Questions + answers

  • Community Shabbat is a place to come together to sing, pray, and eat in a way that aligns with and uplifts our values. That means inclusive, collaborative, spiritual, anti-zionist, anti-racist, and anti-capitalist.

  • All are welcome and invited.

    Jews of Color, Indigenous Jews, SWANA Jews, Mizrahi and Sefardi Jews.

    Those who are not Jewish, who have chosen Judaism or who are exploring Judaism.

    Folks of multiple or other faith backgrounds.

    Queer and trans people. Neurodivergent people. Disabled and chronically ill people, and truly everyone who wants to join.

    It's mostly adults at the moment but we hope to offer kids programs in the future.

  • Simply put, we wanted it to exist!

  • We pray in a way that is accessible and meaningful. Our service is musical, meditative, and informal. We will have parts in English, in Hebrew with transliteration, and without words.

    Dinner is casual, conversational, and friendly.

  • Whatever makes you the most comfortable. Some people dress up a bit for shabbat but jeans and a t-shirt are totally good. We usually meet outside so bring layers.

  • Making this happen requires labor, food, and materials. Jewish life is typically funded by big donors and their priorities. We want this to be a grassroots effort and reflect our priorities, which means we need to build it with our own money. To see a breakdown of our costs, take a look at our donate page.

    We are committed to making this Shabbat available to everyone, regardless of financial means. We fully respect each person’s decision on what is comfortable for them to contribute. 

    We are currently redistributing 10% of the money we gather at Shabbat for mutual aid in Palestine and the Bay.

  • Welcome! Not knowing anyone is a great place to start and you'll definitely meet some cool people here.

  • We believe that all people deserve safety, dignity, and home. Whereas Zionism has envisioned safety and home for Jewish people, it has destroyed and desecrated safety and home for Palestinians.

    More than this, Zionism maintains that Jewish safety relies on the destruction of Palestinian life and freedom. 

    We reject the idea that Jewish safety should come at the cost of Palestinian life. Supporting Palestinian life and liberation is the most Jewish thing we can do. 

  • We welcome people who want to be part of an anti-zionist space. We understand that within this tent there may be a diversity of experiences and perspectives.

    For many Jews, Zionism offered a solution to the refugee problem created by the Holocaust and antisemitism. These problems are real and important. At the same time, we can see how Zionism did not truly solve them. In fact, Zionism recreated many of the same destructive traits of ethnonational states including racial supremacy and apartheid.

    See above for more on why we identify as anti-zionist.

  • For many people, especially queer and trans people, religion may be a source of pain and trauma. Powerful people and institutions have warped religion to use it as a tool of shame, control, and oppression. Distrust toward religion is absolutely warranted and understandable. We honor and welcome the distrust you may carry.

    We believe that reclaiming religion is both an act of resistance and a return to the essential core of religion. We believe that at it’s center, spirituality is about compassion, connection, and liberation.

  • We often get to know God through langauge that is hierarchical, toxicly masculine, and distant. We may also be presented with only two options when it comes to God: believing in God or not.

    We think there's more to it than that. God can be a way of communicating about that which is is un-understandable, that which unites everything in our universe, that which protects and heals, and so much more.

    If athiesm speaks to you, we welcome you as well! You deserve to access the peices of spirituality that resonate for you.