Ritual Life

Friday Night Services * Saturday Morning Services * Weekday Evening Service * Holidays * Lifecycle Ceremonies * Religious Outlook * Ritual Committee

Join us for inspiring services on Shabbat and holidays. Whether you’ve been a member for years or are checking us out for the first time, Congregation Sha’ar Zahav offers a friendly and welcoming environment that will nourish your soul, engage your intellect and foster your love of Judaism.

Please refer to our calendar for details about service times and activities for any particular day.

Friday Night Shabbat Services & Activities

8:15 pm First Friday of each month
7:30 pm All other Fridays

A festive oneg Shabbat (schmoozing and noshing) follows services on Friday night.

"Friday Night Live," our Family Shabbat Service, is held at 6:00 pm on the first Friday of every month. Designed for children 0 to 6 years, but all are welcome. The service is followed by a pizza dinner.

Saturday Morning Shabbat Services & Activities

9:00 am Torah Study
10:15 am Services

A festive oneg Shabbat (schmoozing and noshing) follows services on Saturday morning.

Tot Shabbat, a Shabbat celebration through music and art for families with children ages 2 to 5, is usually held one Saturday a month at 10:30 am. No RSVP required. Schedule varies.

Daily Ma’ariv (Evening) Service

A ma’ariv service is held at 6:30 pm Sunday through Thursday. This short service provides an opportunity to pray communally on regular basis, say kaddish and learn about service leading.

Holidays & Special Ritual Events

Services and celebrations are held for all Jewish holidays. Please refer to our calendar for details.

  • Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur: Our High Holy Day services, held at the beautiful Herbst Theater, are the spiritual highlight of the year.
  • Sukkot: Join us for meals in a Sukkah – and even help build one!
  • Simchat Torah: Grab the Torah and dance dance dance.
  • Thanksgiving Interfaith Service: A service of thanks and blessing with our neighbors from other faith communities.
  • Chanukah: It’s Not Your Grandma’s Latkes at CSZ!
  • Tu B’Shvat: Celebrate nature on the New Year for Trees.
  • Purim: It’s Megillah Madness!
  • Passover: Experience redemption + gefilte fish at the Sha’ar Zahav Home Made Communal Seder.
  • Shavuot: Study the night away at our Leil Tikkun.
  • Pride: Celebrate LGBT Pride at special services and a Pride Freedom Seder. 

Lifecycle Ceremonies

Lifecycle events deserve recognition. At CSZ we mark significant moments in your life by creating meaningful liturgy and sharing meaningful occasions together. From welcoming Jews into the covenant, to adult bar/bat mitzvah, to baby namings and weddings, CSZ helps you celebrate who you are with meaningful Jewish ritual.

Religious Outlook

Congregation Sha’ar Zahav is a blend of many strands of Judaism. While we hail from a variety of backgrounds and knowledge, we join together to practice Judaism. We are united in the belief that modern Reform Judaism, which encompasses the spirit of justice and egalitarianism, includes all of us.

CSZ has a strong tradition of lay leadership. Members lead services and deliver sermons. Our prayer book reflects our diversity. It respects the original Hebrew texts, traditions and sources and includes contemporary writings, alternative interpretations, translations, acknowledgment of the importance of women in Jewish tradition and gender-neutral God language.

Ritual Committee

CSZ's Ritual Committee works with the rabbi to organize services, train service leaders and create and implement our religious policies and philosophies. To contact the Ritual Committee click here.