Shabbat Services and & Torah Study: Emor
Saturday, May 17th
Emeryville, CA & online
9:30am Shabbat service // 10:30am Torah study
You can join us either in person or on Zoom for Shabbat services and/or Torah study. If you are in the Bay Area, we’d love to have you join us in person. After Torah study, we enjoy a vegetarian potluck meal together and have an opportunity to deepen our connection with one another. If you are able, please bring a vegetarian dish to share with others. For those joining us online, we invite you to also bring food to eat after the service. We will keep the room open so folks can connect with each other after the service.
A peek into Torah study with us and the parsha reading this week
This week’s parsha, Emor, pulls no punches. It presents tough questions—some even offensive on first reading.
- Who is “worthy” enough to offer sacrifices? And who decides?
- What does it truly mean to not desecrate the name of God? Is it just about not swearing—or something far deeper?
- And how do we reconcile the Torah’s mandate—“one law for citizen and stranger alike”—with the reality of the Israeli modern state that violates this principle? Can a state call itself Jewish while embracing systemic inequality?
These aren’t easy questions. But they’re essential ones. Join us as we wrestle honestly with our tradition and what it demands of us today.
Let’s lean into the discomfort. That’s where transformation begins. We hope you can join us for these rich and thought-provoking discussions.
Access Information
- Location: Rabbi Cat’s home in Oakland, about 0.5 miles from MacArthur BART Station. Address will be provided once you register.
- Accessibility: There are 4 steps to enter the house and 4 steps to the backyard (if people choose to go there.) The bathroom is not wheelchair accessible. There are couches, chairs, and floor pillows for seating. Please try to be scent-free. A retriever/labrador dog lives in the home but will not be present. A cat has lived there previously.
- COVID: Masks are optional. Please don’t come if you have any symptoms. Air filter provided. Windows can be opened if requested.
- Please email us if you have questions or other accessibility needs.