Jewish Gateways: A Year in Review
- Jewish Gateways
- Nov 21
- 10 min read
Updated: Dec 4
December 1, 2025 • 11 Kislev 5786
Adult Learning: A Year in Review
This year, our Adult B-Mitzvah class returned after a long pandemic pause. Seven adults joined Rabbi Bridget Wynne for twice-monthly sessions where they explored Jewish wisdom, ancient and contemporary teachings, and meaningful engagement with Jewish prayer and spirituality.
Together, these participants built new skills, read from the Torah, and reflected on what this milestone means at this stage of their lives. Their end-of-year celebration reminded us all that Jewish learning is a lifelong journey.
Rabbi Bridget was curious about our opinions and created a very non-judgmental, non-shaming atmosphere. I moved from feeling othered, like I didn’t have the right background because of my childhood and education, to feeling deeply rooted in Judaism. I still have a lot to learn, but I don’t question my place in the tribe. - Beth, Adult B-Mitzvah participant.
Highlights:
Our first post-pandemic adult cohort.
Seven adults completed their B-Mitzvah learning journey.
Students studied Torah, prayer, and crafted personal speeches about their learning.
Jewish Ethics
Mussar is a Jewish spiritual discipline focused on cultivating middot — ethical character traits — through study, reflection, and daily practice. Each session invites participants to look inward, consider old patterns with new eyes, and support one another in the ongoing work of becoming more compassionate, patient, generous, and grounded.
My wife and I have participated in Mussar for the past eight years, and it has deeply strengthened our family life, our relationships within Jewish Gateways, and our connections in the broader community. - Jim, Mussar participant
Our Spring Mussar classes were conducted with thoughtful leadership from Rabbi Bridget, creating an enriching experience for all participants. We are delighted to share that, due to both growing demand and many returning students, we are planning to expand in 2026 from two groups to three.
Highlights:
Planning to expand in 2026 from two Mussar groups to three due to high demand.
18 participants in our Spring Mussar groups.
10 returning participants strengthened a supportive and thoughtful community.
Starting in October, we were thrilled to welcome Rabbi Ruth Adar as the new Torah for Everyone teacher. Her thoughtful, accessible approach to Jewish learning brings new energy to this twice-monthly class for adults.
The Torah can sometimes feel intimidating or irrelevant to modern life. Rabbi Ruth has a gift for opening the text with depth, curiosity, and clarity, helping participants see how it speaks to genuine questions in our lives today.
In the first three classes of the year, the group has discussed topics such as Do Jews Get Second Chances? and A Hotline from Heaven? Under Rabbi Ruth's leadership, participants confidently engage with the Torah and diverse commentaries, sparking impactful discussions and valuable insights.
Highlights:
3 classes so far, with 12 more to go.
15 participants are active members of the learning group.
Anyone is welcome to join, no Torah experience needed!
Community Groups, Events & Celebrations: A Year in Review
High Holidays
This year marked a meaningful transition for our community. After more than 15 years of hosting High Holidays at the JCC East Bay, we moved our services to Epworth United Methodist Church. Epworth is the same warm, welcoming space where we offer our Family Learning programs. Strengthening our relationship with Epworth has helped us root more of our learning, rituals, and community in a single shared home.
More than 500 people joined us for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, including many new faces. We prayed, reflected, and welcomed the new year together.
Highlights:
Over 500 participants across services.
New High Holiday location at Epworth United Methodist Church.
Accessible, welcoming services for all ages and backgrounds in person and on Zoom.
High Holiday Volunteers
High Holiday services would not be possible without our volunteers. To put on this year’s services, we needed to fill 80 volunteer jobs, including greeting attendees, assisting with wristbands, running registration, collecting donations, and setting up High Holidays activities. We are grateful to the 50 volunteers who filled these roles and made our services possible! Laurie Kirkpatrick, who has coordinated High Holiday volunteer efforts for 6 years, shared:
“High Holidays are a great place to put into practice the core values of Jewish Gateways. The spirit of the volunteers sets a warm tone for services every year."
We are always looking for new helpers during the High Holidays season. Interested in getting involved? Visit the Volunteer page on our website or email us: info@jewishgateways.org.
Highlights:
80 volunteer roles filled by 50 volunteers.
13 first-time volunteers joined us this year.
Volunteers supported all aspects of services, from greetings to logistics.
