Religious arm of Jewish community. Represents all facets of Judaism. Referral services pertaining to religious matters. Endorsing agency for Jewish chaplains in state prisons.
Religious arm of the Jewish community in the Silicon Valley area. Represents all facets of Judaism. Information and referral services for Jewish lifecycle events.
Spiritual care for the ill, dying and bereaved. Services include individual rabbinic counseling, spiritual support groups, hospital support, Kol Haneshama hospice volunteers, Grief and Growing Weekend, information and referrals.
Because Bay Area residents come from a variety of communities and backgrounds, our synagogues take pride in being warm, welcoming and inclusive. Call individual synagogues for information about schedules for services, holiday worship, bar/bat mitzvah training, religious schools, day care, children’s and adult classes, and special program offerings.East BayReform
Meets at the Vista Room of the Hillside Clubhouse Friday 7:30 p.m. High Holy Day services at Event Center, Tahoe Room; call for times. Everyone welcome.
Shabbat services with guitar, lots of singing and inspiring sermons. Outstanding preschool, religious school and adult education. Caring community that welcomes all people on their Jewish journey.
Warm, engaging, spiritual home where tradition meets inspiration through deep learning, music-infused prayer, social justice, holiday celebrations and a thriving religious school.
Shabbat services, religious school starting with pre-K, educational and cultural programs, and events for all ages in a spiritual, warm and friendly environment.
Provides a spiritually nurturing, intellectually challenging and socially active environment in which members of all ages can deepen their Jewish connections.
A Jewish Renewal community, combining innovative and traditional approaches. Meets for holidays, potluck Shabbats, lifecycle events, guest speakers, and progressive discussion groups throughout Berkeley. Offers participatory worship, deep learning, meditation and dance.
Intellectually and psychologically sophisticated, joyous, welcoming and compassionate. Find one's spiritual path — a community at once religiously traditional and innovative, and politically progressive — an emancipatory Judaism of love.
Dynamic Renewal shul with musical celebratory Shabbats, meditation, contemplative services and transformative High Holy Day observance. Meditation, Kabbalah, mysticism and adult/children's education. Walking distance from Ashby BART.
Creative, spiritual, contemporary Judaism rooted in social justice. Exceptional education for kids in grades K-6 and a unique experiential bar/bat mitzvah program. Everyone is welcome to join us in the shul and in the streets.
Inclusive and progressive community based on Reconstructionist principles. Shabbat services with child care first Saturdays at St. Alban's Church on the Berkeley-Albany border.
Humanistic, nontheistic, lay-led monthly Shabbats, holiday services, bagel talks and educational programs celebrating Jewish identity, history and culture. Chavurot & social groups. Most events held at Albany Community Center.
Progressive Secular Humanistic community identifying with the Jewish people through family, culture and history, rather than through religion. Bar/bat mitzvah, holidays, lifecycles, Sunday school.
Diverse Modern Orthodox synagogue offers services twice daily. Maintains kosher banquet hall and kitchens and offers classes, preschool, mikvah and unique programming for all ages.
Serving the community of El Cerrito. Promoting Jewish identity and pride, study and celebration. Adult education, bar/bat Mitzvah preparation, monthly Friday night dinners, and visitation of the sick.
Sharing Jewish joy and inspiration; community outreach and lifecycle events; mikvah education; holiday celebrations and Shabbat services; Hebrew school; bar/bat mitzvah training; children's camp and adult education;
Serving the Contra Costa Jewish community: adult education, Hebrew school, preschool, holiday programs and events, Bar/Bat Mitzvah celebrations, Shabbat and holiday prayer services. Membership not necessary.
Serving the Tri-City area with a Hebrew school, holiday programs, services, classes, lifecycle services, women's events and social programs. Membership not required.
Torah classes and lectures, shabbat dinners and an array of family and social activities. Traditional Jewish values are brought to life in a joyous, non-judgmental atmosphere. No membership required.
Modern Orthodox community. Welcomes visitors from all levels of observance. Youth programming, ongoing adult education, social-action committee, Shabbat morning child care, Shabbat lunch, daily services.
Jewish Gateways is a welcoming, diverse community in which to explore personal connections with Jewish tradition through holidays, family and adult learning, lifecycle events, and more.
Independent, traditional egalitarian minyan. Monthly Kabbalat Shabbat and Shabbat morning services; High Holy Day services and communal events throughout the year. Committed to halachah.
Egalitarian, observant, feminist. Committed to inclusive liturgy and encouraging women's leadership. Shabbat services in members' homes. Men and women of all backgrounds and orientations are welcome.
Traditional synagogue where Shabbat and holidays are inclusive, participatory and joyous. Weekly Torah study and continuing Jewish education. Full-time rabbi serves residential community.
Traditional Conservative synagogue providing a learning community enriching Jewish knowledge and experiences for all ages. Preschool from one year to pre-K and religious school.
