Past Classes:

Biblical Therapy: The Psalms
with Rabbi Me’irah & Daniel Najjar
Mondays May 1, 8 at 333 Cortland Ave.
Time: 7:00 - 8:30 pm
All adults and post-B’nai Mitzvah students welcome

Description: Daniel is an Or Shalom member and has studied Hebrew texts with Rabbi Me'irah for a number of years. These two are very excited to share what they've been learning about the Psalms!

While prayer is communal, the psalms are intensely personal. They give voice to our universal experience of immense yearning, of desire for connection to the Eternal, of praise for the Divine. They seek relief from illness, harm, and fear.

From the 150 total psalms, we will study a selection especially noted for healing. We will cultivate a space to share our reactions and interpretations. Each student will receive The Book of Psalms by Robert Alter.

Kiddush/Kaddish—What’s the Difference?
with Rabbi Me’irah & Rabbi Chaya
Sunday, May 7 at 333 Cortland Ave
Time: 4:00 – 5:30 pm

Description:  Kiddush and Kaddish may sound similar but they serve very different functions! Study the texts of Kiddush and Kaddish with Rabbis Me'irah & Chaya at our new home on Cortland Ave. This class is for asking questions! Come and learn the commonalities between singing a blessing over wine and saying a prayer as a memorial for the dead, how to “do” the Kaddish, what it does for you, and for the deceased. This class will be followed by a Celebration of Remembrance and a light dinner.

Remembering Our Loved Ones
with Rabbi Chaya
Sunday, May 7 at 333 Cortland Ave
Time: 5:45 – 7:30 pm

Description: For those who are in mourning and/or want to remember a loved one, we are hosting a warm sharing circle at our new home on Cortland Ave on May 7, following Rabbi Me'irah's Kiddush/Kaddish class. Join us as we create a sacred space for sharing and listening, kaddish, lighting candles, and reading some poetry. Light snacks will be served.

The group is limited to 15 attendees. Please RSVP to Rabbi Chaya directly for instructions about what to bring: Rabbichaya@orshalom.org.

Ritual Waters: The Mikvah
Rabbi Chaya Gusfield
Wednesday, May 10 at 333 Cortland Ave
Time: 7:00 - 8:30 pm

Description: Complete immersion in a body of living waters is an ancient Jewish ritual, done in a mikvah, a deep pool connected to natural water. In addition to traditional purposes for both men and women, prior to marriage, High Holy Days, conversion etc, new uses for the mikvah include milestone celebrations: graduations, conclusion of study or an important birthday or anniversary. Immersion in the mikveh can also initiate new beginnings after pain or trauma, chemotherapy, completion of the year of bereavement, etc.
We will learn about the mikveh’s traditional and contemporary uses, and think about how we at Or Shalom might want to use it. 

Optional Field Trip: Thursday, May 11, 11:00 am.
Visit to San Francisco Mikvah
We will meet at, and tour  San Francisco’s own mikvah, one of the few on the West Coast. We will learn how to schedule and prepare for a mikvah appointment, should one be inspired to do so. To learn more about the mikvah: https://www.mayyimhayyim.org/

Jewish Prayer As Medicine
with Rabbi Chaya
Wednesdays: March 8, 22, 29 via Zoom
Time: 7:00 pm PT
Adults and youth are welcome

Description: This series is available to people of all levels of Jewish learning. We will unpack prayer through study, writing, and sharing in small groups. We will explore a few key Jewish prayers, but more importantly, I will teach you an approach to gaining access to prayer and making it personal.

What, Exactly is Taharah?—Field trip to Sinai Memorial Art Exhibit
Monday, March 13 at 1501 Divisadero St
Time: 3:00 pm

Come see this unusual art exhibit depicting the ancient Jewish ritual of the washing of the deceased. We’ll go in a group, with Rabbi Me’irah explaining the mysticism implied in this extraordinary artwork of Karen Benioff Friedman. We will go out to dinner afterward, and discuss. 

Writing an Ethical Will—A Workshop with Muriel Dance
Sunday, March 5 via Zoom
Time: 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Adults welcome

Description: Did you know that Jews have a tradition to document, and leave for posterity the jewels of their life’s wisdom? Ethical wills originate in the Torah, based in an oral tradition of Jacob calling his 12 sons together to bless and instruct them. Over time, this developed into a more intentional way to transmit ideals, values, and experiences most treasured in order to teach those who were dear to the dying one. And sometimes, we can even bring humor into what we write for the next generation.  

Muriel Dance, PhD, is a Board Certified Chaplain graduate of the Academy for Jewish Religion. She has served as the executive of three non-profits as well as a hospice chaplain.  During her chaplaincy, she developed an Ethical Wills workshop which was offered in synagogues, cancer centers, a seminary and a hospital training center.  She is inspired by the wisdom of Judaism as we face end-of-life.  Previously, Muriel has worked as a college professor and an academic dean.  And spent a sabbatical year in Israel as a Senior Educator at Hebrew University. 

Building a Caring Community: Healing for Self and Others—4 Classes with Rabbi Chaya Gusfield
Wednesdays: January 25, February 1, 8, 15 via Zoom
Time: 7:00 pm
Suggested for Adults

Description: Sponsored by Or Shalom Chesed Circle. Healing is not only about cure and recovery. We will study prayers, Torah, stories, Talmud and find out how our traditions can guide our communities’ ways of caring for each other. Each class will offer lectures, discussions, and prayers of healing for those present and those weighing on our hearts, experimenting with different forms of prayer.

• Class #1: In the Torah and siddur: hidden healing gems
• Class #2: The Mitzvot (sacred obligation) to visit the sick. What do we define as sick and what is a visit? You might be surprised what the Talmud says.
• Class # 3: Sweep the floor, give me your hands, stories from Talmud that will inspire you.
• Class #4: We will examine a variety of ways a caring community can support others. When have you needed help? When have you offered accompaniment, rides, or food? The impact of receiving a card. Showing up for a shiva minyan.

Paint your own Kiddush Cup or Seder Plate!—A Workshop with Rabbi Me’irah
Sunday, February 19 at Terra Mia Ceramic Studio, 1314 Castro Street
Time: 1:30 pm
$36.00 for materials fee.
Adults with youth are welcome
 

Description: Did you know that it is a mitzvah to make beautiful ritual objects? Come paint your own kiddush cup or seder plate and learn the traditions about using them. Preparatory ideas and worksheets are available to those who register. Space is limited, so register early.

It’s Never too Late to Acquire a Hebrew Name-with Reb Ezra and Rabbi Me'irah
Tuesday, January 24 via Zoom
Time: 7:00 pm

Adult and kids- learn your Hebrew name!
Description: Hebrew names are sentences. They draw one into one’s life purpose. They give you a holding place in the web of the Jewish People. A Hebrew name can become modified with time, and sometimes, they can even defy the Angel of Death. Come and learn and hear some amazing stories, and contemplate acquiring your own Hebrew name.

Watch Rabbi Me'irah and Reb Ezra dicuss their Hebrew names here: