact Rabbi Bridget Wynne at Jewish Gateways, (510) 559-8140, or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org, for more information, and to make a reservation and get directions and your food assignment. If your schedule doesn't allow you to bring a dish to share, we offer you the option of contributing $7 toward the dinner.
Jewish Events For Very Young Children and Their Grown-ups
Open to all children 0-5 years
... and the grown-ups who love them,
whether you’re Jewish or just curious.
When: Saturday, October 18, 10:30 AM-noon
Where: Jewish Gateways' cozy home, near El Cerrito Plaza and BART station just north of Berkeley
How: Contact Rabbi Bridget at 510-559-8140 or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org for info and to RSVP.
When: Sunday, November 23, 10:30 AM-noon
Where: Jewish Gateways' cozy home, near El Cerrito Plaza and BART station just north of Berkeley
How: Contact Rabbi Bridget at 510-559-8140 or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org for info and to RSVP.
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How Can Jews Who Don't Believe in Bible Stories Still Believe in God?
Maybe God didn't really part the Red Sea . . . or save Noah and his Ark
. . . does that mean there is no God Jews can believe in?
Join us to explore these questions Friday, September 12.
Time: 6:15 PM
Place: Jewish Gateways' cozy home near El Cerrito Plaza and BART station
Childcare: available by reservation
After gathering at 6:15, we'll continue with:
6:30 - Candle lighting and dinner
7:30 - Rabbi Bridget Wynne will lead a lively interactive teaching on whether belief in the God of the Bible is necessary for Jewish faith in God
8:30 - Dessert and schmoozing (time to hang out and chat)
Please contact Rabbi Bridget Wynne at Jewish Gateways, (510) 559-8140, or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org, for more information, and to make a reservation and get directions and your food assignment. If your schedule doesn't allow you to bring a dish to share, we offer you the option of contributing $7 toward the dinner.
What is Jewish Mysticism?
Is spirituality a basic part of Judaism?
How about...
... Kabbalah,
... meditation,
... or finding God within?
Join us to explore these questions Friday, August 8.
Time: 6:15 PM
Place: Jewish Gateways' cozy home near El Cerrito Plaza and BART station
Childcare: available by reservation
After gathering at 6:15, we'll continue with:
6:30 - Candle lighting and dinner
7:30 - Rabbi Bridget Wynne will lead a lively interactive introduction to Jewish mysticism
8:30 - Dessert and schmoozing (time to hang out and chat)
Space is limited, so RSVP is required.
Please contact Rabbi Bridget Wynne at Jewish Gateways, (510) 559-8140, or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org, for more information, and to make a reservation and get directions and your food assignment. If your schedule doesn't allow you to bring a dish to share, we offer you the option of contributing $7 toward the dinner.
Is Being Jewish a Birthright?
If you're "born Jewish," are you automatically a Jew?
Who's considered to be born Jewish, and who is not?
Can you choose to be a Jew?
Join us to explore these questions Friday, July 25.
Time: 6:15 PM
Place: Jewish Gateways' cozy home near El Cerrito Plaza and BART station
Childcare: available by reservation
After gathering at 6:15, we'll continue with:
6:30 - Candle lighting and dinner
7:30 - Rabbi Bridget Wynne will lead a lively interactive teaching on what it means to have a Jewish birthright -- or not -- and whether you can choose to be a Jew
8:30 - Dessert and schmoozing (time to hang out and chat)
Please contact Rabbi Bridget Wynne at Jewish Gateways, (510) 559-8140, or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org, for more information, and to make a reservation and get directions and your food assignment. If your schedule doesn't allow you to bring a dish to share, we offer you the option of contributing $7 toward the dinner.
What is the Jewish Bible?
Have you ever wondered?
Is it the Old Testament? The Torah? The Christian Bible? And who decided what is in it?
Join us to explore these questions Friday, July 11.
We will share a delicious, no-experience-necessary Shabbat dinner, eat, laugh, and learn. All are welcome.
Time: 6:15 PM
Place: Jewish Gateways' cozy home near El Cerrito Plaza and BART station
Childcare: available by reservation
After gathering at 6:15, we'll continue with:
6:30 - Candle lighting and dinner
7:30 - Rabbi Bridget Wynne will lead a lively interactive teaching on what's in the Jewish Bible, what it is called, and how and by whom it was put together
8:30 - Dessert and schmoozing (time to hang out and chat)
Please contact Rabbi Bridget Wynne at Jewish Gateways, (510) 559-8140, or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org, for more information, and to make a reservation and get directions and your food assignment. If your schedule doesn't allow you to bring a dish to share, we offer you the option of contributing $7 toward the dinner.
