The people of this community are great. Love the food and the inclusivity. I was raised Christian…read moreand married a Jewish woman and they accept and support us both!

I became a member of Shir Ami when I wanted my son to have a Jewish education (he was entering…read morekindergarten) and my daughter needed a naming ceremony. Shir Ami ably provided both and my family has been members ever since. That was 1990! Both children studied in the Sunday school and each became b-mitzvah. I have been a teacher and a student there as well (always something new to learn). Shir Ami has become my West Coast family and I am very happy to be a member here.

I recently moved to Alameda and although I am not an observant Jew or a very religious person I…read morehave my rituals firmly planted since childhood, One of them is lighting the Hanukkah menorah. I was unable to find candles in the usual stores so I called the local synagogue to see if they could suggest where I could purchase them. The Rabbi answered the phone and when I asked him my question he responded by saying that if I could get there in 15 minutes he would give me a box. I made it in the allotted time and scored my candles. Nice touch for the holiday. I am not sure if I will attend services but the experience gave me a nice feeling.

I have been a member of Temple Israel since 2007. I am a part of an interfaith family raising our…read moredaughter Jewish and there are serveral other interfaith families at Temple Israel (in fact over half are interfaith families). I grew up at Temple Israel and am a 4th generation member. It has many multi-generational families as members so this place must be special. Temple Israel is a Reform congregation and is the only Jewish synagogue in Alameda. It has 130 families as members so there really is a chance to get to know everyone in this congregation. This year, 2010, Temple Israel is celebrating it's 90th Anniversary. Quite an accomplishment! The temple offers several programs, mostly geared towards families, such as Tot Shabbat (shortened Friday night service for little ones once a month), Little Latkes Playgroup (Thursday afternoon playgroup for children age zero through 4), Religious and Hebrew Schools, and for adults there's the fun Jewish Chef Series, Jewish Film Series, a Women's Seder during Passover, several other seders and congregation-wide potlucks observing other holidays, picnics, and a ton of other programming for children and their families that you can learn more about on the website. Like all places of worship, it's not perfect, but it has something for everyone in addition to regular services. There is room to grow here and a chance to become involved in the Jewish community instantly. I'm glad I joined and am active in the congregation. Come check it out!

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.

I spent most of my adult life avoiding synagogues mostly due to a chronic lack of compassion, or…read moreindifference, towards Palestinians that I experienced in almost every synagogue I've visited for the past thirty years. Kehilla does a brilliant job at holding an inclusive and welcoming space for Jews like me who do not align with the atrocities being committed by the government of Israel. They have a variety of social action groups and ways to get involved in local and global activism from a Jewish perspective. Our kiddo went through the hebrew school and B'nai Mitzvah program and it was an extraordinary experience for all of us. The program design is so rigorous and so special - you get to know other families and really go through the program as a cohort in a way that was mutually supportive, fun and fulfilling. The leadership of Kehilla is extraordinary. Rabbi Dev is a brilliant, soulful, deep and compassionate leader who I have learned so much from. Hazzan Shulamit is a beautiful spirit with a giant heart - the joy bursts out of her - it feels like the sun is shining every time I'm in her presence. There are so many other phenomenal people providing spiritual and musical direction - Debbie Fier, Beth Dickenson, Julie Nesansky, Avi Rose, Fresh Lev White, Sharon Grodin, and Rabbi Sam to name a few... Kehilla has a very deep bench of leadership. I look forward to Kehilla's high holy days every year. Instead of feeling like it is obligatory and boring, like I used to feel through my entire childhood, at Kehilla, I feel like I am on a profound journey into the depths of my own soul ... it is not a normal service. It allows space for transformation and growth - and it is just beautiful!

"Sigh...Don't you just LOVE Shabbat?" exclaimed Julie, who was leading Kabbalat Shabbat, after a…read morerousing rendition of "Rom'mu" on my first visit to Kehilla. Her expression of pure bliss and joy has stuck with me ever since. Yes, I do love Shabbat!! Kehilla is a renewal synagogue and, therefore, a bit on the non-traditional, earthy-crunchy side. This makes for a shul that is equal parts ecstatic and meditative; a warm, friendly congregation; a welcoming "come as you are" vibe; and a strong focus on social justice. I've been attending the monthly Kabbalat Shabbat and always leave feeling spiritually energized. The music is especially awesome. Thanks to percussionist Debbie Fier and cantor Shulamit Wise Fairman, it's not unusual for folks to to get up and dance! Other pluses include a scent-free seating area and a sizable parking lot. I recommend Kehilla to any and all who love Shabbat!

