Spiritual Life and Shabbat Services
We are excited to be gathering again in person for Shabbat services and holiday programs (most are also available on Zoom)! Consistent with the Reconstructionist motto of "deeply rooted, boldly relevant," our Shabbat and holiday services are grounded in Jewish tradition, while also building on it in creative ways. People of all backgrounds and levels of knowledge and observance are encouraged to join us in song, prayer, and study!
All prayers recited by the entire congregation are transliterated so that people with little or no Hebrew background can participate fully.
We welcome visitors to all our services.
For some brief articles about our ritual life, please visit our On Ritual page.
Shabbat Morning Services
Our weekly, hybrid Shabbat morning services are highly participatory and blend traditional davvening (prayer) with lively singing, English readings, and discussions of the weekly Torah portion. Rabbi Toba Spitzer accompanies much of the service on guitar, and congregation members share in every aspect of leading the services. We use the Reconstructionist siddur (prayerbook) Kol Haneshama, which features gender-neutral English translations, commentary and interpretations to make the traditional prayers more easily accessible, as well as supplementary readings by a wide variety of rabbis, writers, and others.
All-Ages Erev Shabbat
Once a month, we gather for candle-lighting and Shabbat dinner at 6 pm on Friday evening for an all-ages erev Shabbat celebration.
A musical, kid-friendly Kabbalat Shabbat service led by Rabbi Toba begins at 6:45 pm, followed by Oneg Shabbat at 7:30 pm.
These services are generally not available on Zoom.
Shorashim Shabbat
Shorashim (roots) Shabbat is a monthly Shabbat program for children ages six and younger and their adults and siblings. We will sing, pray, dance, play games, and read stories... all we need is YOU!
Rabbinic Care
Rabbi Toba is available to talk about any spiritual, religious, or personal issues that you might want to discuss. To schedule an appointment, please contact Rabbi Toba (confidentially) at t.spitzer@dorsheitzedek.org. Rabbi Toba does not check email on Shabbat (Friday evening through Saturday evening) or on Mondays (her day off). For congregants experiencing financial difficulties, help is available through the Rabbi’s Discretionary Fund. This fund is completely confidential. For pastoral support while Rabbi Toba is away, please contact chesed@dorsheitzedek.org to get in touch with “on call” rabbis.