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Dear Community,

Many of us find ourselves in a time of isolation and pain. In the midst of it all, what is most important is that we come together. In community. In ritual. In food. In joy.

One of the many things that is so beautiful about Jewish tradition is the way it honors time. Jewish time is not standardized in the way our modern systems of time are. Jewish time is tied to the times of sunrise and sunset, and a Jewish “hour” changes length each and every day, depending upon the exact amount of daylight hours that day.

So to honor our entry into winter and the cycles of Jewish time, we are going to begin holding all of our Friday night Shabbat services (in-person, Zoom, and traveling) beginning at 6:00 pm.

For our first- and third- Friday of the month services at Noe Valley Ministry, we will hold a happy hour with snacks and beverages starting at 5:30 pm for anyone who needs some nosh after work, and then will hold a potluck dinner after services, beginning at 7:30 pm.

Our hope in making this change is, first and foremost, to cultivate and foster intergenerational community. For our already lively and musical services to be filled with and led by people of all ages—young, old and everything in-between—and to see Shabbat dinner as an extension of this communal ritual by all sitting down at intergenerational tables together, breaking bread, and building family.

So we invite all of you to join us, starting this Friday, October 20, in this new experiment in intergenerational ritual and community-building.

With excitement,

R’ Faryn