Heretical Jews: What Can We Learn From Them?
Think your Jewish beliefs might be heretical? Throughout history, mainstream Judaism has shunned, and later embraced, some of the most brilliant and creative Jewish thinkers.
Join us Friday, June 27 to learn from their ideas, and perhaps share some of your own.
We will enjoy a delicious, no-experience-necessary Shabbat dinner, eat, laugh, and learn. All are welcome.
Time: 6:15 PM
Place: Jewish Gateways' cozy home near El Cerrito Plaza and BART station
Childcare: available by reservation
After gathering at 6:15, we'll continue with:
6:30 - Candle lighting and dinner
7:30 - Rabbi Bridget Wynne will lead a lively interactive teaching on Jewish heretics, their stereotype-shattering ideas, and how we can learn from their experiences and teachings
8:30 - Dessert and schmoozing (time to hang out and chat)
Please contact Rabbi Bridget Wynne at Jewish Gateways, (510) 559-8140, or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org, for more information, and to make a reservation and get directions and your food assignment. If your schedule doesn't allow you to bring a dish to share, we offer you the option of contributing $7 toward the dinner.
Who Wrote the Torah?
Was it God? People? Does it make a difference?
If people were involved, who were they?
Join us to explore these questions Friday, June 13.
Time: 6:15 PM
Place: Jewish Gateways' cozy home near El Cerrito Plaza and BART station
Childcare: available by reservation
After gathering at 6:15, we'll continue with:
6:30 - Candle lighting and dinner
7:30 - Rabbi Bridget Wynne will lead a lively interactive teaching on what tradition and history have to say about how wrote the Torah -- and why this does or doesn't matter to us
8:30 - Dessert and schmoozing (time to hang out and chat)
Please contact Rabbi Bridget Wynne at Jewish Gateways, (510) 559-8140, or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org, for more information, and to make a reservation and get directions and your food assignment. If your schedule doesn't allow you to bring a dish to share, we offer you the option of contributing $7 toward the dinner.
Does Jewish Tradition Require Us to Forgive?
"Forgive and forget," the saying goes -- but is it always wrong to hold a grudge?
What wrongs -- if any -- are truly unforgivable?
Join us to explore these questions Friday, May 23.
We will share a no-experience-necessary Shabbat dinner, eat, laugh, and learn. All are welcome.
Time: 6:15 PM
Place: Jewish Gateways' cozy home near El Cerrito Plaza and BART station
Childcare: available by reservation
After gathering at 6:15, we'll continue with:
6:30 - Candle lighting and dinner
7:30 - Rabbi Bridget Wynne will lead a lively interactive teaching on Jewish teachings on forgiveness, and how we might -- or might not -- apply them to our lives
8:30 - Dessert and schmoozing (time to hang out and chat)
Please contact Rabbi Bridget Wynne at Jewish Gateways, (510) 559-8140, or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org, for more information, and to make a reservation and get directions and your food assignment. If your schedule doesn't allow you to bring a dish to share, we offer you the option of contributing $7 toward the dinner.
Arguing with God: It's Basic to Jewish Tradition!
Jews have struggled with God for thousands of years...
... about justice -- and injustice
... about suffering
... and faith
... and all life's big questions.
Join us Friday, May 9 to explore this history and offer some arguments of our own.
Time: 6:15 PM
Place: Jewish Gateways' cozy home near El Cerrito Plaza and BART station
Childcare: available by reservation
After gathering at 6:15, we'll continue with:
6:30 - Candle lighting and dinner
7:30 - Rabbi Bridget Wynne will lead a lively interactive teaching on arguing with God, and how it is basic to Jewish tradition
8:30 - Dessert and schmoozing (time to hang out and chat)
Please contact Rabbi Bridget Wynne at Jewish Gateways, (510) 559-8140, or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org, for more information, and to make a reservation and get directions and your food assignment. If your schedule doesn't allow you to bring a dish to share, we offer you the option of contributing $7 toward the dinner.
Why Don't Jews Believe in Jesus?
According to Jewish tradition he is not the messiah.
Why did Judaism and Christianity part ways on this issue?
Join us to explore these questions on Friday, April 25.
We will share a delicious, no-experience-necessary Shabbat dinner, eat, laugh, and learn. All are welcome.
Time: 6:15 PM
Place: Jewish Gateways' cozy home near El Cerrito Plaza and BART station
Childcare: available by reservation
After gathering at 6:15, we'll continue with:
6:30 - Candle lighting and dinner
7:30 - Rabbi Bridget Wynne will lead a lively interactive teaching on why Jewish tradition does not see Jesus as the messiah
8:30 - Dessert and schmoozing (time to hang out and chat)
Space is limited, so RSVP is required. Please contact Rabbi Bridget Wynne at Jewish Gateways, (510) 559-8140, or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org, to make a reservation and get directions and your food assignment. If your schedule doesn't allow you to bring a dish to share, we offer you the option of contributing $7 toward the dinner.
More than Four Questions: A Seder for those seeking connection to Jewish life
Are you seeking connections to Jewish life and community?
Do you want to explore Jewish identity in an open environment?
Then this Passover Seder is for YOU!
- tell the Passover story,
- carry out the rituals, and
- enjoy the seder meal.
No experience necessary!
Date: Sunday, April 20, 2008
Time: 5:45 PM
Place: Jewish Gateways' cozy home near El Cerrito Plaza and BART station
Childcare: available by reservation
Cost: potluck or donation
Space is limited, so RSVP is required.
Please contact Rabbi Bridget Wynne at Jewish Gateways, (510) 559-8140, or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org, to make a reservation and get directions and your food assignment. If your schedule doesn't allow you to bring a dish to share, we offer you the option of contributing $10 toward the dinner.
Want a TASTE OF FREEDOM?
Jewish Gateways invites you to join us April 11 for pre-Passover tasting & teaching
Passover starts April 19. In preparation, we want to offer you various tastes of freedom!
All are welcome.
Join us for this delicious, no-experience necessary Shabbat dinner that will include laughter and learning. We'll try different versions of favorite Passover foods and explore their meanings.
Date: Friday, April 11, 2008
Time: 6:15 PM
Place: Jewish Gateways' cozy home near El Cerrito Plaza and BART station
Childcare: available by reservation
You'll go home with recipes and handouts so you can enjoy your favorite foods and teachings later on.
After gathering at 6:15, we'll continue with:
6:30 - Candle lighting and dinner, during which we'll explore the meanings of Passover foods in lively and interactive discussions with Rabbi Bridget
8:30 - Dessert and schmoozing (time to hang out and chat)
Space is limited, so RSVP is required.
Please contact Rabbi Bridget Wynne at Jewish Gateways, (510) 559-8140, or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org, to make a reservation and get directions and your food assignment. If your schedule doesn't allow you to bring a dish to share, we offer you the option of contributing $7 toward the dinner.
Looking for a Passover Seder? Rabbi Bridget welcomes your call or email and will be glad to help you find the best match.
Did Judaism Invent the Internet?
Are virtual conversations across space and time something new?
Or did Judaism begin a version of the worldwide web thousands of years ago?
We will share a delicious, no-experience-necessary Shabbat dinner, eat, laugh, and learn.
All are welcome.
Time: 6:15 PM
Place: Jewish Gateways' cozy home near El Cerrito Plaza and BART station
Childcare: available by reservation
After gathering at 6:15, we'll continue with:
6:30 - Candle lighting and dinner
7:30 - Rabbi Bridget Wynne will lead a lively interactive teaching on ways we might see Jewish tradition as a paradigm for the internet
8:30 - Dessert and schmoozing (time to hang out and chat)
Space is limited. Please contact Rabbi Bridget Wynne at Jewish Gateways, (510) 559-8140, or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org, to make a reservation and get directions and your food assignment. If your schedule doesn't allow you to bring a dish to share, we offer you the option of contributing $7 toward the dinner.
The Hidden Self: Who Are We Behind our Masks?
Each of us has aspects of our selves we hide, from others, even from ourselves.
On the Jewish holiday of Purim it is traditional to reveal the hidden, to look beneath the masks.
Join us to reflect on our hidden selves, and make masks that reveal the parts we'd like to bring to light!
We'll gather Friday, March 14, for a no-experience-necessary Shabbat dinner, plus learning, laughter, and mask-making.
All are welcome.