Community Events & Celebrations
Beyond the High Holidays, this year was filled with joyful gatherings and opportunities for connection across generations. These celebrations brought people together to experience ritual, community, and a lot of fun:
A return to a beloved tradition: Living Room Potluck Shabbat Dinners hosted by community members. These casual evenings are full of warmth, conversation, and good food. Sign up to host a living room Shabbat here, and look for an announcement on our next gathering in 2026.
For the first time, our volunteers organized a Garage Sale Fundraiser this year. This event invited all in the community to shop to support Jewish Gateways and the Alameda Food Bank. The sale raised over $1,400, with proceeds split between both organizations. We hope to make this an annual tradition, so look for announcements next spring to join this effort.
A joyful, silly Purim celebration for members of all ages featured community skits and learning around a potluck meal.
A meaningful Tu B’Shvat community seder in which adults gathered for a potluck meal to explore their relationship to the natural world.
Chaverim (Hebrew word for “friend”) continues to offer a rare and meaningful space for men to connect. At monthly meetings, both in person at members’ homes and on Zoom, the group gathers for deep check-ins, candid conversations, and mutual support.
Members share openly about life’s real challenges, from health issues to relationships.
For me, the biggest thing is the sense of community I feel with the group. One person needed a ride for surgery, and another member took him. Usually, in a group that size, people will talk when others are talking. That never happens in our group, because people want to hear what the other person is saying. - Sandy Warren, Chaverim group leader
The group remains open to new members. If you would like to join, please reach out to Sandy directly at sandywarren507@gmail.com.
Highlights:
A steady group of active members
Deep check-ins and supportive conversations
Group meets on the second Sunday of each month at 10 AM and is open to new participants
Our long-standing Rosh Chodesh (Hebrew for “head of the month,” which signifies the first day of a new month on the Jewish calendar, tied to the new moon) group continues to thrive, with 10 committed members. Now in its sixth year, the group has added more in-person gatherings, including Purim cocktails and its first movie-based session discussing Wonder Woman.
As Lex S. shared:
Rosh Chodesh has become a touchstone for me — a monthly pause where we gather, learn, and support one another. It’s a privilege to help create a space that feels both grounded and inspiring.
The group is well-established and therefore not in need of new members at this time. However, we warmly encourage anyone interested in starting a new circle to reach out to Lex Schrader, who leads the existing Rosh Chodesh group, at alexis.schrader@gmail.com.
Highlights:
6 years of meetings
Hybrid gatherings with new in-person events
Opportunity for mentorship in starting more groups
Our Caring Community, organized by Connie Jacowitz for the last six years, provides meals, rides, errands, grocery support, and short-term respite to community members during challenging times. The group recently organized a Meal Train for a couple who welcomed a new baby and sent condolence cards for those who have experienced a loss. Connie shared,
It means so much to me to be able to help people during difficult times. I have found that both the recipients and those providing help find it very meaningful.
If you are interested in volunteering or need a helping hand during a challenging time, please contact Connie at connie.jacowitz@gmail.com.
Highlights:
Six years of coordinated community support
Assistance provided through meals, rides, errands, and outreach
Opportunities available for both giving and receiving help
Shabbat Walk & Talk
Our Shabbat meetups offer a casual, straightforward way to connect with others in our community over coffee and a short walk.
Each walk offers a space for authentic connection and support, with conversations ranging from raising children and caring for aging parents to what it means to be Jewish today. These gatherings remind us how meaningful a community can be when we simply show up and spend time together.
Our coffee walk and talks on Shabbat mornings are a great way to connect and get some fresh air. A great way to start the weekend. - Jessica Cross, walk organizer.
Want to join an upcoming Shabbat Walk and Talk meetup? Let us know here, and we’ll reach out when the next walk is scheduled.
Every Friday evening at 6:00 pm PT, many in our community join on Zoom to welcome Shabbat alongside Rabbi Ruth. At the end of a long week, it offers an invitation to pause. Together, we light candles, sing, bless wine or juice and challah (or whatever you have at home), share, and take a moment to notice the shift from weekday to sacred time. Week after week, this ritual forms a steady rhythm of connection.
Whether you join alone, with family, or with friends, you’ll find a warm, welcoming space to begin Shabbat. No experience is necessary.
We’re lucky to have two active book clubs at Jewish Gateways, our Jewish Book Club and our Sci-Fi Book Club. Both groups are open to new members and offer a relaxed, welcoming way to connect with others while diving into great conversations. If you’re looking to meet people and explore new ideas, these groups are a wonderful place to start. Visit our Book Club page for more information about each book club and how to join.
