The Rabbi is very nice and l enjoy his teachings and l love that the community is so welcoming to…read morepeople of all backgrounds. They have many activities and ways to get involved.

In the past, my experience with Congregation B'nai Shalom has been incidental via their Rabbi. The…read morefirst time was with Rabbi Gordon Freeman during my Son's conversion to Judaism (at birth) and years later with Rabbi Daniel Stein as he participated in a religious diversity teleconference that Gayle organized through the City of Pleasant Hill. It was only during the 2nd night of Pesach (2023) that I physically set foot in Congregation B'nai Shalom as part of their Community Passover Seder. As I happened to be in town that week, I very much appreciated this opportunity to break matzah with this slice of the Bay Area Jewish community. There was so much to appreciate: - The hard work of the folks who put this even on, including the program, table service, the food buffet, and of course set up and take down. - A meaningful and relatively short Seder. This was not the Orthodox version that tries to finish as close to midnight as possible. At the same time it hit the right notes and was nicely led by Rabbi Stein and Ḥazzan Sandy Bernstein. - The interesting and friendly folks at my table. Let's see what happens next year....

St. Paul's welcomes all with open arms and open hearts. Their motto is "an historic church for the…read moremodern soul", and it shows in their values and mission. Their community outreach is extensive in Benicia- from their amazing Community Meal program to the annual Peddlers Fair and much more. The church itself is beautiful and the parishioners are kind and welcoming to newcomers. They also feature great music, a growing youth program and an awesome post-service coffee hour. Rev. Annie is absolutely amazing, delivering sermons from a place of kindness and understanding rather than out of judgment. They fly the pride flag and offer a safe, welcoming space for everybody, in the heart of downtown Benicia. Check them out, and stick around for coffee hour!

This church walks the walk. Volunteers provide meals twice a week for people in need and for…read morewhatever reason. I am very grateful for their generosity and hard work. Thank you very much.

I never went to a service here but I have went to their events around October and December very…read morenice clean church very welcoming people the layout is so nice they have coffee shop and even a play ground here for kids for last 5 years I been coming here for events they welcome everyone. Been wanting to try this church but I have very bad anxiety and don't want to go alone

Wonderful church and the nicest people you ever want to meet. Very welcoming, music is fabulous…read moreinteractive and inviting. Lots of Bible study groups to choose from, support groups, and many classes through Northgate U too! Come on up to experience the warmth and this weekend Easter Sunday has three services with baptisms. 7, 9 and 11:00 this weekend 4/9/23

This religious organization is welcoming, people are friendly even if you're unfamiliar with…read moreeverything. The place is clean and the atmosphere is warm welcoming and uses music and singing to praise the Lord. You will never feel sleepy here. They also have various activities for all ages. I was able to attend the worship and left the children in their preschool area. There is a separate area for the teens or youth as well. Across the street is Faith Food Fridays which I have known in the past and helped me during the difficult times of life.

Hey,I go here! And it's amazing! Sorry I need more characters to post this:read more

Wow, this is a church where you feel respected & appreciated. I was looking for a place when I…read morejoined to be taught, trained, and treated well. The Leadership Team seems so in sync. You notice the way people work together to service one another. You have a great mix of young & old in their audience. That includes people from various cultural backgrounds. I love that the Word of God is the CENTER of everything they do and teach. I am glad that both my wife & I found a place for our whole family. I welcome others to come join in on the fun! Special Note: Once a month they feed everyone in the church after service. And it is a different style meal each time!!! Delicious

When I first joined Abundant Life Worship Center, I was searching for a new church home. This is…read morethe only church experience I've had where I'm assured my spiritual growth and relationship with God are the primary focus. Pastors Derry and Tammie Moten and our church family are just plain full of love and not afraid to show and share it. Our pastorial leadership ensures we gain understanding in all that we study. And, we have fun!!! Our Culinary team just organized a wonderful and memorable church picnic full of food, fun and family. If you are searching for a place of worship in a nurturing environment, Abundant Life Worship Center is an experience you will never forget and will want to repeat over and over again. Hope to see you soon!

