I tend not to review religious organizations or facilities or groups as, when one is talking about…read moreany matter pertaining to the spiritual, it just seems way more subjective than, say, reviewing a restaurant or store. That said, here are my reasons why, for me and my family, at any rate, this is a wonderful synagogue: 1. They are all-welcoming, of everyone. My hubby is not Jewish. TSHS welcomes all interfaith couples, blended families, the LBGT community (they were very vocal in their support of same sex marriage), everyone and anyone. To me, this is what a religious-based community SHOULD be. 2.This is a community-oriented temple. There are so many opportunities to meet people here and join groups, or simply attend Shabbat services and those at holidays. There are adult-learning classes, a very active single "Tribe" group (they do so many fun activities, I kinda wish I were single again so I could join this group!), groups for teens, book clubs, pot-lucks, Temple trips, and more. In other words, you can do as much or as little as you wish. But there's a LOT to do, if you want. 3. There are two sites - one in Seattle, one in Bellevue - so that makes it a bit more convenient to go. 4. They have awesome preschool and religion/Sunday school programs, and fabulous Bat Mitzvah/Bar Mitzvah training and facilities, and will help you (the parents!) plan these events, every step of the way. 5. There's a focus on community involvement and awareness. I like how there are dialogues with Moslems and Catholics and how there are many inter-faith dialogues and meet-and-greets throughout the year, and how CHurch members come to our services and how we go to theirs. And how there are always opprotunities, through the Temple, to help others in our community (volunteering at shelters and soup kitchens, cleaning parks, clothing drives, etc.). 6. Personally, I like how they have their finger on the pulse of what's going on in the world. This is a very liberal reform congregation, led by a very charismatic senior rabbi and other super rabbis who speak in real-world terms about real-world issues. There's no emphasis on esotheric, abstract issues. The services focus on real, pragmatic themes and current events, and they are able to break down even the most fuzzy theologic material into terms us laymen understand. They have "Rock Shabbat" services where, with electric guitars in hand, they'll sing Bob Dylan, Elvis Costello or The Band tunes, and talk about the politics of the world, and how it relates to Torah. It's all discussed in ways we understand, and in an interactive format that makes us feel a part of the services itself. This is a huge contrast to the very Conservative synagogue of my youth. And I SO welcome these changes!

I love Temple De Hirsch!…read more Even though I have spent most of my time at the Seattle Temple De Hirsch, I attended some services at this Synagogue. The location can be a little confusing, but there is plenty of well lit parking (winter is dark :/). I 100% agree with Nancy, they truly are all welcoming, I enjoy the diverse, genuine atmosphere.

A warm, welcoming community. The religious school program at this Reform temple is vibrant (your…read morekids will not complain about Jewish cooking class or outdoor adventures). Located in the heart of Bellevue but members come from around the region. Don't miss the soul Shabbat with Chava Mirel and her band.

We've been members of Temple B'nai Torah (TBT) for 22 years and keep coming back. Why? It's warm,…read moreinviting, welcoming and open to all. Both our boys were Bar Mitzvahed there. The cantor is great and the new rabbi is a welcome new face, replacing the beloved previous rabbi, who is now on emeritus status. Although we no longer use the religious school we hear it has a great reputation too.

I love the Rabbi and Cantor - bright, curious, warm, and dedicated professionals. The membership as…read morea whole is committed to unity, and has a growth mindset while still honoring the Conservative Jewish traditions. On Shabbat, there is a great kiddush, open to the whole congregation. It's a nice way to stay in the Shabbat mood after services.

The Clergy is the best! Cantor Kurland has been at Herzl for almost 30 years and has a most…read morewonderful relationship with every congregant. The children love him! He's a man with a very good soul! Rabbi Rosenbaum is the least lazy person I have ever met. He works so hard to keep learning and new programs available and fun. Also a very caring person! We joined Herzl in 1972 and raised our children there. They still have "warm fuzzies" about Herzl Ner Tamid although they no longer live in the area. The congregation seems to have gotten much younger.....but maybe that's because we are much older??? Great congregation for those not fitting into reform or not comfortable with Orthodox.

Inclusive and supportive Jewish community with strong Tikkun Olam efforts - make sure you download…read moretheir app or n your favorite app store!

An incredibly welcoming and intellectual congregation, whether you were raised in a Jewish…read morehousehold or have never attended synagogue. I was extremely skeptical of a "meditative synagogue," since I'm well-aware of the celebrity pseudo-Kabbalah "Kabbalah Center" trend. But this congregation is uplifting, mystical, and genuine. It truly embodies the mystic Jewish tradition without new age weirdness. There are no gimmicks. At so many other services, you don't feel like you're really digesting the Torah portion. Here, guided meditation forces you to think about the deeper implications of the text and its applications. And, as a person who has never successfully meditated before, I was able to meditate on the Torah passage with great success and find it more relevant than ever before. Converts, potential converts, and non-Jewish alike will also find a welcoming home here - none of that "cold shoulder" nonsense here, but genuine curiosity and acceptance.

I used to follow Kol Ami. They sent a blog post after 10/7 that I found offensive. When I responded…read morewith dismay, I received the most unhinged screed I have ever been subjected to by a rabbi in my life. Being told once by a Conservative rabbi that I should cancel my marriage to a gentile (now in our 18th year!) was nowhere near as upsetting as her response. She singlehandedly destroyed my desire to seek a Jewish community where I live. I posted this information to Reddit in response to someone asking about Eastside synagogues. I have said nothing further on the matter publicly since then and have been trying to forget about it. Months later, this rabbi just today posted another screed in reply on Reddit, *and* sent a threatening chat message to me. Reddit agreed that this was harassment. She is still with Kol Ami. I realize Yelp is not the place to grind an axe, and so I did not post a review of the synagogue at the time. I am posting this now because I believe new potential members should really know that this is how at least one of the rabbis here behaves in her personal life.

My family and I have been members and guests of several synagogues across the country through the…read moreyears. This is one of only two at which I've felt comfortable and included. Our rabbi is thoroughly invested in tikkun olam, and walks the walk. She is serious about inclusion, and not for just a garden variety of Jews, but for people of color, interfaith families, and differing sexual orientations and genders. We are a diverse family of congregants who aren't afraid to redefine synagogue and observance conventions, and tackle tough socio-Jewish problems, but we expect our members to engage in civil discourse and non-threatening community behavior. Our congregational and religious school staff and volunteers work hard to be supportive and avoid shaming tactics, and we are mapping a course to move us into a connected, active, and brave Jewish future.

Hi. I have been a member of TBA since I was a kid. Please ignore the salty Karen's + Steve's,…read morepolitics have literally always been a part of not only TBA, but also the Reform movement. They know this, but refuse to acknowledge it and get salty anyways. They do love Jews of all viewpoints, quite literally. Many of us, myself included, just don't hold space for childish behavior from adults. They are not praying to leftist ideology, they are simply praying. LGBTQ+ Jews exist (hi) and always have (hey great aunt Jennie from 1863). Celebrating those of our community who are LGBTQ+ isn't "sawing off the branch they are sitting on", and neither is holding our Muslim peers in our hearts. Their religion, like ours, is beautiful in its own way, and friends are always welcome. Welcoming Jews who have intersecting identities isn't "political", it's following Jewish values. Oh no, the senior rabbi mentioned how a candidate put the Jewish community, LGBTQ+ community (hi, Jewish Queers exist), Muslim community, immigrant community (Jewish immigrants exist), etc. in danger. It's her job, as a Rabbi, to work with our community, Jewish or not, and to protect us. In any case, it does have its problems don't get me wrong (mainly the board, mainly the usual drama, mainly all my own personal problems with the URJ), but it's always welcoming, always warm, and always working to do better. They hold space for anyone who needs it. The services are always full of ruach, and the music is amazing. The Hebrew school is one of the best URJ wise, and always is very kid focused + working to be even better. They have activities for nearly everyone, and constantly work on engagement. Despite having walked away from the Reform movement, TBA will always be home.

Been going here nearly a decade and can safely say it's one of the few places that's a comfortable…read moreJewish home for us here in the otherwise unaffiliated northwest. We started going here when we were just a couple, then Rabbi Jonathan married us, and we've been members ever since. Here's the details: This synagogue is affiliated with the reform movement. It's egalitarian at its core. Gays & lesbians are more than welcome. Interfaith couples? Absolutely. Families with young kids? Tot shabbat on Saturday and Friday night once/month. Senior citizens? Many many many activities for you. Like to volunteer? Join one of the myriad committees. Hate to volunteer? Show up at one of the events targeted at every niche you could imagine. If you're even at all interested in learning more about Judaism (whether you're already a Jew or are dating/married to one) there's tons of adult learning classes too - and even a conversion "track" if you're interested. There are two main rabbis - Jonathan and Beth Singer (yes, they're married). Besides leading interesting services they also lead trips to Jewish sites around the world (if you're up for it). There's also a great cantor in Wendy Marcus who, along with her husband Sean Weaver, do an incredible job of bringing many cultural and musical touches to the services without making it feel like a church. We haven't gotten to the religious school yet (our kid is almost old enough) but it's the largest in the northwest, and the teenage youth group is also very active. There's an increasing amount of Hebrew (at least compared to when I was a kid at reform shuls on the east coast) but even if you don't know a tallis from a tennis racket you'll be comfortable here as long as you're interested in exploring or expressing your Judaism.

