About Us

Rooted in our history as San Francisco’s gay and lesbian synagogue, we offer the warmth and comfort of chosen family. To that end, we embrace a diversity of individuals of all sexualities, genders, races and abilities. We welcome a diversity of families, including single members, interfaith, single-parent, and multicultural families.

Join us as we come together with open hearts to learn and grow, lifting each other up to do what we never thought possible. We invite you to meet our members and leadership and to explore all that Sha’ar Zahav has to offer.

Learning

Our religious school, Beit Sefer Phyllis Mintzer, offers families an innovative education program that emphasizes the positive power of diversity and affirms the special worth of every person and every family.  Weekly, we provide children K-7th grade with a Jewish education that includes Torah, ethics, ritual, Hebrew, history, and Israel with an emphasis on Jewish diversity and social justice in an LGBT/queer-positive community.

At Sha’ar Zahav, you will find adult education opportunities as diverse as our membership. Whether you are looking for basic Hebrew reading classes, guest lecturers speaking about LGBTQ Jews in Israel, or higher level Jewish learning, there is something at Sha’ar Zahav that will excite the learner in you. If you have a request for a class topic, please contact our Director of Engagement at heidy@shaarzahav.org.

Prayer & Worship

Ritual life at Sha’ar Zahav is proudly and joyously co-created and co-led by professional clergy and members. Our liturgy and services reflect our modern understanding of the world. 

Created in 2009, Siddur Sha’ar Zahav (our self-published prayerbook) speaks directly to experiences which are not found in other published siddurim — prayers for being single, contemplations for nonbelievers, and blessings for coming out of dark places. It engages traditional Jewish liturgy and goes beyond.  It is a complete LGBTQ and egalitarian Jewish prayer book.  It is for those who are learning prayers and those who are deeply knowledgeable. Siddur Sha'ar Zahav reflects our modern lives, our yearnings and our power to bring healing to ourselves and for others.

Now, as always,  Sha'ar Zahav is your home.