Board of Trustees
Events @ PSJC
Welcome to the PSJC Events Page! Here you can find a listing of all of the classes, religious services, social and special events that are coming up at PSJC.
Events @ PSJC
Welcome to the PSJC Events Page! Here you can find a listing of all of the classes, religious services, social and special events that are coming up at PSJC.
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Shabbat at PSJC
Shalom! We are always delighted to have new people join us, and we hope that this brief description of our Shabbat services will help you participate and feel at home in our community. We connect as a community to celebrate Kabbalat Shabbat on Friday night, Shacharit Services on Shabbat morning, and Havdalah on Saturday night.
Shabbat Services at PSJC
The PSJC community meets for Kabbalat Shabbat on Friday night and Shabbat morning services. Please see the Events Page for updated service times, Zoom access links, and additional opportunities.
For Zoom participation on Shabbat, note that the Zoom stream will open at 6:00 PM Friday evening for Kabbalat Shabbat and will remain turned on for those who would like to join at that time or for viewing on Saturday. If you sign on Friday evening and stay signed on for Shabbat morning, remember to turn off your audio and the "energy savings settings" so your computer screen doesn't turn off overnight. Please see the Kabbalat Shabbat (Friday) Resources, and Shabbat Day (Saturday) Resources for material to help you celebrate Shabbat from home.
Friday night
Friday night services at PSJC offer a warm and intimate gathering to welcome in Shabbat. Beginning with joyous singing (and occasional dancing) Friday night services include Kabbalat Shabbat, a brief Torah discussion, and Maariv (the evening service), followed by sharing in Kiddush, where we each introduce ourselves so that we can welcome in Shabbat among friends. Many weeks we observe Kabbalat Shabbat on Zoom - see the Events Page for details.
On the first Friday night of every month, PSJC welcomes Shabbat with our lay-led, all-sung service, Lev Tahor (the Pure Heart - see below). Cantor Ribnick leads us in song and prayer on the third Friday night of each month. Throughout the year there are also Kabbalat Shabbat Kulanu services, our wiggle-friendly, shush-free service that is accessible to all ages, led by Amie and Aileen.
The goal of the Lev Tahor service is to bring together different voices from our community to create a joyous, musical, moving, shared experience - whether or not you know the words or the tunes, everyone is welcome to join. We sit in concentric circles and harmonize together with our lay-led, all-sung Kabbalat Shabbat. Together, we also learn a little – between the parts of the Service, reading quotes from diverse sources, ranging from rabbinic scholars to W.C. Fields – and learn a little more, at programs during the meal, featuring a range of authors and scholars.
Saturday Morning Services
Saturday morning services begin at 10 AM and are led by different members of the congregation, who also chant Torah and Haftorah. Rabbi Carter or a guest speaker delivers a d'var Torah (word of Torah), which often includes a discussion. Services include the introductory psalms of P'seukei Dizimrah, followed by the prayers of Shacharit, Torah, and Musaf sections. After services we all join together in our social hall on the lower level for haMotzi (prayers over the bread) and Kiddush (prayers over wine), followed by a light lunch nosh.
Youth and Family Shabbat Services
We have a variety of services and programs for children and families; please check the Events Page for our weekly schedule!
Shabbat Observance
The description below provides a fuller sense of our ongoing practice at PSJC.
We observe Shabbat from dusk on Friday to nightfall on Saturday. It is our “palace in time,” a day devoted to God, study, and sharing meals with family and friends. Throughout Shabbat, to help maintain the character of the day, we ask everyone to turn off cell phones, beepers, and any other electronic devices, and also refrain from taking pictures, making videos, writing, smoking, or using the phone anywhere on the synagogue grounds. With these distractions and trappings of the regular week silenced, we are able to raise our voices in song, to listen to one another and to ourselves in new and connective ways.
Both Friday night and Saturday morning services include a d’var Torah (word of Torah), in the form of a sermon and/or discussion, and end with a communal Kiddush, which is a time to enjoy a nosh, meet new people, and schmooze - If you are new to the congregation, please introduce yourself to the rabbi and a member of the congregation, and if you’re already a member of the congregation, please introduce yourself to someone new! Friday night services are approximately one hour long and begin at 6:30 in winter and 7:30 in summer, and Saturday morning services start at 10:00 AM and generally end at 12:30 PM. Once a month, after Shabbat morning services and Kiddush, we have a "Shabbat Schmooze" pot-luck gathering at the home of a member, to provide more opportunities to enjoy the Shabbat day together and to get to know one another better (see the Events Section for schedules)