Jewish Gateways
Community SubscriberJewish Gateways, based in the East Bay, welcomes all who wish to explore Jewish wisdom, spirituality, and celebration. We are creating an open and inclusive community in which each individual and family can pursue personally meaningful Jewish pathways.
Check out our family programs:
Growing Together Family Learning -- explore Jewish tradition with your young children in a diverse and supportive community of like-minded families.
Holiday Celebrations for Families with Young Children -- these events are just right for children ages 1-5 and a great place to connect with other families.
Lox & Talks: Soul Food for Parents -- nourish yourself and your family by reflecting on the big questions in life with other parents of infants through preschoolers.
Find out more on our website.
Jewish Gateways is a really great organization and sounds like it fits what you're looking for. It's an open Jewish community that has lots of great programming for kids and families, as well as adults. They're very much oriented towards being accessible to EVERYONE, religious or not, Jewish or not, etc. I grew up super secular and have an interfaith marriage and I've never had the feeling there like I didn't know enough or didn't belong. Rabbi Bridget is fantastic and the events take place mostly in Berkeley. Feel free to message me if you have any questions as I've participated in lots of their programming, but I would definitely encourage you to check it out either way. https://www.jewishgateways.org/
We're part of Growing Together and we like a lot of things about it. The kids get to do Jewish things and they find it fun and creative and artsy. The adults get to talk about Jewish things (and about texts and holidays and ideas) and I find it interesting and relevant. It feels like a little community we have, and hopefully it will grow next year. There are 5 families now; we hope that next year there will be more. Since we don't belong to a synagogue right now, it's nice to have a place where we learn and focus on Jewish things and holidays. We like the songs and activities and the challah and the other people. I am happy to talk more about the group if you have questions.... yonaabrams [at] gmail.com
Archived Q&A and Reviews
May 2010
RE: Rabbi for interfaith wedding
I would contact Jewish Gateways in Oakland. http://www.jewishgateways.org/ Rabbi Bridget might know and she is great. rabbibridget [at] jewishgateways.org (rabbibridget[at]jewishgateways[dot]org) Mazel Tov!
Sept 2008
RE: Do I need to join a temple to get into preschool?
You have a lot of decisions to make! A few years ago, I met a wonderful rabbi named Bridget Wynne who helped my family with similar questions. She runs an organization named Jewish Gateways, where she helps people to connect, Jewishly (whatever that may mean to you). She holds Shabbat dinners, holiday events, and discussions. She also runs groups for searchers; by the end of my group, all 6 of us had joined synagogues. Since she is not affiliated with any particular synagogue, there's no pressure for you to go in any particular direction. She is also available for one-on-one counseling. Plus, all of her events are kid-friendly, with free childcare. My daughter started accompanying me when she was 2.5, and she loves Rabbi Bridget! In October and November, she'll be hosting 2 events for young children and their families. Please check out her website at www.jewishgateways.org. You can reach her at 510-559-8140 orrabbibridget [at] jewishgateways.org (rabbibridget[at]jewishgateways[dot]org). Happy With My Decisions
Parent Reviews
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