Egalitarian and participatory, welcoming intermarried and nontraditional households. Religious services, b'nai mitzvah program, adult education, social action, Torah study, preschool.
Living Judaism together as an egalitarian, participatory, vibrant congregation, providing services to preschool, bar/bat mitzvah, confirmation and adulthood. Celebrating Judaism, enjoying Shabbat and holiday celebrations since 1907.
Largest and oldest Reform synagogue and Jewish cultural center for the Monterey Peninsula. Looking to our heritage as a repository of wisdom, insight and numerous possibilities for religious expression.
Passionate about peace and justice, creative about prayer, joyful about tradition. Focused on learning, community, worship and the pursuit of Tikkun Olam (repairing the world).
Supports ongoing renewal of Judaism — bringing spiritual vitality into our lives, drawing on kabbalistic/Hassidic sources, and embracing a vision that all paths have a role.
A popular center for Jews of all backgrounds who want to learn more about their Jewish roots. Offering a wide variety of educational and spiritual opportunities, including Torah classes and lectures, Shabbaton dinners, and family and social activities.
Community-led. Celebrates High Holy Days "Santa Cruz Style": progressive participatory, creative, peace-oriented, egalitarian services with feminine, gender-neutral and traditional prayers. All welcome.
Napa Valley's only synagogue, founded in 1953. Full schedule of religious, educational and cultural programs. Weekly Shabbat services and religious school.
Shabbat services, usually second Saturday at 10:30 a.m., fourth Friday at 7 p.m. Torah study, additional classes and events. Check website for current schedule.
Drawing from Reconstructionist roots and the soulfulness of Jewish Renewal, embracing Judaism through ritual, social justice, music, learning and laughter. Nurturing spirituality through learning, prayer and tikkun olam.
Welcomes unaffiliated individuals and families. Workshops and services support Jewish life-learning through a Reconstructionist lens. High Holy Day services, children's education, interfaith programs, b'nai mitzvah training for all ages and lifecycle events.
Dedicated to serving all Jews throughout Napa Valley with Ahavat Yisrael: an unconditional love and concern for every Jew, regardless of background and affiliation.
Petaluma's inclusive center for Jewish life: Gan Israel Preschool, J School, Adult education, social and cultural activities. Shabbat and holiday services, sisterhood and Judaica shop.
Independent, participatory and multigenerational congregation. Adult education and gatherings, Shabbat programs, and holiday celebrations, welcoming those who seek an inspiring and welcoming Jewish community.
Monthly Shabbat dinners and holiday celebrations, fostering a strong sense of community; toddler through teen programming, adult education, library and gift shop. Conservative/egalitarian. Warmly welcomes interfaith, singles and LGBTQ.
Dynamic congregation with meaningful, accessible experiences of learning, prayer, service and celebration to help people of all ages and backgrounds live more purposeful lives.
Traditional congregation serving the needs of Russian-speaking Jews in San Francisco Bay Area. No-membership High Holy Day program. Youth/teen programs. Bar/bat mitzvah classes.
South Santa Clara Valley's only Reform synagogue, with 90+ families. Full religious school, Hebrew school and adult programming. Interfaith families welcome. Overseeing Jewish section of Gan Emet/Emeth Gardens Cemetery in Gilroy.
Entering its 16th year, Or HaLev, light of the heart, is the Center for Jewish Spirituality at Peninsula Temple Beth El, offering a place for Jews to experience the benefits of Jewish meditation and chanting every Monday night.
Reform congregation with an emphasis on family participation, interfaith outreach, tikkun olam, education for all generations, and participatory worship services enhanced with outstanding music.
A community-led Reconstructionist congregation that is inclusive, egalitarian, participatory, inquiring, innovative, and compassionate. Practicing an evolving Judaism that infuses tradition with new meaning.
Promoting and strengthening Jewish awareness, pride and observance by providing educational, cultural and social activities to all Jewish individuals and families, regardless of background or affiliation.
Offering Jews of all backgrounds and ages innovative and exciting programs: Adult education, Shabbat Minyan, holiday programming, bar/bat mitzvah preparation, community dinners, youth programs and more.
No membership required to participate. Sunday school, bar and bat mitzvah, preschool, adult education, High Holy Day services and holiday events, adult education. Hebrew tutoring for all ages. Summer camp ages 5-12.
Stimulating programs for Jews of all backgrounds: Jewish kid's clubs, b'nai mitzvah preparation, Jewish Women's Circle, men's club, Shabbat and holiday services and events, adult education, Hebrew learning program and more.
Shabbat services, adult education classes, holiday awareness programs, Hebrew school, bar-bat mitzvah lessons, drug prevention. All welcome regardless of religious background, knowledge or level of observance.
Open door to the entire Jewish community. Children's programs, bar/bat mitzvah preparation, teen club, Chabad Hebrew school. Adult education. Beginner and children-friendly services on Shabbat and holidays. Camp Gan Israel, summer and winter.
