I've been going here since 2000, I continue to love this phenomenal community more and more the…read moreolder I get. The clergy are so amazing and they make you feel like part of the SHM family.

I really like this synagogue and the community. It's kind of hard being the new girl in town…read more.. moved here right before COVID. Finding a shul where most of the members are warm, welcoming, and kind is hard to find in general, but during COVID-19? Oy, it was a long process. Before moving to OC from LA, I belonged to Stephen Wise Temple up in Belair. We were the envy of all Shuls in the LA area... and at one point, I considered us the best... not due to the glitz and glam, but the dedication the clergy had for it's members. Esp. My cantor and one rabbi that is still there. It was so difficult to find a shul similar SWT in OC... until I decided to look into SHM It also helped that my teacher, mentor, friend, and arguably the greatest chazzan of our time, cantor Nathan Lam, pointed out that the LOVELY Rabbi Zive is now at SHM, in Irvine. (Where I live now), so that got my attention very quickly *it was kismet*. The words Rabbi Bryan Zive and Mensch are synonymous. He is a great leader- kind, compassionate, caring, WISE, and makes time for young people (like myself). I really appreciated the fact that he carved time out to meet with little 'ol me as he is such a busy man. With a little help from Nate, We started conversing, and finally scheduled a meeting as soon as it was good for us. Zive gave me the 411 on the temple and also put me at ease with respect to some concerns I had at the time. I also love the fact that SHM has an amazing musical program (& tons of things available for kiddos! Can't wait to bring my 1 year old as she deserves to be apart of a warm Jewish community and have the opportunities I had growing up). It seems like there's a program for everyone here. It's nice. I've been to this temple a couple of times before moving to OC (back when it was at the JCC), and really liked the vibe then. Their former Cantor, Arie, is such a dear and I love his Israeli flair with respect to music. Gotta love the lion from Zion. He's a very sweet man. I'm not sure if they have a full time cantor, yet... but I'm certain they will select a great one when the time is right. Big props to zive for being involved with the musical stuff + being a rabbi. I can't imagine it being easy to juggle both roles, but he definitely makes it look easy, lol. FYI:He was trained by the best and comes from great stock- just sayin'. My most recent experience at SHM was great. They had a lovely HHDs service, and everything was wonderful from the Classical chazzanut to the inspirational, educational, and insightful sermon. Truly fantastic from start to finish. Grateful to Zive for bringing me into the SHM community & I so look forward to some amazing "shecky" (Shehecheyanu) moments + making lovely memories with my daughter here in the future.

Great place clean I went there for a quinceañera as a guest everything was great and security…read moreguards are great they put you on a bracelet you show your Id so you can drink alcohol

My children went to this preschool and at the time was a wonderful school. Covid happened and the…read moreschool shut down, fast forward to almost 4 years later and a teacher attacks me on social media for being a republican! Completely unhinged and uncalled for. Andrea if you are still teaching you should NOT be around children with that rage: horrible feeling as a parent knowing their child was exposed to this kind of anger.

Congregation B'nai Israel has become a home for me in so many ways. I came seeking education and…read morelearning in my Jewish journey. I have received so much more - a deepening knowledge and understanding of the struggles of my ancestors and what they endured while never losing faith in the one true G-d. The connections I am making with fellow Jews of all ages, genders, ethnicities and sexualities, is another unexpected gift. What has been the most surprising is the truly welcoming hearts and humility that the clergy and leadership embody. As a queer person who was raised in a church that didn't accept all of who I am, it has been amazing to have found a spiritual community that not only accepts me, but embraces me and other members of the synagogue who identify as LGBTQIA+. Rabbi Adam Greenwald and Cantor Amy Robinson Katz, along with synagogue administration and board leadership and members, have created a place were all belong. Their spiritual walk matches their actions in the world. This is exactly what I have been seeking in a place of worship, and to find it while also finding my place in the story of the Israelites and in my identity as a queer Jewish person, has been a gift beyond measure.

This amazing pre school has provided the best education for my two grandchildren…read more My eldest grandson Kai will graduate in a week and is ready for his adventure into kindergarten in great part due to this school Thank you

My favorite "go to" Messianic congregation to attend! On Orange County. I love the teaching and how…read moreeverything is better structured with the service and the kids

What a loving and beautiful congregation. The worship was very beautiful to listen to and be a part…read moreof.

This is a very authentic community of really nice, genuine people. We felt very welcome on our…read morefirst visit. The rabbi is wonderful and very kind. Beautiful synagogue.

As a reform temple they are working to improve constantly . They hired a new rabbi recently. Rabbi…read moreSobel is sweet, understanding and working to make TBS great again. Loved rabbi Cohen also, but politics are politics. If your looking for a revitalized synagogue Temple Beth Shalom is a perfect choice.

It is the best taught Messianic Kahilah I have ever attended and the Love ecxudes from every…read moremember. The Spirit is in this place. Toda Rabbah.

