Part of the "Soil to Soul: Agriculture and Jewish Culture" series

In partnership with JCCSF

Shavuot celebrates Matan Torah - the giving of the Torah at Sinai. But what really happened there? Jewish tradition holds that every Jew throughout all time was present at Sinai. What do we "remember" from it? And what does archeology tell us about it: was there a mass gathering? a golden calf? tablets inscribed with ten commandments? Or did something even more earthshaking happen in the Sinai desert?

The holiday of Shavuot, which begins Thursday evening (May 25), celebrates the giving of the Torah at Sinai. Jewish tradition holds that every Jew throughout all time was present at Sinai. Do you “remember” it? What does archeology tell us? Was there a mass gathering at Mt. Sinai? A golden calf? Tablets inscribed with ten commandments? Join us for some answers… and more questions.

Martin Buber was born in Vienna in 1878, and was a utopian Zionist. He is best-known for his book I and Thou, which focuses on how people relate to the world. For Buber, our relationship with the Divine, and as much as possible with each other, should be I-Thou rather than I-It relationships.

In partnership with Manny’s and JCCSF

Discover the fascinating history and unique customs of this ancient Jewish community in Central Asia—its history and customs, its fate during the years of war in Afghanistan, and the story of Manny’s Afghani Jewish family.

In partnership with BASE Bay in Rockridge

Join us on Fridays at noon for a look at the Torah Portion of the week through the portal of the Zohar. The gate pictured here is the entrance to the garden of Moses de Leon, the compiler of the Zohar. He published it as a weekly Torah companion, and that is how we will encounter it.

What confers sacredness onto space? Distinguished sanctuary designers will discuss how they approach the shaping of spaces meant to focus the mind and transport the soul. Stanley Saitowitz, Susie Coliver and Steve Rajninger, and Craig Hartman will describe the thinking behind sacred spaces they have designed, via introductory Zoom sessions and site visits, where you will experience their ideas in vivo at two contemporary synagogues and a Catholic church.

What confers sacredness onto space? Distinguished sanctuary designers discuss how they approach the shaping of spaces meant to focus the mind and transport the soul. Here, Susie Coliver and Steve Rajninger will describe the thinking behind Kol Shofar, via an introductory Zoom session and site visit, where you will experience the architect's ideas in vivo at the synagogue.

What confers sacredness onto space? Distinguished sanctuary designers discuss how they approach the shaping of spaces meant to focus the mind and transport the soul. Here, Susie Coliver and Steve Rajninger will describe the thinking behind Kol Shofar, via an introductory Zoom session and site visit, where you will experience the architect's ideas in vivo at the synagogue.