There o a luncheon to thank the women who worked hard and/or made monetary donations. There were…read moresandwiches and fruit and dessert. Individual achievements we recognized. There was a lady there who played the harp beautifully. That's one big and heavy instrument to carry around. It was beautiful. There were two raffles with very nice prizes.

Temple Beth David is always welcoming and friendly. You feel like you're part of a family. The…read morerabbi is inspiring and her sermons are very informative. The Cantor's beautiful voice gives me a feeling of comfort. There are many different events for all ages. Diversity is important as is kindness and understanding.

Both of my kids attended TBY Preschool and we have been members of the congregation for about six…read moreyears. I cannot speak highly enough of this special place! We moved here from NY and TBY was the first place I felt comfortable. The preschool was so welcoming and my oldest started going to mommy and me classes when he was six months old. I was instantly embraced by this caring community who helped me become a mom! The preschool was great for both my boys, every year. I think we have had almost every teacher there! Laura, the Director, is fabulous at placement and understanding the needs of every child, and parent! My kids have both flourished in elementary school and I have TBY Preschool to thank. The congregation is also embracing and welcoming. From services to special occasions I feel very at home at this synagogue. I encourage everyone to give it a try!

Great place clean I went there for a quinceañera as a guest everything was great and security…read moreguards are great they put you on a bracelet you show your Id so you can drink alcohol

A warm and loving community! The services are lovely . The pre-school brings great joy to the…read moresynagogue .

The congregation is so kind and warm. I feel truly blessed to have found this beautiful and vibrant…read morecommunity.

There are many things to appreciate at CBI. Here are our top three. Rabbi Adam Greenwald is…read morelearned, compassionate, and courageous. The music, led by Cantor Amy Robinson Katz, is beautiful and uplifting. CBI offers many opportunities to participate in acts of Tikkun Olam, repairing our world.

We joined CBI in 2000 and found great programming, people and an exceptional space to find your…read morespiritual self. Rabbi Adam is amazing and just such a good human, and Cantor Amy has a beautiful voice and a terrific spirit to match. We have celebrated life events and mourned the passing of loved ones with the support of the CBI community. If you are thinking about joining a synagogue in Orange County you shouldn't miss the chance to check out CBI

I especially enjoy the JLI classes held at this Chabad. The teachings are informative and the…read moreatmosphere is welcoming. I appreciate this facility is nearby and though small, fits my needs to continue on my Jewish journey. Rabbi and his wife are truly dedicated to their mission and do it with sincerity and the kindness so needed in these changing times.

This place isn't like your typical Chabad. It is better!…read more This is a very small community with mostly secular people who attend. But everyone is very nice and welcoming. Recently, they redid the shul and built on with a real sanctuary and a added a lot of space. It is truly beautiful. The Rabbi is a super nice person who is willing to help anyone and everyone with anything they might need. Drawbacks: There isn't an eruv in the neighborhood except for the parking lot and grounds, so be aware of this. There are also no real hotels in the area to speak of so it makes it difficult to stay if you don't know anyone who you can stay with.

A small congregation of middle-aged and older congregants who enjoy a beautiful hour-long Friday…read moreeve service with oneg after. We love the people there and look forward to seeing them every week.

I would reccomend anyone looking for a small group in a local temple of the back bay location in…read moreNewport Beach, Ca. try Temple Issiah. This temple was founded by Flory A. Van Beek who recently passed away this year. She wrote a fabulous book named: Flory ... Survival in the Valley of Death Holocaust 1940-1945. (when I read this book, I couldn't put it down until it was finished!) acutally two days i read off and on until i completed it. It was on edge every moment and I feel like I wish so many more people would read it too. In Flory's memory, I would hope some people would help out for her temple is having extreme financial difficulties. It was her husband and her's greatest wish to help to keep the Jewish people together when the Holocaust was over. They vowed to do this if they ever did anything. It would be a great waste to stop her founded temple's growth just because she has left us. It's a small group but it is very sweet and personal. Leah Spalding

B'nai Tzedek is a warm and welcoming congregation. Being that it is…read more Reform synagogue, it also celebrates tradition. For someone not too familiar or perhaps not too religious, Rabbi Eisntein will most definitely make you feel at home and will answer any question or doubt. I enjoy taking my toddler to their 30 minute (Yes, only 30 minute) TOT SABBATH!! every 3rd friday of the month at 6p.m..

Absolutely excellent congregation. Rabbi Young is wonderful, and the community is so welcoming.read more

Great Rosh Hashana service. Very welcoming. Our first time at this synagogue. Located in the Bixby…read moreKnolls neighborhood.

I like this Temple out of all the Temples in L.A. for it's peaceful atmosphere and deep sense of…read morecommunity. If you're looking for a higher level of spiritual learning then this is a place to visit and to dig deep for knowledge. The elders are truly sages of time.

I've been going here since 2000, I continue to love this phenomenal community more and more the…read moreolder I get. The clergy are so amazing and they make you feel like part of the SHM family.

I really like this synagogue and the community. It's kind of hard being the new girl in town…read more.. moved here right before COVID. Finding a shul where most of the members are warm, welcoming, and kind is hard to find in general, but during COVID-19? Oy, it was a long process. Before moving to OC from LA, I belonged to Stephen Wise Temple up in Belair. We were the envy of all Shuls in the LA area... and at one point, I considered us the best... not due to the glitz and glam, but the dedication the clergy had for it's members. Esp. My cantor and one rabbi that is still there. It was so difficult to find a shul similar SWT in OC... until I decided to look into SHM It also helped that my teacher, mentor, friend, and arguably the greatest chazzan of our time, cantor Nathan Lam, pointed out that the LOVELY Rabbi Zive is now at SHM, in Irvine. (Where I live now), so that got my attention very quickly *it was kismet*. The words Rabbi Bryan Zive and Mensch are synonymous. He is a great leader- kind, compassionate, caring, WISE, and makes time for young people (like myself). I really appreciated the fact that he carved time out to meet with little 'ol me as he is such a busy man. With a little help from Nate, We started conversing, and finally scheduled a meeting as soon as it was good for us. Zive gave me the 411 on the temple and also put me at ease with respect to some concerns I had at the time. I also love the fact that SHM has an amazing musical program (& tons of things available for kiddos! Can't wait to bring my 1 year old as she deserves to be apart of a warm Jewish community and have the opportunities I had growing up). It seems like there's a program for everyone here. It's nice. I've been to this temple a couple of times before moving to OC (back when it was at the JCC), and really liked the vibe then. Their former Cantor, Arie, is such a dear and I love his Israeli flair with respect to music. Gotta love the lion from Zion. He's a very sweet man. I'm not sure if they have a full time cantor, yet... but I'm certain they will select a great one when the time is right. Big props to zive for being involved with the musical stuff + being a rabbi. I can't imagine it being easy to juggle both roles, but he definitely makes it look easy, lol. FYI:He was trained by the best and comes from great stock- just sayin'. My most recent experience at SHM was great. They had a lovely HHDs service, and everything was wonderful from the Classical chazzanut to the inspirational, educational, and insightful sermon. Truly fantastic from start to finish. Grateful to Zive for bringing me into the SHM community & I so look forward to some amazing "shecky" (Shehecheyanu) moments + making lovely memories with my daughter here in the future.