I can't say enough good things about the inclusivity of this school, the strong academics, the…read morewhole-kid learning, and the overall culture of positivity and celebration. We moved to the Seattle area from out of state just as my son was ready to start 6th grade/middle school. What a hard time to ask a kid to leave his lifelong friends and start at a new school. He had also really disliked school for the last couple of years. Wow, what a wonderful culture change it was to arrive at JDS. My son now tells me that he likes school, "because we do things. We do projects and make things." I've always known he was smart and, in previous years, it was hard to hear him say that he hated math. Now, he is doing GREAT in math. He is proud of his progress and proud of his grades. He feels safe enough socially to try basketball and the school pay. He is a happy guy at JDS and I'm a JDS fan.

My son joined JDS as a sixth grader, after attending public elementary school. We were first drawn…read morein by its educational philosophy rather than because we were specifically looking for a Jewish education, and we have been very happy there. A few things that have worked well for my son: - Much more personalized attention and learning at his level. He was able to up-level in classes where he had capabilities and has gotten more support where he needed it. This was a very welcome change to public school where he always felt like things were too hard or too easy. If there is a concern, teachers are very responsive. - The inquiry based teaching method has been so great for him. It seems as though they learn with more depth and interest. The teachers have more freedom to adapt to the needs and interests of the class vs having a set curriculum that they are required to deliver. - The community is very tightknit and welcoming. Though the classes are small, but they build community and social connections across grades, and there are lots of chances for parent connection if you want it (and it's okay if you don't) The school is welcoming to both Jewish and non-Jewish families. My son has fit in well despite not knowing much about Judaism before joining this community. He really enjoys the Jewish Studies class where he learns about Jewish history and values within a broader context. For example my son's current unit is about The Universals of Culture. An excerpt from the newsletter described "Students learned about Greek and Roman art, burial practices of the ancient Sumerians, the development of cuneiform writing, the economy of Ancient China and how we celebrate holidays develops using The Fourth of July as an example". They then used that along with Jewish readings as background for a project where they build a culture of their own. It's been super engaging, and thought-provoking.

This review is solely for the Early Childhood Center as we do not attend temple…read more The Early Childhood Center at Beth Shalom was such a blessing to our family! We initially enrolled our daughter (18 months at the time), in a time where we could not find another suitable vacancy for full-time care. As a non-Jewish family, we assumed we would keep her there until we found another opening but very quickly we realized what a wonderful place the ECC was and had no intention of moving her elsewhere. We were in both the 1-2 and the 2-3 class, and loved both! All of the teachers, parents, and other staff were so wonderfully welcoming and caring. I always felt so safe leaving my daughter there, and she came home singing sweet songs, talking about her friends at school, and was thrilled to go there every day. I often got emails and texts with photos and updated throughout the day... such a nice gesture, particularly in the early days when you're adjusting to a new place. We've since moved to the Eastside and had to find new care. We love our new place as well, but still miss ECC and everyone there! Our daughter still talks about her old teachers and sings their classroom songs. We feel so sad that we had to move and truly wish we were still part of the program. I would wholeheartedly recommend the ECC. It's open to all faiths and we never felt any less involved or included because we weren't Jewish. This daycare is such a treasure... such caring and warm staff who are true professionals and clearly love what they do! We miss Leah, Jessica... and the whole crew! - Claire and Family

This congregation offers excellent adult classes, from language to cooking. I very much enjoy the…read moresinging at Beth Shalom and the overall welcoming warmth of the people.

I am learning so much here…read more The sound healing of Hebrew. The clarity of the scripture. The vast openness of surrender. This temple and her people have amplified my capacity to wonder, ponder and celebrate.

Very real and authentic people. I enjoyed the fellowship at oneg afterward.read more