This is a lovely building housing a wonderful congregation. The people who practice their faith…read morehere are like family and welcoming to new members and visiters. The school is inclusive and the annual Carrot Festival, open to the public, is a fabulous community event for all family members, including children.

It feels a bit weird to say this after just being a member for a couple of months, but I love this…read moreplace. My family and I kicked around the Jewish community in Albany for a couple of years looking for our spiritual home. And of all places we found it in Schenectady. We feel it is a great fit for us. It's not too big, it's not too small. It's not too religious (I don't feel guilty about my love for bacon), it's not too secular. It's not too fancy, it's not too drab. There is a word in yiddish that sums it all up nicely, and that is haimish. For those who don't know what that means, it's "having qualities associated with a homelike atmosphere; simple, warm, relaxed, cozy, unpretentious, etc." They also have an annual Jewish Food Festival, which I have to say I'm excited to be participating in this year. Don't tell the rabbi, but it also doesn't hurt that I can drop my kid off at Sunday school and then hang out at the Schenectady Greenmarket. I love it there, and I love any excuse to make the trek out to the Electric City.

From the owner: Gates of Heaven is the oldest Jewish congregation in Schenectady, NY, with over 300 member…read morefamilies, many of whom are multi-generational members, and a senior rabbi who has served this community for over 30 years. We offer a variety of programming for young families, single adults, and senior members, including social, educational, and spiritual experiences, in following with the Union of Reform Judaism. Our supplemental school, Gates Quest, provides high-quality education to children from preschool through 7th grade, followed by an enriching high school-level social group we call GOHTY (Gates of Heaven Temple Youth), and adult education programs throughout the year. Holidays like Purim, Passover, High Holy Days, Sukkot, Hanukkah, and more, bring opportunities to come together to celebrate our history and our culture. Join us for a Shabbat service, Shabbat family dinner, Torah Study, or one of our many upcoming weekday programs, and see what sets us apart from other congregations in the Capital District! No commitment necessary for your first visit; our Gates are open to all!

A beautiful, friendly, egalitarian Conservative synagogue in Saratoga Springs, offering many…read moreprograms. A dynamic Rabbi and an active Sisterhood.

Very welcoming temple ! They gave pizza party and welcome bag when you are welcome into temple and…read morea huge party ! Every Friday they have a get togather and they celebrate holidays all the Jewish holidays an they are a very inviting temple I love this temple

Friendly congregation, hamish community - lay and professional leadership get along well - services…read moreare mainly lay led

This is a great conservative congregation…read more When my family arrived in the area, we weren't sure if we would be more comfortable joining a reform or conservative congregation. Back in Berkeley we were at a reform temple that used mostly Hebrew during worship, and was led by an old school Hungarian rabbi. The clergy at Ohav are fantastic. Loved Rabbi Dan. Love that the congregation shows off its egalitarian stripes with Rabbi Rena on the bima. Services were always kid friendly, from little toddlers all the way through fidgety grade schoolers. And we found it to be a warm and welcoming community. In the end, we decided our family was ultimately more comfortable being on the more religious side in a reform congregation, than the slackers in a conservative one. But this place still holds a warm spot in our heart, and it's an active and thriving part of the local Jewish community.

I have visited this place twice now. There is a small group that meets about twice a month for…read moreTorah study. They are very friendly and welcoming and they have very engaging and intellectually stimulating discussions about the Torah and its relevance for modern life. They also serve delicious coffee and refreshments and they have a beautiful building.