Time: 6:15 PM
Place: Jewish Gateways' cozy home near El Cerrito Plaza and BART station
Childcare: available by reservation
After gathering at 6:15, we'll continue with:
6:30 - Candle lighting and dinner
7:30 - Rabbi Bridget Wynne will lead a lively interactive teaching on the self behind the mask, and we will each make our own mask that reveals whatever we choose to bring to light
8:30 - Dessert and schmoozing (time to hang out and chat)
Space is limited. Please contact Rabbi Bridget Wynne at Jewish Gateways, (510) 559-8140, or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org, to make a reservation and get directions and your food assignment. If your schedule doesn't allow you to bring a dish to share, we offer you the option of contributing $7 toward the dinner.
Belief & the Ballot: Do Jewish Values Affect Your Decisions in this Election Year?
What Jewish values are most important to you?
Do they help shape your decisions about who and what you support in this election year?
Should they?
Join us to explore these questions on Friday, February 8.
We will share a no-experience-necessary Shabbat dinner, eat, laugh, and learn. All are welcome.
Time: 6:15 PM
Place: Jewish Gateways' cozy home near El Cerrito Plaza and BART station
Childcare: available by reservation
After gathering at 6:15, we'll continue with:
6:30 - Candle lighting and dinner
7:30 - Rabbi Bridget Wynne will lead a lively interactive teaching on basic Jewish values and how they may -- or may not --relate to our election-year decisions
8:15 - Dessert and schmoozing (time to hang out and chat)
Space is limited. Please contact Rabbi Bridget Wynne at Jewish Gateways, (510) 559-8140, or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org, to make a reservation and get directions and your food assignment. If your schedule doesn't allow you to bring a dish to share, we offer you the option of contributing $7 toward the dinner.
Jewish American, or American Jew?
Which are you, or would you like to be? Do you have to make a choice?
A PBS TV documentary series, "The Jewish Americans," is now exploring "the struggle between being an American and . . . trying to preserve some part of your heritage or your religion," as one of its producers says. You can watch on Wednesdays Jan. 9, 16, 23 at 9 PM. Whether you see it or not, come discuss how these issues affect you.
Explore these questions, and a no-experience-necessary Shabbat dinner, on Friday, January 25.
Come eat, laugh, and learn. All are welcome.
Time: 6:15 PM
Place: Jewish Gateways' cozy home near El Cerrito Plaza and BART station
Childcare: available by reservation
After gathering at 6:15, we'll continue with:
6:30 - Candle lighting and dinner
7:30 - Rabbi Bridget Wynne will lead a lively interactive teaching on being an American Jew or Jewish American
8:15 - Dessert and schmoozing (time to hang out and chat)
Space is limited. Please contact Rabbi Bridget Wynne at Jewish Gateways, (510) 559-8140, or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org, to make a reservation and get directions and your food assignment. If your schedule doesn't allow you to bring a dish to share, we offer you the option of contributing $7 toward the dinner.
Not to Worry?! The Jewish Tradition of Worry, When it Helps, and When it Doesn't
Do you have what's been called the Jewish "genius for worry"? (It doesn't require being Jewish!)
Why is Jewish culture known for worry and angst?
Is there a positive use for Jewish worry?
If you want to explore these questions, then Friday, January 11, 2008, is for YOU!
Join us to share a no-experience-necessary Shabbat dinner, eat, laugh, and learn. All are welcome.
Time: 6:15 PM
Place: Jewish Gateways' cozy home near El Cerrito Plaza and BART station
Childcare: available by reservation
After gathering at 6:15, we'll continue with:
6:30 - Candle lighting and dinner
7:30 - Rabbi Bridget Wynne will lead a lively interactive teaching on Jewish worry
8:15 - Dessert and schmoozing (time to hang out and chat)
Space is limited. Please contact Rabbi Bridget Wynne at Jewish Gateways, (510) 559-8140, or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org, to make a reservation and get directions and your food assignment. If your schedule doesn't allow you to bring a dish to share, we offer you the option of contributing $7 toward the dinner.
My Grandmother's Suitcase: A Family Memoir
Before Jim Van Buskirk's mother turned 80, she told him a secret: "You are Jewish." She then showed him the contents of his grandmother's suitcase, filled with photographs, letters, and documents. Not long before this, Jim had published an essay exploring his mysterious, lifelong attraction to Judaism. He continues to look for answers to his family's history -- and his identity -- by researching his genealogy, talking to previously unknown relatives, and re-examining the contents of his grandmother's suitcase.
Join us Friday, Dec. 14, for a no-experience-necessary Shabbat dinner, and Jim Van Buskirk's illustrated talk about his ongoing discovery of his history and identity.
