Volunteer & Giving Opportunities
Whether you volunteer to welcome visitors to services, visit the sick, assist in our school or lead services, it is the effort that we put in that brings us closer. At Sha’ar Zahav you will have the opportunity to be one of many people working together or you may choose to lead your own project. By participating actively at Sha’ar Zahav, we build a close-knit community that sustains us.
If you’d like to volunteer – we’re interested in hearing from you!
Cemetery Services
Greeting or Announcing
High Holidays Logistics
Religious School for Children, Beit Sefer Phyllis Mintzer
Shabbat Refreshments Set-Up (Oneg)
Cemetery Services
Contact: James Carlson
Interested in learning from Hills of Eternity Memorial Park Executive Director? Do you need information about a Jewish cemetery? Sha’ar Zahav has a reserved space at Hills of Eternity Memorial Park. You can help him maintain the congregation’s cemetery site. Upon request, watch over graves of members of the congregation who are buried in local cemeteries other than the congregation’s site. Our long time member, James Carlson, is here to help and answer any questions you may have.
Greeting or Announcing
Contact: Sara Haber
Say hello to our service attendees! Every Friday night, one or two members greet folks as they come in the door to attend Shabbat services. Our aim is to create a welcoming atmosphere and help inspire that feeling of Shabbat sweetness. This activity is as easy and fun as it sounds. If you’re looking for a good way to ease into engagement activities, and meet both old and new friends, participate as a greeter during Shabbat Services. If you’d like a small challenge, take on the announcer role and share weekly updates to the congregations just after services wrap up.
High Holidays Logistics
Contact: Sara Haber and Steve Mazer
Did you enjoy High Holidays at the Herbst? It takes several small actions to bring everything together and make High Holidays happen, successfully. Sara Haber has been majestically coordinating logistics, with the help of many other members. If this sounds like an interesting project, give her a call now so she can get you set up with a fun task!
Religious School for Children, Beit Sefer Phyllis Mintzer (BSPM)
Contact: Rabbi Q
Would you like to learn more about our religious school (BSPM)? Are you passionate about supporting our youth by providing classroom help, mentoring? Our school’s first teacher, Phyllis Mintzer (z’’l), believed that every person and every word contained sparks of holiness. Beit Sefer Phyllis Mintzer is guided by her spirit. Weekly, we provide children K-7th grade with a Jewish education that includes Torah, ethics, ritual, Hebrew and history with an emphasis on Jewish diversity and social justice in an LGBT/queer-positive community. We say that the children of the synagogue are all our children, and we encourage adults — both parents and those who are not parents — to participate in the classroom. Students attend Sept-May, Saturdays 9am-12pm.
Shabbat Refreshments Set-Up (Oneg)
Contact: Oneg Chavurah
Please join our new Oneg Chavurah with other Sha’ar Zahav members who volunteer to cook, bake or shop to assure we have a plentiful and delicious oneg each week. We’re also building a library of recipes and menus and would welcome your contributions. You can sign up to organize, cook, bake or shop — once or many times.