I went to a large shul for years. Then I found Beth Abraham. WOW! So friendly. I love the services…read morewhich range from peaceful to wild/energized. The kids really do whoop it up. Lots of well educated young kids and teens. Sometimes the rabbi just calls out, "Julie/Sam/Aviva (some kid's name) come lead the next part." Up the kid(s) pop and with a big smile shows off their stuff. Rabbi Bloom is funny, tender, easy to talk to. Lots of Jews by choice here too. LBGT members. Jews of color. Feels very Oakland. I love that the rebbetzin (Rabbi's wife) is so involved with the congregants. She's a big reader, plays (and will teach anyone) mahjong, leads spontaneous dancing at Rock n' Roll Shabbat and Israeli folk dancing at various holiday celebrations - like in the Sukkah. A trans friend wanted to convert and I took him there for his very first erev Shabbat dinner and service. He asked, "Am I going to feel like I landed on Mars?" I answered, "You sure are! There will be kids dancing in the aisles." We are located on a busy street right off the freeway so we do a quarterly street clean up. The photo is from one of those days.

Warm and vibrant, lots of kids, top notch preschool and religious school, great Kiddush lunches…read moreevery week.

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.

New to me. Near my home and a smaller congregation than I am used to. I found very welcoming…read moreleaders and a warm congregation. I felt at home right away, my first Orthodox temple. Even better for me, the rabbi is a New Yorker.

Another "First to Review" and on Shabbes!…read more This is a highly regarded and welcoming left coast Modern Orthodox shul with a popular and scholarly rabbi. But my fondest memory of this place was holding my son in the Mikvah here and performing the ritual "dunking" and blessings as part of his Conservative conversion when he was just over 6 months old. He also had his Bet Din here and I am still grateful to Rabbi Stuart Kelman for making this all possible. A letter to my son descibing this event is safely tucked away in my safety deposit box for his future enjoyment.

This is the fourth religious organization I have reviewed in 15 minutes and I am *really* starting…read moreto think about how weird it is to rate something like this - how can one person rate or review something religious in a way that means anything to another person? You will most likely love Chochmat HaLev or hate Chochmat HaLev. So I gues that balances out to 3 stars? Here is my attempt to sum up Chochmat HaLev: (I can't believe I am about to be so irreverant..... ) "The center of the Jew-Bu universe" [thats Jewish Buddhism]

Is it OK for members to review their own house of worship? This is the first (and only) synagogue…read moreI've ever been a paying member of. I'm a big fan. It's as close as a congregation has ever come to feeling like my speed of Judaism. I love the contemplative silence, and the ecstatic dance and the focusing chanting. Friday night celebratory shabbat services are often exactly whatever I need that week: uplifting, calming, focusing me inwards. The first half of the service is the best part, between the chanting, dancing, and silence, so don't come late. High Holiday services are held elsewhere, because like virtually all other non-orthodox synagogues, they get a much bigger crowd than at any other time. Those services are even richer and deeper and more meaningful for me. And you can apply the ticket prices towards a membership.

I love Netivot Shalom. I have been a member for 13 years. Netivot Shalom is uplifting and…read morefulfilling. It has everything: inspiring services, diversity, great rabbi, interesting members of all ages, excellent learning opportunities for young and old, and many fascinating programs. It has great accessibility for various handicaps. Netivot Shalom has lunch after Saturday morning services and speakers or singing after lunch. The members and staff are warm and friendly. Netivot Shalom is gated and safe. I have found my Jewish home and I will never leave.

I've been a member for over 35 years. My three daughters became b'nai mitvot. I myself was…read moreSynagogue and Hebrew school Administrator. It's wonderful to see how much it's grown.

Warm and welcoming with great leaders, community, building, and Shabbat kiddish. Perfect for both…read morevisitors and regulars.

This is absolutely the best religious Jewish experience. Fine and wise and always there for you…read moreRabbi and staff. As one of my sons said, "the first time we visited it for service is" I've been waiting for temple where I'll feel home, comfortable and absolutely relaxed and happy. This Chabad of San Mateo is it! You know you belong there any time you visit it. No ridiculous organ music, no ridiculous statements or opinions. Simply conservative, hones and totally common sense environment. I am very happy and proud we found it few years ago. Thank you for everything yo do for people including "donating" your own lives and time to this Nobel cause.