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How To

Wondering how to make a donation in honor of a friend’s simcha? Or how to send an email to the Kol Emeth email list? What about the Kashrut baking guidelines for making your perfect recipe for a community B’nei Mitzvah?

The “How To” section of our website provides information on a variety of topics, from how we cook to how we communicate. And, if there’s more information you need, please call the Kol Emeth office and we’ll be glad to help.

Frequently Asked Questions

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    What are Saturday morning services like?
    Over 200 people regularly attend Shabbat morning services at Kol Emeth (more if there is a bar/bat mitzvah). Our egalitarian services, which are mainly in Hebrew, are lay led with spirited singing and a d'var Torah. We read from the entire Torah portion every week. Following services, nearly everyone stays to greet each other at the outdoor kiddush luncheon. There is no "dress code," styles range from dressy casual to suits
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    I grew up in a Conservative house but my spouse did not and neither of us have strong Hebrew skills. Would we fit in at Kol Emeth?
    Absolutely. Our congregation has a variety of practices and members within it, from the not-so-familiar to the very learned. The rabbi believes that each of us is on a spiritual path and that the important thing is to keep moving forward. We have a robust offering of adult education opportunities.
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    I am not married and my image of synagogues
    is that they are just for families.
    A significant number of singles are active members of Kol Emeth and serve in many leadership positions. We strive to have programs that are inclusive to all members of our congregation. We host Friday night Shabbat dinners and programs for singles from around the Bay Area and offer a terrific Adult Education series.
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    What programs and services do you have for my children?
    We offer a rich variety of family programs:
    • Torah for Tots on Shabbat mornings.
    • Our Religious School meets Tuesday and Thursday afternoons and Saturday mornings. We have a full-time Director of Lifelong Learning who runs vibrant youth program, K-12th grade.
    • Jr. Kadima, Kadima, USY and Kol High programs. Our USY chapter has won many prestigious national awards and continues to attract new members each year. Our Kol High program meets on Tuesday nights for grades 8-12, and many of our teens participate in the Madrichim program, assisting in the religious on Shabbat. Each year a number of our high school students choose to study and travel in Israel.
    • Making Room for Shabbat meets one Friday night a month for elementary school children, their siblings and parents.
    • Please the education page and the programs page for more information on all these programs, or contact the Director of Lifelong Learning, Rabbi Laurie Matzkin.
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    How much Hebrew will my child learn in religious school?
    Our focus is on prayer-based Hebrew rather than conversational Hebrew. Our goal is to prepare students to be active participants in all aspects of synagogue life and to be leaders in the community.
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    I recently lost one of my parents and need to say Kaddish.
    Do you have a minyan?
    We have a daily minyan, which all are welcome to attend. Sunday through Thursday the evening minyan is at 7:45 p.m. We hold a morning service on Thursdays from 6:45 a.m.- 7:45 a.m. followed by a light breakfast and on Sunday at 9 a.m. Friday night services begin at 6:30 p.m. and Saturday morning Shabbat services start at 9:15 a.m.
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    What programs are available to help me get involved?
    There are many groups and committees such as Chesed Committee, Retired Men's Club, Social Action, and the Women's Study Group (a lunch-time bi-weekly group that studies Torah with Rabbi Sarah Graff) that may help you feel part of the community. The monthly newsletter, our email list and web site will provide you with timely information about program opportunities throughout the year. Our professional staff, headed by an executive director, is available to answer questions about the synagogue and surrounding community.

 Please let us know how we can make you feel most welcome.
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    How can I read The Voice online?
    There are two versions of The Voice online. The public version, without confidential information, is available on the "About Us" page.
    You must log in to the Kol Emeth Members Area in order to read the full issue of The Voice online, the room reservations form, tributes, etc.
    • To log in, go to the login page and enter your user name and password. Once you have logged in, you will see the link to The Voice.
    • If you are a Kol Emeth member but do not yet have an online account, you may create one on the login page. However, you will have to wait until the administrator has authorized your new account (usually one business day) before you will be able to log in to the Members Area and read The Voice online.
    • If you are not a Kol Emeth member, we hope you will consider joining. Some membership questions are answered on this page, and you can find membership information on the membership page.
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    This looks like a warm and friendly place; how can I become a member, or learn more about membership?
    Although everyone is welcome to attend services at Kol Emeth, there are many benefits to becoming a member. Please see the membership page for information about joining Kol Emeth and the necessary forms.
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    What if I cannot afford the full membership dues?
    It is our synagogue's policy that membership be affordable to all who wish to be members. No one is denied membership at Kol Emeth for financial reasons. Individual arrangements may be made by contacting the office to schedule a confidential meeting with members of the financial panel.
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    I forgot my password for the "members only" area of this web site.
    I want to change my password for the "members only" area of this web site.
    No problem.
    If you've forgotten your password, you can reset it by following these steps:
    1. Click on "Members Log In" near the top center of your browser window.
    2. Click on "Forget Your Password?" near the bottom of the login page.
    3. Enter your email address and click on "Submit"
    4. You will receive a new, temporary password, which you can use to log in to the Members Area. It may be hard to remember, but you can highlight it on your screen, copy it, and paste it into the password box, so you will not have to retype it.
    5. Unfortunately, there is currently no way for you to select your own password online, but the office will be happy to do it for you, so you can pick a password you can remember. Send an email to the office and tell them what password you'd like, or stop by to say Hi and ask the admin to do it while you wait.