Fact: the San Francisco Bay Area has more than 450,000 Jews living in the region.
Fact: Many of them are older, married or are culturally Jewish, meaning that these CJ's eat "kosher-style" and are held subject to guilt-trips and Jewfros, just like their observant counterparts. They do not, however, attend synagogue. Well, maybe during High Holidays they feel the need to repent. But the religious Jewish community in America is aging and fewer youngun's are going to schul. As if our people don't have enough problems!
What's an observant and outgoing young Yid to do? Emek Beracha is stepping up to the plate (just because I use a sports metaphor doesn't make me an impostor to the Tribe!) to Jewnite the spiritual, intellectual and social soul of the Bay Are Jewish community. The schul offers classes on great topics in conjunction with the neighboring Jewish Study Network as well as stimulating services each and every day of the lunar-calendered year. The service structure is traditional; it's led by a diverse group of community members, some of whom have heart-achingly beautiful voices. Rabbi Feldman always helps me put on my thinking cap with his weekly-'drash and I feel learn-ed by the end of his midrash.
The set-up is Modern Orthodox- this means there is a mehitzah separating the men and women. Ergo: a steady volley of eye catching and craned necks ensues throughout services. That's the beauty of it! During the service, you can see a healthy amount of young people and after services conclude, you can meet "THAT boy/girl across the aisle" because that's who the kind of person who goes to EB; people are very proactive in reaching out to newcomers. The community really is THAT warm and welcoming.
As far as length goes, the ModOx don't drag through most services and on Shabbat, we're out by 11:30am. Shabbat lunch hospitality is guaranteed each week if you still have room after all the chocolate-frosted cookies, fruit, cake, whitefish and so much more! Watch out for the tons of kids that pounce on the kiddush-foods (especially the chocolate doughnut-holes) with the ferocity of a school of hungry piranha. Kosher never tasted so good as it does post-services- except at the spankin' new eatery "The Kitchen Table" and "Izzy's", whose founders and chefs attend EB on a regular basis.
FINAL NOTE: Be fully prepared to play "JewWho: Extreme Edition" with everyone you meet because wherever you go, even if you're new-ish, you're never alone- there's ALWAYS someone Jewish! read more