Time: 6:15 PM
Place: Jewish Gateways' cozy home near El Cerrito Plaza and BART station
Childcare: Available by reservation
Space is limited, so early RSVP is recommended
We gather at 6:15, and then continue with:
6:30 - Candle lighting and dinner
7:30 - Jim Van Buskirk presents "My Grandmother's Suitcase: A Family Memoir"
8:15 - Dessert
Contact Rabbi Bridget Wynne at Jewish Gateways, (510) 559-8140, or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org, to RSVP and get directions and your food assignment for our potluck dinner. If your schedule doesn't allow you to bring a dish to share, we offer you the option of contributing $7 towards the dinner instead.
Are There Limits to What Jews Can Believe?
Want to be a practicing Jew -- even though you don't believe in Bible stories?
Want to celebrate Jewish holidays spiritually -- but without believing in a supernatural power?
Then this evening, Friday, Nov. 30, is for YOU!
Join us to share a no-experience-necessary Shabbat dinner, eat, laugh, and learn. All are welcome.
Time: 6:15 PM
Place: Jewish Gateways' cozy home near El Cerrito Plaza and BART station
Childcare: available by reservation
After gathering at 6:15, we'll continue with:
6:30 - Candle lighting and dinner
7:30 - Our special guest, Rabbi Jay Heyman of Kol Hadash Community for Humanistic Judaism, leads a lively, interactive teaching on what it means to be a Jewish humanist
8:15 - Dessert and schmoozing (time to hang out and chat)
Space is limited. Please contact Rabbi Bridget Wynne at Jewish Gateways, (510) 559-8140, or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org, to make a reservation and get directions and your food assignment. If your schedule doesn't allow you to bring a dish to share, we offer you the option of contributing $7 toward the dinner.
Sponsored by Tri-Valley Cultural Jews, Kol Hadash Community for Humanistic Judaism, and Jewish Gateways.
Ten Questions for Rabbi Bridget
What have you always wanted to ask a rabbi?
What do you "not get" about Judaism and Jewish life?
Rabbi Bridget will answer the first ten questions submitted!
Join us Friday, Nov. 23 for dinner and the answers --
Come eat, laugh, and learn at our no-experience-necessary Shabbat dinner.
Time: 6:15 PM
Place: Jewish Gateways' cozy home near El Cerrito Plaza and BART station
Childcare: available by reservation
After gathering at 6:15, we'll continue with:
6:30 - Candle lighting and dinner
7:30 - Lively, interactive discussion with Rabbi Bridget, as she answers your ten questions
8:15 - Dessert and schmoozing (time to hang out and chat)
Space is limited. Please contact Rabbi Bridget Wynne at Jewish Gateways, (510) 559-8140, or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org, with your question and your RSVP, and get directions and your food assignment for our potluck Shabbat dinner. If your schedule doesn't allow you to bring a dish to share, we offer you the option of contributing $7 toward the dinner.
That's Funny, You Don't Look Jewish - Who's a Jew and Why
Join us Friday, Nov 9 for Shabbat dinner and conversation.
Our topic... That's Funny, You Don't Look Jewish - Who's a Jew and Why
We'll eat, laugh, and learn. All are welcome.
Date: Friday, Nov 9, 2007
Time: 6:15 PM
After gathering at 6:15, we'll continue with:
6:30 - Candle lighting and dinner
7:30 - Lively, interactive discussion with Rabbi Bridget, exploring the amazing diversity of "who is a Jew"
8:15 - Dessert and schmoozing (time to hang out and chat)
Place: Jewish Gateways' cozy home near El Cerrito Plaza and BART station
Space is limited. Please contact Rabbi Bridget Wynne at Jewish Gateways, (510) 559-8140, or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org, to make a reservation and get directions and your food assignment for our potluck Shabbat dinner. If your schedule doesn't allow you to bring a dish to share, we offer you the option of contributing $7 toward the dinner instead.
I'm Jewish But Not Religious - What Does it Mean to be a Cultural Jew?
Looking for a way to be culturally Jewish? Want to connect with Jewish values, history and ethics? Then this evening, Friday, Nov. 2, is for YOU!
Our topic... I'm Jewish But Not Religious - What Does it Mean to be a Cultural Jew?
Join us to share Shabbat dinner, eat, laugh, and learn. All are welcome.
