Kabbalat Shabbat

Gather on monthly Friday evenings for joyful prayer, soulful music, evocative learning, community connection, and a shared Shabbat meal. Several gatherings are woven together with festivals and seasonal celebrations.

Shabbat Yente- Community Tables: We will be using a new app, created by one of our members, to connect our members to share their Shabbat tables.

Shabbaton Retreat — A deep dive into Shabbat, learning, and community weaving

Festivals & Holidays

Erev Rosh Hashana 5787

Rosh Hashana 5787

Kol Nidre

Yom Kippur 5787 — 25-hour sacred fire

Sukkot 5787 — Poolside Chag Feast

Hanukkah 5787—Kabbalat Shabbat and Celebration

Tu b’Shvat 5787- Seder for the trees

Passover 5787- Creative 2nd night Seder

Shavuot 5787 — Late-night learn-in & sacred fire revelation

Tisha B’Av 5787 — Grief ritual & sacred fire, honoring loss and longing

B’nai Shalom is an earth-based Jewish educational journey bridging traditional ritual and nature rites of passage. We utilize a holistic "Head, Heart, and Hands" framework to cultivate deep relationships between our youth and Judaism, themselves, the land, and the community.

Our curriculum is designed to grow with your child, offering specialized focus areas for every stage of development:

Tots (0–3 YRS): Parent-child engagement through singing, nature play, and basic blessings.

Kinder (4–6 YRS): A nature playgarden focus introducing the Hebrew alphabet, Shabbat, and the values of Tikkun Olam.

Pre-Mitzvah (7–11 YRS): Deepening prayer leadership and essential nature skills like fire-making and herbal medicine.

Mitzvah Makom (11–13 YRS): A dedicated B’Mitzvah journey including Torah leyning, synagogue training, and nature solo time (Hitbodedut).

Teens (14–18 YRS): Seasonal gatherings and leadership opportunities as program helpers during communal events.

Weaving the community together beyond the prayer is a key goal for cultivating and nourishing our village. We aspire to uplift volunteer community members’ leadership and strenthen our community. Please let staff know if you feel inspired to support or lead a moon circle or other community activity.

Member Circles
Makom Shalom is experimenting this year with closed, 12 week sessions for member circles.

Moon Groups

Rosh Chodesh (new moon) has long been a sacred time for female-identified humans to gathering in prayer and sharing. Kiddush Levana (full moon honoring) has long been a sacred time for male-identified humans to honor the sacred together in prayer and sharing. We will also be creating HaKochavim, a star circle, for queer and non binary humans to gather in prayer and sharing.

Seasonal Hikes & Picnics
We live in a paradise of local trails and special places. We envision volunteer leaders galvanizeing Makom Shalom members for land connection, community joy, and learning about our local ecosystem.

Your Inspired Offering!
We envision Makom Shalom comes alive with shared community leadership. If you are inspired to offer a way to weave community - book club, board game tournament, challah baking group, surf clan, fermentation gang, ski crew, etc. - please get in touch with staff to make your community building inspiration come to life! We are offering support and infrastructure for 12-week sessions, led by our community members!

Whether you are new to Judaism or a teacher of Judaism yourself, we aim to create a community that centers learning and spiritual growth!

Chaverim Circle

A monthly spiritual refinement group that studies growing spiritually in community through the wisdom of the Rabbi Kalonymus Kalman Shapira (also known as the Piaseczno Rebbe). We are offering three closed, 12 week sessions of study. Led by Rabbi Zelig.

Prayer Lab

Gather on a monthly basis to learn history, rhythms, and know-how of Jewish prayer - for your edification and to uplift our community prayer! We are offering three closed, 12 week sessions of study. Led by Rabbi Zelig.

Ancestral Skills
We aspire to build our collective skills that awakens our inner craft-person, brings us closer to source, and builds real skills for resilience - food, fiber, blade, and beyond.

Being a part of Jewish community is for the good and challenging times. Makom Shalom aims to provide rabbinic support when needed most.

Pastoral Care
When emotional and spiritual support is most needed, Makom Shalom’s pastoral care team, including rabbi and other skilled community counselors, is here to listen and provide a compassionate, non-judgmental presence for individuals and families who are struggling, navigating loss and doubt, celebrating, and more.

Lifecycle Ritual
At the most pivotal life moments, birth, rites of passage, marriage, death and other joys and oys, Makom Shalom aims to provide a circle of care appropriate for your transition.

Community Engagement & Collaboration
Our leadership team actively represents the Makom Shalom community in timely and community-relevant communication engagement and collaboration. For example, our rabbi will collaborate and stay current with Sonoma County and Bay Area Jewish communities, interfaith religioius institutions, and timely political issues that directly impact us.