Chochmat HaLev

Another amazing song and creative video by Victoria Hanna! We are fans. We love the way she weaves in symbolism of the Hebrew letters and embodies them, while bringing in ancient and modern sounds. Have you heard of Victoria Hanna before? What do you think? We recommend checking out her music on spotify. Shabbat shalom <3 https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=849597178436784

You’re invited to join Anne Lamott and Janine Urbaniak Reid for a conversation on navigating these difficult times and they will be reading from their books. Today at noon and free! Link in comments.

We just put red lightbulbs in our Chochmat sign. It makes the synagogue lobby feel very cheery!

How will you be spending Shabbat this Friday? We love lighting candles every shabbos with our community over Zoom. A reminder that we have no Shabbat service this week, because it’s a 5th Friday! What will you be doing instead? Tell us in the comments

Join us every Wednesday morning at 8 am PST for a beautiful, grounding, and insight-filled meditation session with Jeffrey Kessler and community. Link to register in comments!

We are incredibly lucky to have both Bouchaib Abdelhadi and Naomi Newman at Shabbat tonight. 5:30 pm PSTlink is in comments! Naomi Newman is an incredible storyteller, actress, and keeper of cultural knowledge. Here she is reading a Yiddish poem by Irena Klepfisz.

This Friday’s Shabbat at 5:30 pm PST will feature a few special guests, including beloved storyteller, poet, and performer Naomi Newman, along with Bouchaib Abdelhadi, a musician with a distinguished musical career on both sides of the Atlantic. His voice transports us and helps us open our hearts every time. This Shabbat is going to be very special! Link in comments. Video description: Bouchaib on a stage with a dark background singing a beautiful melody. Words explain this is an excerpt from Jennifer Berezan’s Song for all Beings Concert from 2013.

Join us on Sat, Oct 24th at 7 pm for a fascinating conversation about the past, present, and future of Jewish-Buddhist coherence and cultural exchange. We welcome Rodger Kamenetz, author of the Jew I the Lotus, Emily Sigalow, author of American JewBu, Jay Michaelsen, author of Enlightenment by Trial and Error, and Rabbi Ira Stone, author of In Search if the Holy Life. Image description: an intricate blue and gold hamsa with an eye in the middle. Gold letters say The Jew in the Lotus. Image credit: The Canadian Jewish News.

Kids and families program alert! Join Friday, Oct 16 5-5:30 pm PST for our monthly joy and puppet filled Tot Shabbat! Free, RSVP for zoom link! Link in comments.

This is going to be amazing! See you there. (Registration link in comments)

Wow, can you believe we have reached the end of our journey through the holidays? Ease into the rest of 5781 with some wisdom, centering words, and contemplation with our teacher and spiritual leader Jhos. Tonight (and everything Monday, with rotating teachers), at 7 pm PST. Link in comments to sign up.

Another fabulous music recommendation from our wonderful dance teacher, Bruce Bierman. This song from A-WA blends traditional Yemenite with other amazing beats. We learn lots of Yemenite dance with Bruce. Yemenite Jewish dance has one of the oldest lineages in the Jewish dance world! Also, Habib Galbi was the first song in Arabic to top the Israeli pop charts

Boi calah, boi calah... come, my beloved. Join us for Shabbat tomorrow evening at 5:30 pm PST on zoom. Welcome Shabbat with us with beautiful wisdom, music, and warmth from our community. Video description: Jhos and Julie, and Lior, singing the ending of lecha Dodi, and holding hands and Bowing to each other. Boi v’shalom, ateret ba’alah, gam v’simcha, uv’tzhala, toch emunei am s’gulah, boi calah, boi calah. Translation: come in peace, crown of the beloved, with joy and with ringing song, amidst the treasured people of faith, come beloved, Shabbat queen!