Jewish Gateways Families: A Year in Review
Growing Together is our inclusive family learning program focused on exploring Jewish values and traditions together! For families with children from Pre-K to 5th grade. For the 2024–25 school year, we explored the Jewish cyclical calendar and its deep connection to the agricultural and seasonal rhythms around us. Families did activities like tracing the phases of the moon, grinding wheat, and crushing olives and grapes to understand how Shabbat and the holidays are shaped by the natural world.
This school year, we’ve started a curriculum centered on becoming a mensch (MENSH, Yiddish for "good, kind, responsible person") through Jewish middot (mee-DOTE, Hebrew for "character traits").
Recently, we’ve explored values like Shalom Bayit (shah-LOM BYE-eet, Hebrew for "peaceful home") by studying the classic debate about how to hang a mezuzah (meh-zoo-ZAH, Hebrew for the scroll placed on Jewish doorways). Should it be vertical or horizontal? We then made our own mezuzot (plural of mezuzah) as we talked about building homes rooted in love and peace.
Most recently, we learned about Chaverut (khah-veh-ROOT, Hebrew for "friendship") by making friendship bracelets and studying the teachings from Pirkei Avot (peer-KAY ah-VOTE, a book of Rabbinic teachings on living an ethical life). This sparked thoughtful conversations about Jewish teachings on our responsibility to care for one another. We look forward to continuing the year together with our families!
Highlights:
We've had a 30% increase in new families joining our Growing Together community this year.
We are already planning our 2026-27 curriculum, which focuses on core Torah stories!
Our personalized B-Mitzvah program meets each teen where they are, creating an experience rooted in tradition yet shaped by what matters most to them.
This year marked a major milestone: our first-ever cohort became b-mitzvah! Four families, some whose children have been with Jewish Gateways since 1st grade, reached this meaningful moment together.
Each teen spent two years studying, including a year studying Torah and Rabbinic texts one-on-one with Rabbi Steph. During this time, they built skills, mastery, and a personal relationship with Jewish learning. Our program also included working with each teen to develop a custom project that reflects their unique interests and voice. This is what they worked on:
Milcah designed and led their family’s Passover seder.
Noah coded a video game about the ten plagues.
Lucia wrote a book of poetry inspired by Joseph’s story.
Cate explored Jewish holidays and history through food, inventing new recipes along the way.
Watching our teens step forward with depth and creativity to lead their b-mitzvah rituals was one of the highlights of our entire year. We celebrated their accomplishments with a joyful community celebration honoring their learning, growth, and leadership.
Highlights:
First-ever B-Mitzvah cohort successfully completed the 2-year program.
Our second Cohort is underway!
A post–B-Mitzvah program is already in the works, with a focus on social justice and leadership.
In its third year since the pandemic, our 2025-26 Nourish + Nurture program welcomed four new families to join our returning families. We also saw some families move up to join Growing Together. In our program, parents with infants and children through pre-K gather each month to explore the questions that shape early family life: What does it mean to be Jewish? What does it mean to build community? How do we raise a mensch? How do we cultivate gratitude?
Nourish + Nurture continues to offer a warm, grounded space for connection. Parents appreciate the chance to slow down, reflect on their family’s values, and build friendships that support them through the early years of parenting. With childcare provided, grownups get the breather they need to learn and connect.
Highlights:
New families joined, growing our supportive parent community.
Monthly sessions explored values, ritual, gratitude, and environmental stewardship.
Alongside our family programs, this year was filled with meaningful family-focused gatherings that brought our community together:
Family events and activities:
Summer Shabbat Pizza in the Park welcomed new and returning families into the community for Friday night pizza and fun.
Summer craft boxes provided learning and connection during the Summer break.
We held our first Reverse Tashlich, inviting families to join for hands-on environmental repair through a waterway cleanup.
Holidays:
Our family-friendly High Holiday services offered an accessible and meaningful space for the holiest days of the year.
We celebrated Tu Bishvat, Shavuot, and Sukkot with Urban Adamah, connecting to the earth and our local food systems.
Alongside our friends at the Jewish Baby Network, we participated in a warm and welcoming Rosh Hashanah celebration.
If you are interested in being a part of our family programs and activities, we invite you to connect directly with Rabbi Steph, our Family Learning Director, rabbistephanie@jewishgateways.org