The people here are the most friendly, loving congregation. They will make you feel welcome. They…read morelove Yeshua (Jesus) and preach the solid word of GOD. Even if you don't know anything about the Jewish roots of our faith they will answer questions and provide studies to learn. Great place to bring your children

This is a wonderful place, with absolutely wonderful people. I am not Jewish, but I had an amazing…read moreexperience here. I had a friend in a wheel chair, and I would bring her her often, for a couple of years. I was sooooo impressed with the quality of people gathering here. Always welcoming, warm, kind, helpful, and loving to one another. This synangogue helps its members, many get groceries and monetary help, if they are struggling. My friend, Julie, did! They would always check in on her, making sure she was ok. And they were always inclusive and non judgemental towards me, and very caring. On Saturdays after service they have a big lunch, ohh my Gaaawwddd, my mouth would water on the drive over . It is a feast! Everyone brings food, helps one another, cleans afterwards. God bless them, it was an experience I will treasure forever

I very much like this congregation. I checked it out initially because it has three minyanim 365…read moredays a year, which is super convenient, but was hesitant as I'm a conversion student with a Reform rabbi. However, they were incredibly warm and welcoming to me, and even helped me with keeping track of the place in the siddur. I first went to daven there after Pittsburgh, literally the day after the congregation itself was vandalised, and was still treated to wonderful hospitality before and after some initial questions for me. It is a Modern Orthodox schul, and I would recommend some knowledge of Hebrew if visiting on a day that's not Shabbat (they do have the transliterated Shabbat and Festival Artscroll siddur, which is very convenient). Their website has additional information in regards to Shabbat, including the status of the Irvine Eruv, which is quite substantial. Finally, Rabbi Ciner is very kind, knowledgeable, and welcoming. A true mensch.

A wonderful little congregation that sings praise songs in Hebrew (translations in English are…read moreprovided), celebrates Jewish holidays and festivals (e.g., Passover, Shavuot, Sukkot), and has two sermons (one from the Torah and another from the New Testament) every week! They have a nursery with a flat screen TV so nursing mothers can hear the sermons. Shabbat School Classes are available for ages 3-17 during the service. My wife and I have been attending this congregation for almost a year now and find it to be a wonderful place for our family to hear God's word, enjoy the richness of the language in which most of the Bible was originally written, and serve in a congregation that practices what is preached. Highly recommend this place. A++

My wife, 2 kids and I have been attending Ben David now for almost 5 years now (the kids are now 12…read more&13). If you are looking for a Messianic congregation to attend, then Ben David is not too bad of a place to start, but it depends on what you are looking for in a church / congregational experience. Some Messianic congregations tend to behave like an orthodox or Jewish conservative "like" traditional synagogue experience. I have found that others have a more typical church like service with aspects, celebrations and teaching of Judaism. Ben David is in the middle with a leaning towards a church "like" routine a little bit I would say. As you know, you'll never find the perfect church or congregational experience that checks off all the boxes you're looking for unless you start in place and design your own church :). As far as a kids Shabbat school (like Sunday School) they have something for the different ages/grades for your children. Unfortunately, in my humble opinion, their Shabbat school curriculum teaching leans more towards teaching mostly from the Old Testament and about the Jewish culture, Jewish life and holidays and all the Jewish aspects of the Messianic movement (***BUT, this totally depends on who's teaching on that day, since the teachers rotate). Being a Messianic congregation, where is the "balance" of Jesus (Yeshua) in the teaching? Without the Messiah Jesus (Yeshua) there would be no Messianic movement. If this "elephant in the room" became obvious to our family, we think it's a problem. But if you want to get your feet wet and see what a Messianic service is like, come check them out. Like a lot of places, you could find the services online to watch if you don't want to go in person yet (which I would recommend with any place you want to visit). Ben David is a medium sized congregation, not large enough to get lost in but not small enough for everyone to know your business either. Come check them out for a month and you be the judge and see what you think (don't take my word for it). Consequently, my favorite orange county Messianic Congregational experience has been "Shuvah Yisrael Messianic Jewish Congregation" in Irvine, their website is https://shuvahyisrael.org/. You can watch them online also to see what you think. Like I said at the beginning, you can't find the perfect church or congregational experience that checks off all the boxes you are looking for unless you decide to start your own church :) So, if you are happy stay and grow, but if you find you are not completely happy to plant yourself and grow roots here, you can move on elsewhere in your spiritual journey of course. Whatever works for you. Just always keep it in prayer and listen for the Lord's direction.

Pros: Beautiful facility…read more Cons: The Director Melissa basically accuses parents of abusing their children for self-defense behaviors like biting (yes, of course it's wrong, but it seems only one side is considered when these classroom incidents occur) the child exhibits once or twice. She also has a short fuse and, despite acknowledging she is not Jewish, pretends to know the intra-dynamics of the Jewish community, pushing the "intersectionality" (I support informed intersectionality, not passive aggressive hostility) narrative that "white Jews" oppress other Jews. This is not what we want to teach our children - they should make their own decisions based on observations, and our community certainly doesn't fit so neatly into the North American race-obsessed "oppressor/oppressed" binary.

Temple Beth El has been such a special place for me to connect with other Jewish people in south…read moreOrange County. They have both reform and conservative services and they do so much good for the community. I'm so happy to have found such an amazing Temple.

A small congregation of middle-aged and older congregants who enjoy a beautiful hour-long Friday…read moreeve service with oneg after. We love the people there and look forward to seeing them every week.

I would reccomend anyone looking for a small group in a local temple of the back bay location in…read moreNewport Beach, Ca. try Temple Issiah. This temple was founded by Flory A. Van Beek who recently passed away this year. She wrote a fabulous book named: Flory ... Survival in the Valley of Death Holocaust 1940-1945. (when I read this book, I couldn't put it down until it was finished!) acutally two days i read off and on until i completed it. It was on edge every moment and I feel like I wish so many more people would read it too. In Flory's memory, I would hope some people would help out for her temple is having extreme financial difficulties. It was her husband and her's greatest wish to help to keep the Jewish people together when the Holocaust was over. They vowed to do this if they ever did anything. It would be a great waste to stop her founded temple's growth just because she has left us. It's a small group but it is very sweet and personal. Leah Spalding