My friend and I attended the Festival Sefardi at the Nahalat Shalom Synagogue last month and had a…read moreDELIGHTFUL time! Everyone was extremely welcoming and kind, and we felt immediately at ease. The first event we attended was the Shabbat service and vegetarian potluck on Friday evening. The service was almost completely sung, and the cantor (Stephanie Sofie Shefia Cohen) had a lovely voice and spirit. The synagogue is in the middle of a residential area and built in the traditional walled courtyard style, and the service and dinner were in the courtyard. There were lots of lovely flowers, and the evening was beautiful, just the right temperature. It was a full moon night, too. All the dishes served in the potluck dinner were homemade, and they were delicious! My favorites were the dolmas and vegetarian lasagna. Very yummy!! We attended the morning lectures on Saturday, which consisted of two panel discussions. The first was about the Ladino language (which is a derivation of Spanish spoken by Judaic peoples), and the second was about the effect on the language of the diaspora and evictions of Jewish communities from particular countries. We unfortunately could not stay for the afternoon sessions, but again, everyone was lovely and very welcoming to us. It was inspiring to note the high caliber of speakers present at the festival. One of the primary speakers was born in Turkey and came to the US in 1958; she has made it her lifetime mission to promote the Ladino language and Sephardic culture. The other speaker we met traveled all the way from Tucumán, Argentina, where she teaches at the National University. I had a delightful time and learned so much! I am grateful to the Nahalat Shalom Synagogue for providing this annual event, and for their amazing hospitality. Grasias!

This is an extremely limited review of a congregation I've never attended. Being a dad, I've had…read morethe pleasure of watching my kid perform her violin, guitar and voice recitals in these halls over the years, followed by the supreme displeasure of having to sit through every other kid's recital and feign interest. Such are the torments of the average parent. But anyway, the venue is adorable: handmade ornaments and decorations adorn the walls, the setup is truly simple (folding chairs, a very modest stage), good facilities. The people I've met who frequent the services have been friendly and inviting. Shalom, out.