This is a wonderful synagogue with a very compassionate rabbi. I love the music. The sermons are…read morefantastic. Will definitely go there for services again.

I go there to learn Argentine Tango on Tuesday nights from Leslie and Rich. The dancers are…read moreusually nice, I try to help newcomers.

I have visited Beth Emek a few times, since my daughters were first invited to visit while…read moreattending Sunday School at a neighboring Unitarian Universalist church, as part of an interfaith effort to help young people experience faiths other than their own. Toward this same intent, I have attended a couple of times on my own. They have always been welcoming. Friday night was more oriented toward inclusion than Saturday morning, which attendees told me and I experienced. Saturday had more language that I didn't understand. On Friday, a couple of ladies invited me to join the choir. On Saturday, I joined the lunch after service, when the Rabbi sat next to me, included me in conversation and invited me to return, adding that I would always be welcome.

I sat down on the bench. Lady came out within 30 seconds to kick me off the property. Then proceeds…read moreto call in a police squad car after I had already left the premises. I see it as poor hospitality / unhappy staff. I would not bring my children here.

This synagogue is very welcoming, especially to young children! They have Tot Shabbats and the…read morecantor is very lively and fun. They make Shabbat services fun as well. Though we live 35 minutes away by drive so it's tough to get there for us for Shabbats, I love it when we are able to go for the High Holidays and other events. I am looking into Hebrew schools for my three children and I am happy to say that this synagogue is a strong contender!

I cannot say enough good things about Congregation Beth Am. Rabbi Marder is the best teacher I've…read moreever had (and I went to school for 29 years!). Her sermons are a work of art. I have seen no better master of the art of public speaking. I have rarely been so moved and inspired as I am when I listen to her. The highlight of my entire week is going to Torah Study at Beth Am at 9 am to hear Rabbi Marder. The group is progressing through Genesis, having recently started over after a 10 year cycle or so, I understand. (This class does NOT do the Portion of the Week). This class is positively addictive, which may explain why it keeps growing and now seems to have 150 people who come regularly. Come early for bagel breakfast at 8:45 am. Friday services begin at 6:15 pm. It is hard for a working full time person to get to, but worth the effort. This shul has a wide variety of activities for people of all ages. In addition to the usual bar and bat mitzvah education, and in addition to traditional Sunday school, it has an excellent educational program for families of young children on Saturday afternoons (the Shabbaton program), where my daughter and I have gone for three years now. In Shabbaton, there is a joint educational activity first, then separate classes for adults and children, and then a reunion for havdallah at the end. There are also Hebrew classes beginning in third grade. Beth Am has many volunteer activities to get involved in, including a program for visiting the homebound sick and elderly (Yad L'Yad), and is a site for the Jewish Family and Children's Services Chicken Soupers program, a volunteer activity in which congregants make and deliver meals monthly for disabled people between 18 and 60 in the community. There is an affiliated hiking club (Torah Trekkers), an alternating shabbat salon and film series at 4 pm on Saturday afternoons, a club with monthly events for people in their 50s and 60s (Club 5/6), singles events, and an active teen group. The temple also has a men's group which hosts poker nights for charity, a yearly ski trip (Slalom Rav), and a family camping trip each year on Father's Day weekend. The more traditional women's group hosts monthly Rosh Chodesh events, a Passover dessert seder, and an annual dinner, and leads many other volunteer activities. The clergy, including Rabbis Janet Marder, Sarah Wolf (a recent rabbinical school graduate), Jennifer Clayman, and Adam Rosenwasser are all innovative, knowledgeable, and nice human beings. The cantor, Lauren Bandman sings like an angel and has incredible mastery of Hebrew and the liturgy in general. The temple is welcoming to interfaith couples, converts, LGBT and everyone else.

If you are a "half breed" in their eyes (blood, not twp Jewish parents and having had a bat mitzvah…read moreis apparently what makes you a Jew at this institution) they will take your money, but introduce you to other members NOT as a member but a student of Judaism. Be warned!

We chose Kol Emeth primarily for the Hebrew school. We love the quality of the education it…read moreprovides to our four children. We are also in agreement with the philosophy of the conservative movement, and really appreciate this egalitarian and diverse congregation. We evaluated several synagogues in the Bay Area, and definitely preferred Kol Emeth! Over the years, we chose to become more engaged and involved in volunteering with the programming, and on the Board.

Fact: the San Francisco Bay Area has more than 450,000 Jews living in the region…read more Fact: Many of them are older, married or are culturally Jewish, meaning that these CJ's eat "kosher-style" and are held subject to guilt-trips and Jewfros, just like their observant counterparts. They do not, however, attend synagogue. Well, maybe during High Holidays they feel the need to repent. But the religious Jewish community in America is aging and fewer youngun's are going to schul. As if our people don't have enough problems! What's an observant and outgoing young Yid to do? Emek Beracha is stepping up to the plate (just because I use a sports metaphor doesn't make me an impostor to the Tribe!) to Jewnite the spiritual, intellectual and social soul of the Bay Are Jewish community. The schul offers classes on great topics in conjunction with the neighboring Jewish Study Network as well as stimulating services each and every day of the lunar-calendered year. The service structure is traditional; it's led by a diverse group of community members, some of whom have heart-achingly beautiful voices. Rabbi Feldman always helps me put on my thinking cap with his weekly-'drash and I feel learn-ed by the end of his midrash. The set-up is Modern Orthodox- this means there is a mehitzah separating the men and women. Ergo: a steady volley of eye catching and craned necks ensues throughout services. That's the beauty of it! During the service, you can see a healthy amount of young people and after services conclude, you can meet "THAT boy/girl across the aisle" because that's who the kind of person who goes to EB; people are very proactive in reaching out to newcomers. The community really is THAT warm and welcoming. As far as length goes, the ModOx don't drag through most services and on Shabbat, we're out by 11:30am. Shabbat lunch hospitality is guaranteed each week if you still have room after all the chocolate-frosted cookies, fruit, cake, whitefish and so much more! Watch out for the tons of kids that pounce on the kiddush-foods (especially the chocolate doughnut-holes) with the ferocity of a school of hungry piranha. Kosher never tasted so good as it does post-services- except at the spankin' new eatery "The Kitchen Table" and "Izzy's", whose founders and chefs attend EB on a regular basis. FINAL NOTE: Be fully prepared to play "JewWho: Extreme Edition" with everyone you meet because wherever you go, even if you're new-ish, you're never alone- there's ALWAYS someone Jewish!

A heartfelt THANK YOU to the warm, wonderful, and so very helpful members of Emek Beracha, who went…read moreout of their way to help us extend our family simcha from Thurs. through to the end of Shabbat. As with other major life events, it takes a village to make sure that---as out-of-towners in Palo Alto for my daughter's wedding---my guests and I would have a warm and friendly place to daven, have our meals, and schmooze with each other and new friends. I could not have pulled this off without the help of Boruch, Morad, Rabbi Feldman, Jonathan G. and Michael A. I greatly appreciate everything you did for us! And btw, for anyone who may be considering visiting the shul in the future, don't think twice! The people there are very friendly; it is centrally located, very child-friendly, has a beautiful sanctuary, and a very nice little garden in the back!