During the first shabbat I attended, the Rabbi noticed my new face immediately and I felt welcome…read more The shabbat service framed the next 24 hours so much that I truly rested and felt grateful for being Jewish. The synagogue offers a variety of activities, each night or event I've attended has been so different from any other. Friendly, warm and welcoming people.

I don't feel like I belong two years later political differences with the rabbi losing my…read moremembership unfairly has led me to choose another congregation. I do not feel I am included here anymore. I am sorry I set my expectations so high two years ago

This is my home for Jewish life. Welcoming, haimish and diverse. My Jewish spiritual, educational,…read moresocial and charitable home.

Shir Shalom is a welcoming community, welcoming everyone. Programs for all ages and all interests…read more Great support network lead by Rabbi Steve Finley.

I grew up in a Catholic and Jewish background. This was my first Shabbat service since my family…read morepassed away. Everyone was very welcoming. The service was quite long ( 3 hours) and there was a lunch. The majority of the service was sung in Hebrew. My brain shut off at about an hour and a half but very nice service.

I was a Kol Shofar member from age 5 to age 23 (the last year I could go to high holiday services…read morefor free under my parents membership). My family has seen Kol Shofar change over the years from the leadership of Rabbi White to our current Rabbi, Rabbi Derby and now, Rabbi Levy as Co-Rabbi. High Holidays at Kol Shofar hold many cherished memories for me. Todd Silverstein's soulful interpretation of the holiday melodies is a delight to witness. Rabbi Derby's sermon's are always powerful yet accessible. And even though there are many people in attendance, the atmosphere is still warm and familiiar (probably because my mom *always* insists on sitting in the front row, even when we show up late!) There are truly some remarkable teachers here. Fred Cherniss, Rabbi Derby and Yetta Robinson to name a few. I'm not super fond of the Co-Rabbi, Rabbi Levy, but Rabbi Derby is an amazing spiritual leader who more than makes up for Rabbi Levy's shortcomings. If you are synagogue shopping in Southern Marin, I'd definitely recommend you take a look at Kol Shofar. Be advised that Rabbi Derby is on sabbatical for the next 9 mos.

I went to pre-school here over thirty years ago. I have been to a couple of Bar Mitsvahs and…read moreservices and always liked the congregation. The mission of B'nai Israel Jewish Center is to provide an inclusive center for Jewish life that addresses the cultural, religious, spiritual, educational, and social needs of those who wish to identify with the Jewish community in Petaluma and surrounding areas. They carry out this mission well!

Very friendly and outgoing people. The Rabbi is a dear! Not to mention her 'angelic' voice!read more

Lana is right about the setting at CBT. It is peaceful and understated with a beautiful big tree…read morethat you glimpse from the pews and that shades the sweet little outdoor amphitheater. Though more importantly to me, it is a welcoming community of friendly and down to earth people. Our family has made many good friends at CBT over the years. When we were "temple shopping" the friendly manner and helpfulness we encountered from the front office was an immediate plus. Adding to that, the Cantor has a beautiful voice, the Religious School Director is full of positive energy and the Rabbi always greets you with a smile (and usually by name). Though we have friends at several local synagogues, CBT feels like home to us.

I thought Congregation Rodef Sholom was unbelievable. Frankly, I was blown away by the warmth, the…read moresincerity, and the meaningfulness of the bar mitzvah/bat mitzvah I attended there. I thought Rabbi Stacy and Cantor David were warm, lovely people, so inclusive. If you are looking for someplace to join, boy, this seems to be the place. Everyone I know (okay, three families at this point) feels the same way about the place. I don't want to say anything bad about any place else in comparison, because that's not what I am saying. I am just saying that the congregation here is very lucky. They just went on a working post-Katrina trip to New Orleans with high school students, and they have many other community programs. Caring is the word I would use to describe Congregation Rodef Sholom. It was wonderful.

Wonderful experience ! So much to learn, but this is where I start. Rabbi is so welcoming and kind.read more

We attended services after calling last minute before a holiday and we were blown away by the…read moreauthenticity of the Rabbi and each and every member of the community. We were welcomed without the "religion" feeling that usually comes with worshiping environments, regardless of the house of worthsip. NO Judgement, Harshness, or ickiness. :) yeah. The service felt ancient and meaningful at the same time. The Rabbi gave a speech that I felt was imbued with a universal spiritual message but also maintained tradition. After services, they had a "kiddush", sponsored and paid for by a community member where everyone dined together. No one ever asked for money, no one cared if I was a millionaire or broke. It was so lovely and unlike anything I have felt in a long time. Each person I spoke to came to chabad from a different avenue and perspective. each person had their own "story" and also there own personality, which was not squelched in any way from being a part of a "religous" community. I would say that if you are looking for a spiritual path and your spirit craves nurturing and your soul some good old fashioned ancient connection, this is the ONLY place in town! PPS- this Address is WRONG. the CORRECT ADDRESS: is 2312 Bethards Dr # 2 Santa Rosa, CA 95405 (707) 577-0277 I think this is their current linke: www.jewishsonoma.com/ PPPS. I really want to move to this community...

Congreagation Sherith Israel is another congregation we had the pleasure of visiting the last time…read morewe were in San Francisco. Rabbi Jessica is a awesome and nice woman. We had the pleasure of introducing ourselves and talking about good things of our congregation back home. Lots of up and down stairs here inside the building. Parking structure is not bad either. Congregation Sherith Israel is a wonderful place, and beautiful place. People here are friendly and welcoming to all.

I've been a member of Sherith Israel for over twenty years and watched it go through lots of ups…read moreand downs. It's been around since 1850, but it's anything but ancient. They like me to describe themselves as 'a 170 year old startup', which is spot on. They're opening a preschool in Fall, 2023; have an active teens program, which recently traveled to Washington, DC to engage with elected officials and interact with other Jewish kids from across the country. So many other programs, including a vibrant volunteer membership network that cooks and delivers meals for battered women and children; a dynamic Climate Action Team; single's program; and on and on and on. A lot of reviewers focus on the (admittedly amazing) historical building, but to me the most compelling thing about this congregation to me are the warm, welcoming individuals of all ages and backgrounds who call this community their home! Check out Friday night services at 6pm or take a walk through its rich history every Wednesday afternoon at 2pm. You'll be glad you did.

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.

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!