Date: Friday, Nov. 2, 2007
Time: 6:15 PM
Place: Jewish Gateways' cozy home near El Cerrito Plaza and BART station
After gathering at 6:15, we'll continue with:
6:30 - Candle lighting and dinner
7:30 - Rabbi Judith Seid leads a lively, interactive teaching on what it means to be a cultural Jew
8:15 - Dessert and schmoozing (time to hang out and chat)
Space is limited. Please contact Rabbi Bridget Wynne at Jewish Gateways, (510) 559-8140, or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org, to make a reservation and get directions and your food assignment. If your schedule doesn't allow you to bring a dish to share, we offer you the option of contributing $7 toward the dinner.
Co-sponsored by Tri-Valley Cultural Jews, the Northern California Community for Humanistic Judaism, and Jewish Gateways.
Shabbat Dinner & Discussion: Jewish Ghost Stories for "Challah-ween"
Want to explore Jewish identity? Would you enjoy a no-experience-necessary Shabbat dinner? Then this evening, Friday, Oct 26, is for YOU!
Our topic . . . JEWISH GHOST STORIES for "Challah-ween"
Dybbuks, golems . . . get ready for some fun Jewish spookiness!
Join us to share a potluck dinner, eat, laugh, and learn. All are welcome.
Date: Friday, Oct 26, 2007
Time: 6:15 PM
After gathering at 6:15, we'll continue with:
6:30 - Candle lighting and dinner
7:30 - Rabbi Bridget shares Jewish ghost stories in an lively, interactive format
8:15 - Dessert and schmoozing (time to hang out and chat)
Place: Jewish Gateways' cozy home near El Cerrito Plaza and BART station
Space is limited. Please contact Rabbi Bridget Wynne at Jewish Gateways, (510) 559-8140, or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org, to make a reservation and get directions and your food assignment. If your schedule doesn't allow you to bring a dish to share, we offer you the option of contributing $7 toward the dinner.
Jewish Ambivalence - What's It All About?
Want to explore Jewish identity? Would you enjoy a no-experience-necessary Shabbat dinner? Then this evening, Friday, Oct 12, is for YOU!
Our topic: JEWISH AMBIVALENCE - WHAT'S IT ALL ABOUT?
Why are so many Jews ambivalent about being Jewish? There are lots of good reasons. Let's explore this together!
Join us to share a potluck dinner, eat, laugh, and learn. All are welcome.
Date: Friday, Oct 12, 2007
Time: 6:15 PM
After gathering at 6:15, we'll continue with:
6:30 - Candle lighting and dinner
7:30 - Rabbi Bridget leads a lively discussion on Jewish Ambivalence - What's it All About?
8:15 - Dessert and schmoozing (time to hang out and chat)
Place: Jewish Gateways' cozy home near El Cerrito Plaza and BART station
Space is limited. Please contact Rabbi Bridget Wynne at Jewish Gateways, (510) 559-8140, or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org, to make a reservation and get directions and your food assignment. If your schedule doesn't allow you to bring a dish to share, we offer you the option of contributing $7 toward the dinner.
A Jewish Holiday That's Like Decorating a Christmas Tree?
Yes. Ornaments hanging from branches, fragrant leaves, sparkly lights -- it's... Sukkot!
Sukkot celebrates the fall harvest, and commemorates our ancestors dwelling in makeshift booths as they wandered 40 years in the desert. The tradition is to build a structure, sort of a hut, in the backyard, called a sukkah. We decorate it with hanging ornaments, paper chains, gourds, strings of lights, fabric, corn stalks, and whatever else you can think of.
It's traditional to eat in the sukkah, and even to sleep in it!
You're invited to join us in our Sukkah, and for Shabbat dinner. We'll enjoy the beginning of our meal in the Sukkah, then go inside to finish before it gets too cold outside. We hope you can join us, and feel free to share this invitation with others who might enjoy our Sukkot celebration.
Join us to share a potluck dinner, eat, laugh, and learn. All are welcome.
Date: Friday, Sept 28, 2007
Time: 6:15 PM
After gathering at 6:15, we'll continue with:
6:30 - Candle lighting and dinner
7:30 - Rabbi Bridget leads a lively discussion about this fun and often-overlooked holiday
8:15 - Dessert and schmoozing (time to hang out and chat)
Place: Jewish Gateways' cozy home near El Cerrito Plaza and BART station
Space is limited. Please contact Rabbi Bridget Wynne at Jewish Gateways, (510) 559-8140, or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org, to make a reservation and get directions and your food assignment. If your schedule doesn't allow you to bring a dish to share, we offer you the option of contributing $7 toward the dinner.