Home for everything Jewish: Young adult social programming, children's educational events, Shabbat meals and services, weekly classes, Hebrew After School.
Offering Jews of all backgrounds and ages innovative and exciting programs: men's and women's classes and groups, monthly Shabbat service, holiday programming, bar/bat mitzvah preparation, children's programs and more.
Musical, spiritual, culturally diverse, innovative, yet also tradition-based. Welcomes straight or LGBTQQIN, multifaith, all ages. Draws primarily from the San Mateo Coast.
Experience community: sing, learn, pray and celebrate. Around 300 Jewishly diverse households. Using a community-created prayerbook for egalitarian, participatory services. Programs for adults, kids, and families.
The only Karaite Jewish synagogue in the United States, representing families with roots in Cairo, Egypt. With its new Karaite Jewish Cultural Center, the synagogue provides advocacy and learning resources throughout the United States.
Distinguished by warmth, tolerance and understanding. Offering daily and Shabbat services, and a diverse range of classes for those of varied backgrounds.
Conservative, participatory, egalitarian, traditional services; daily minyanim; Friday night Shabbat programs; religious school; social action programs; adult and family education; and programs foryoung professionals,
Conservative synagogue in San Jose connecting people to each other, Judaism, Israel and the world. Shabbat and Sunday services and Holiday celebrations. Religious School and Nursery School onsite.
A participatory, diverse, Jewishly committed community. Services are a blend of traditional and spiritual, relevant and accessible. Revolutionizing the synagogue model from the inside out.
Jewish community that affirms the sacred in each one of us. Rooted in history as San Francisco's gay and lesbian synagogue, offering the warmth and comfort of chosen family.
Extending a welcome to newcomers to the community: whatever your background, identity or level of knowledge, Sherith has the right amount of spice to be your new Jewish home.
Jewish Renewal celebratory evening gatherings such as occasional Shabbat and Havdallah events. Services are muscial, inclusive and participatory. Potluck vegetarian meals.
San Francisco’s first and only Reconstructing Judaism congregation; making Judaism relevant to our times while respecting the traditions of our ancestors.
Community-based organization with mission to make Judaism's rich heritage and values available through community events and programs while simultaneously caring for those in need.
Morning minyan Mondays and Thursdays at 6:30 a.m. Shabbat services led by cantor on Friday night and on Saturday morning, followed by a luncheon. Ongoing children's Hebrew classes.
Contemporary Orthodox synagogue dedicated to promoting a nurturing environment for spiritual, social and intellectual growth; facilitates developing connections to Torah in the modern world.
Celebrate Judaism with a warm, friendly community. All levels of observance welcome. Shabbat/holiday hospitality, adult education/programs. Children's programs. Daily/Shabbat services.
Traditional synagogue located in the heart of the Richmond District. Geared for Russian-speaking Jews primarily but caters to Jews of all backgrounds and levels, including nonbelievers and atheists.
Musical, participatory worship and Torah study. Kabbalat Shabbat Fridays, 1:30 p.m. Saturday morning service, 9:15. Oneg Shabbat 2 p.m. Friends, family and community are welcome.
Post-denominational, heart-centered Judaism in San Francisco and East Bay. Offers Shabbat and other Jewish holidays at home gatherings, interfaith kirtans (chanting) and High Holy Days in Golden Gate Park.
Community of Jews who get together for spirited traditional davening (and related festivities) in San Francisco's Mission District. Meets Friday nights for Kabbalat Shabbat twice monthly on Shabbat mornings.
Opportunities for contemporary Jews along with their loved ones and friends to share authentic, meaningful religious and spiritual experiences. Builds and sustains a community empowered to make a positive difference in the world.
Egalitarian, inclusive, haimish, participatory congregation open to all. Weekly Shabbat services. Adult education and religious/Hebrew school. Family activities, monthly Shabbat dinners and social action.
Judaism with a big heart in the heart of the Sunset District. Traditional and egalitarian; Torah study and lifelong learning; elegant kosher Shabbat dinners; a home away from home for everyone!
Most congregational rabbis are available for lifecycle events and to teach Jews-by-choice. Many synagogues have conversion programs. Contact the Board of Rabbis of Northern California at (415) 369-2860, the East Bay Council of Rabbis at (510) 522-9355 or the Cantorial and Rabbinic Association of Greater San Jose at (408) 358-3033. Also see Chapter 3, Lifecycles.
Interfaith Programs
Interfaith programming is provided by most JCCs, JFCS and synagogues, as well as the organizations listed below. Activities include holiday workshops and celebrations, support groups and social occasions. Several local rabbis perform interfaith marriages. Contact individual rabbis or the organizations listed below for further assistance.East Bay
Resource for interfaith couples exploring Jewish life, providing in-depth, easy-to-access resources that empower couples to make Jewish choices and help their families embrace the choices they make.