Very well organized programming, rich array of services, social activities etc but never felt very…read morewelcome so did not renew my membership after 1 year. As a newcomer I experienced a lot of clickishness, and a lack of feeling welcome at, for instance the oneg shabbats, which is where such bonding as a newcomer would take place. Interestingly I did witness, on a couple occasions, an AA person, who also appeared to be new or in process of considering whether to join, being shown great attention with a well organized welcomong committee response laying out the red carpet. I was also surprised to find one of the rabbis not to be very warm and friendly as was described in the other reviews. Whenever I saw her at an event and happened to make eye contact, her response was never warm and inviting. With such a large congregation I did not expect anything more than a smile or a hello but this did not happen-- not surprising however since this appears to be the cultural norm for Sinai's congregation as a whole. Now if I was a different demographic.... that might have made a difference!

I am still in disbelief that we found such a perfect temple for us! Take away the Judaism part, and…read morethis is still one of the most inclusive communities I have ever been a part of--the community here has totally brought new life into me after a few major life events. Sometimes it feels reminiscent of a really great cruise: all sorts of activities and events on the itinerary and there's always food around! ;-) My husband and I shopped around and went to a lot of different temples to get a feel of their communities, and we just kept wanting to come back here. I love how diverse this temple is, too--all faiths, all cultures, all skin colors, all beliefs--it's just simply the type of community I want my children to grow up in.

If you are looking for a church that teaches truth straight from the Bible, look no further! My…read morehusband and I have been coming to Castlewood for about 7 months, everyone has been more than welcoming, and kind! Pastor John and his lovely wife Olivia are amazing! Hardworking! And very knowledgeable! Pastor John has a way of explaining and encouraging you to delve into each chapter of the Bible in a way that truly brings understanding to the Word of God. So glad we found our church! Join us any Sunday from 11-12, I'm sure you'll love it there!

I've been a regular attender/member of this church for 5 years. When I began attending Castlewood,…read moreI was single and working and it had been some time since I'd been at a church where I felt the love of Christ so warmly displayed through His people. Now I am married with 1 child and 1 on the way and my husband and I are both happy to call Castlewood "our church." We are a small but growing community of Christians who love each other and will love you too. You will not feel lost in the crowd here! :)

I was a member of this congregation at its old location at Arch and Vine for a few years. This is…read morewhere my stepdaughter had her Bat Mitzvah here and participated in Midrasha and Camp Kee Tov. My son also attended religious school for a time and his mother participated in a neat chorus group. Yet, with all this activity and the nice people associated with Beth El, and with exception of the Bat Mitzvah, I rarely felt a connection or an inspiration here. At times, I felt that our family and the congregation were all going through the motions. If G-d was in this place, I, i did not know...

I love Beth El, and am sad to be leaving…read more When I grew up in Miami, our reform temple had a choir of people on a tiered stage... in white robes. They sang to organ music. In comparison, the guitar seems almost orthodox. Still, Cantor Brian puts the guitar away for Saturday morning services, and the guitar is largely an institution for Friday night. So you can take or leave the stringed accompaniment, at your pleasure. That said, Brian is a much more "chant-er friendly" cantor than others I have experienced in the east bay. He is very encouraging of congregation participation (even if you can only hum along), and his melodies are all very accessible. I am not a gifted singer, and I feel very comfortable there. What has always made me a bit uncomfortable is some of the holding hands and swaying moments. But those are few and far between. Havdallah. They do that a lot at Havdallah. Some of the bar mitzvah's can be a bit overwhelming. But there is an active early service on Saturdays, followed by an intellectually stimulating gathering at Torah study. The Torah study group is a bit small, but very warm and welcoming. It is worth checking out. If you break out of your comfort zone, you will be rewarded. Rabbi Raj (pronounced Roy) is sadly leaving, and I have not met the new Rabbi. But I loved Ferenc more than I can say, and he will be the measure by which all future rabbi's will be measured. The dues at the temple are not insignificant. But I was briefly on the board, and I was also a partial dues paying member. The administration has always been flexible with dues. There are plenty of people who are members that are on reduced dues, and none (myself included) have ever been made to feel like second class citizens. I think I figured out once that if I took my reduced dues, and applied it to a weekly figure, and ate all the free food at every event I would make out ahead. Seriously, when is the last time you had creamed herring on grand bakery challah? Damn that's good... but you may have to be Jewish to appreciate it. If only they would serve more chopped liver and rye ends. Drool.