Re-jew-ve-nate!
[ri-joo-vuh-neyt]
-- verb
1: to celebrate the Jewish New Year as you choose.
Thinking of going to a service, but not sure where? Want to find holiday services where non-members are welcome? Jewish Gateways can help.
...to gatherings in a homey atmosphere at Jewish Gateways. Celebrate the New Year with food and song at a High Holiday “Seder in September.” Reflect on where your life is going, and honor those you’ve lost, at a Yom Kippur Return/Reflect/Remember gathering.
Explore one or more of these options . . .
When: Rosh Hashanah (New Year) begins the evening of Wed., Sept. 12. Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) begins the evening of Fri., Sept. 21.
Where: A variety of locations throughout the San Francisco Bay Area
How: Contact Rabbi Bridget at 510-559-8140 or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org as early as possible and tell me what you’re looking for!
Like the Passover Seder, there's a traditional Rosh Hashanah (new year) Seder. Share a festive meal, with participatory learning and singing. Reflect together on the year now ending and our hopes for the new one.
When: 6 pm on Wed., Sept. 12 OR Thurs., Sept. 13 (pick one)
Where: Jewish Gateways, near El Cerrito Plaza BART, just north of Berkeley
How: Space is limited, so RSVP is required, and early RSVP is recommended. Contact Rabbi Bridget at 510-559-8140 or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org for info and to RSVP. We'll ask you to bring a potluck dish to share. If your schedule doesn't allow this, we offer you the option of contributing $7 toward the dinner.
On Yom Kippur, Jewish tradition invites us to step back and reflect. Where are our lives are going? How are we spending our precious time? Do we need to shift direction in order to live as our highest and best selves? We also take time to remember those we have lost, and to consider how we might best honor their memory. We will explore these questions through learning, discussion, song, and time for introspection.
When: 12-3 pm, Sat., Sept. 22
Where: Jewish Gateways, near El Cerrito Plaza BART, just north of Berkeley
How: Space is limited, so RSVP is required, and early RSVP is recommended. Contact Rabbi Bridget at 510-559-8140 or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org for info and to RSVP. No charge.
Shabbat Dinner & Discussion: Is "Sin" a Jewish Concept?
Want to explore Jewish identity? Would you enjoy a no-experience-necessary Shabbat dinner? Then this evening, Friday, Aug 10, is for YOU!
Our topic: IS "SIN" A JEWISH CONCEPT?
Join us to share a potluck dinner, eat, laugh, and learn. All are welcome.
Date: Friday, Aug 10, 2007
Time: 6:15 PM
After gathering at 6:15, we'll continue with:
6:30 - Candle lighting and dinner
7:30 - Rabbi Bridget leads a lively discussion on: Is "sin" a Jewish concept?
8:15 - Dessert and schmoozing (time to hang out and chat)
Place: Jewish Gateways' cozy home near El Cerrito Plaza and BART station
Space is limited. Please contact Rabbi Bridget Wynne at Jewish Gateways, (510) 559-8140, or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org, to make a reservation and get directions and your food assignment. If your schedule doesn't allow you to bring a dish to share, we offer you the option of contributing $7 toward the dinner.
Shabbat Dinner & Discussion: Judaism on the Joys of Sex
Want to explore Jewish identity? Would you enjoy a no-experience-necessary Shabbat dinner? Then this evening, Friday, July 27, is for YOU!
Our topic: JUDAISM ON THE JOYS OF SEX
Join us to share a potluck dinner, eat, laugh, and learn. All are welcome.
Date: Friday, July 27, 2007
Time: 6:15 PM
After gathering at 6:15, we'll continue with:
6:30 - Candle lighting and dinner
7:30 - Rabbi Bridget leads a lively discussion on: Judaism on the Joys of Sex
8:15 - Dessert and schmoozing (time to hang out and chat)
Place: Jewish Gateways' cozy home near El Cerrito Plaza and BART station
Space is limited. Please contact Rabbi Bridget Wynne at Jewish Gateways, (510) 559-8140, or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org, to make a reservation and get directions and your food assignment. If your schedule doesn't allow you to bring a dish to share, we offer you the option of contributing $7 toward the dinner.
Shabbat Dinner & Discussion: Why Do Jews Argue So Much?
Want to explore Jewish identity? Would you enjoy a no-experience-necessary Shabbat dinner? Then this evening, Friday, July 13, is for YOU!
