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Welcome to Congregation Shaarey Zedek

Congregation Shaarey Zedek is committed to helping everyone live a full Jewish life, no matter the makeup of your familial unit. We warmly welcome singles, interfaith couples, those in the LGBTQ community, and their respective family members as well. As Rabbi Bigman puts it, “We may come from different backgrounds but here we are a mishpachah, a family.”  

Our website is currently under construction. However, you can still access pages for important information. We appreciate your patience.

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From the Union For Reform Judaism / Reform Movement

For Some of Us the Holidays Are Just…Hard

For Some of Us the Holidays Are Just…Hard jemerman

Death and Mourning
star of david starry lights
As we head into the holiday season, I am acutely aware of how much different this year is going to be than previous ones. I will be celebrating without my mom for the first time. My mother died in January 2021, and I'm still dealing with the unexpected waves of grief that wash over me, sometimes out of nowhere. As I head into this first winter holiday season without her, I'm not quite sure I know what to expect, other than everything is going to be very different.

The Cost of Free Land

The Cost of Free Land jemerman

Native American issues
The author's Great-Great-Uncle Louie Sinykin posing with men in Dakota garb in South Dakota's Black Hills. Date unknown.
When I was a child growing up in the 1980s, the story I learned about Thanksgiving followed the classic script: it highlighted amity between the Pilgrims and their Indigenous neighbors. Due to this connection, the hunger of the European settlers was met with squash and turkey.

Ten Things We Say When We Talk About Antisemitism

Ten Things We Say When We Talk About Antisemitism sdolgov

Antisemitism and Hate Crimes
star of david
URJ leaders have had thousands of conversations about antisemitism over the past years, especially after October 7th. The following list summarizes the ideas that arise most often in these discussions.

Putting the “Serve” Back in "Deserve"

Putting the “Serve” Back in "Deserve" sdolgov

Photo of a group of war veterans
As the Jewish community grapples with fears of our eroding security in post-10/7 America, nobody wants to consider the question of whether we have enjoyed that security up to this point by right or by debt.