Our topic: WHY DO JEWS ARGUE SO MUCH?
Join us to share a potluck dinner, eat, laugh, and learn. All are welcome.
Date: Friday, July 13, 2007
Time: 6:15 PM
After gathering at 6:15, we'll continue with:
6:30 - Candle lighting and dinner
7:30 - Rabbi Bridget leads a lively discussion on: Why Do Jews Argue So Much?
8:15 - Dessert and schmoozing (time to hang out and chat)
Place: Jewish Gateways' cozy home near El Cerrito Plaza and BART station
Space is limited. Please contact Rabbi Bridget Wynne at Jewish Gateways, (510) 559-8140, or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org, to make a reservation and get directions and your food assignment. If your schedule doesn't allow you to bring a dish to share, we offer you the option of contributing $7 toward the dinner.
Shabbat Dinner & Discussion: Who Wrote the Bible?
Want to explore Jewish identity? Would you enjoy a no-experience-necessary Shabbat dinner? Then this evening, Friday, June 22, is for YOU!
Our topic: WHO WROTE THE BIBLE?
Join us to share a potluck dinner, eat, laugh, and learn. All are welcome.
Date: Friday, June 22, 2007
Time: 6:15 PM
After gathering at 6:15, we'll continue with:
6:30 - Candle lighting and dinner
7:30 - Rabbi Bridget leads a lively discussion on: Who Wrote the Bible?
8:15 - Dessert and schmoozing (time to hang out and chat)
Place: Jewish Gateways' cozy home near El Cerrito Plaza and BART station
Space is limited. Please contact Rabbi Bridget Wynne at Jewish Gateways, (510) 559-8140, or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org, to make a reservation and get directions and your food assignment. If your schedule doesn't allow you to bring a dish to share, we offer you the option of contributing $7 toward the dinner.
The "Chosen People": Arrogance or Opportunity?
Join us to share a pizza dinner and delve into this HOT topic & HEAVY issue together.
Wed, June 13, 6:30 PM
Rabbi Bridget Wynne will lead an interactive teaching and lively discussion. Bring your opinions -- but be ready to change them!
Time: Gather at 6:30 for dinner, followed by teaching and discussion from 7-9
Place: Jewish Gateways' cozy home near El Cerrito Plaza and BART station
Cost: Suggested donation of $5
Space is limited. Please contact Rabbi Bridget at Jewish Gateways, (510) 559-8140, or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org, to make a reservation and get directions, or for more info.
Shabbat Dinner & Discussion: I Feel Like a Fool in Shul*!
Seeking Jewish connections? Want to explore Jewish identity? Would you enjoy a no-experience-necessary Shabbat dinner? Then this evening, Friday, June 8, is for YOU!
Date: Friday, June 8, 2007
Time: 6:15 PM * "Shul" is Yiddish for "synagogue".
Join us to share a potluck dinner, eat, laugh, and learn. All are welcome. Our discussion topic will be: I FEEL LIKE A FOOL IN SHUL!
After gathering at 6:15, we will continue with:
6:30 - Candle lighting and dinner
7:30 - Rabbi Bridget leads a lively discussion on: I Feel Like a Fool in Shul because... I don't understand?... Don't believe? ... Aren't sure I belong? Let's talk about why and what to do!
8:15 - Dessert and schmoozing (time to hang out and chat)
Place: Jewish Gateways' cozy home near El Cerrito Plaza and BART station
Space is limited. Please contact Rabbi Bridget Wynne at Jewish Gateways, (510) 559-8140, or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org, to make a reservation and get directions and your food assignment. If your schedule doesn't allow you to bring a dish to share, we offer you the option of contributing $7 toward the dinner.
Shabbat Dinner & Discussion: Did the Bible Really Happen?
We invite you to join us to share a potluck dinner - laugh, eat, and learn!
Date: Friday, May 25, 2007
Time: 6:15 PM
After gathering at 6:15, we will continue with:
6:30 - Candle lighting and dinner
7:30 - Rabbi Bridget leads a lively discussion on: Did the Bible really happen?
8:15 - Dessert and schmoozing (time to hang out and chat)
Place: Jewish Gateways' cozy home near El Cerrito Plaza and BART station
Space is limited. Please contact Rabbi Bridget Wynne at Jewish Gateways, (510) 559-8140, or rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org, to make a reservation and get directions and your food assignment. If your schedule doesn't allow you to bring a dish to share, we offer you the option of contributing $7 toward the dinner.