Shabbat Services are both In Person, and Online
All Saturday mornings  at 10:00am
Friday evenings at 6:30pm (EXCEPT for the fifth Friday of the month)

Rosh Chodesh and Fifth Fridays (if any) are Online Only
The monthly Rosh Chodesh service and the HaMinyan Kabbalat Shabbat are online only.

In Person Only
Tot Shabbat services are in person only.

Please admin [at] westendsynagogue.org (subject: Interest%20in%20WES) (contact the office) or sign up for our weekly e-newsletter, to receive the Zoom link.
The Zoom link and any changes or exceptions to the schedule will always be in the e-newsletter and the website calendar.

Led by Rabbi Emily and/or Cantor Melissa, our services offer a grounding, uplifting, and prayerful way to celebrate Shabbat. Our services always invite active participation from our congregation, and include both traditional as well as “reconstructed” interpretations of prayer, song, and Torah.  Our services for Shabbat often feature original liturgical and exegetical compositions by WES members.   Please take a look at our Interpretive Liturgy for Shabbat.   (All in person Saturday services are followed by an in person Kiddush lunch)

Friday Evening Kabbalat Shabbat Services, every Friday evening at 6:30pm

First Friday Intergenerational Shabbat - First Friday of the Month
5:30PM Tot Shabbat (In person only, ages 0-6 with grownups)
6:30PM Intergenerational Service, In Person and online Hybrid*
7:30PM Potluck
Song-filled, joyful service open to all, featuring our in-house band, and particularly welcoming to children and their families (who help with leadership!).
A dairy/parve potluck dinner follows (Oct-June; no potluck over the summer).

Kabbalat Shabbat - Second Friday of the Month
5:45PM - Kafe Kadosh, In-Person and online Zoom
6:30PM-7:30PM Service - In-Person and online Livestream**
Pre-service nosh and schmooze, followed by a warm, musical Kabbalat Shabbat Service

Shabbat Shir in the Round - Third Friday of the Month
6:30PM Service - In Person and online Livestream**
Musical Kabbalat Shabbat service in the round.

Kabbalat Shabbat - Fourth Friday of the Month
6:30PM-7:30PM Service - In Person and online Hybrid*
7:30PM Oneg - In Person only
Warm, musical Kabbalat Shabbat Service, followed by nosh and schmooze downstairs

Fifth Friday HaMinyan - (ZOOM ONLY) Fifth Friday in months that have one (December 29, 2023; March 29, 2024; May 31, 2024)
6:30PM Service (Zoom only through November 2023; this may be subject to change, so please check calendar)
Lay-led themed Shabbat conducted by lay leaders within the WES community.

Saturday Morning Shabbat Services, every Saturday at 10:00am

First Saturday - First Saturday of the Month
10AM-12PM Service (In Person and online Livestream**)
Saturday morning service with Torah service, d’var Torah or Torah discussion, and a mixture of contemporary and traditional prayer.

Second Saturday Traditional Shabbat - Second Saturday of the Month
10AM-12:30PM Service (In Person and online Hybrid*)
Shabbat morning service with extended psukei dezimra, five aliyot, haftarah reading, Torah discussion or d’var Torah and more!

Third Saturday Intergenerational Shabbat - Third Saturday of the Month
10AM-12PM Service (In Person and online Hybrid* )
12:30PM- Tot Shabbat/Kef Kids - In Person only (ages 0-8 with grownups)
Saturday Shabbat with Torah service, d’var Torah or Torah discussion, and special invitations for participation from our JFLL students and their families.

Fourth Saturday - Fourth Saturday of the Month
10AM-12PM Service (In Person and online Hybrid* )
Saturday morning service with Torah service, d’var Torah or Torah discussion, and a mixture of contemporary and traditional prayer.

Fifth Saturday “Dealer’s Choice” Shabbat - Fifth Saturday in months that have one (December 30, 2023; March 30, 2024; June 29, 2024 )
10AM-12PM Service (In-person and online Hybrid* )
Clergy or lay-led service with opportunity for exploration of traditional and/or alternative prayer structures. These might be Zoom, Livestream or Hybrid.

Shabbat Morning Torah Study (at 9:00am, preceding services)
From 9:00 to 9:45am, our Rabbi or a lay leader leads a group exploration of the weekly Torah portion. We seek to discover points of resonance between our lives and the Torah narrative, and lessons that might guide us in our daily lives and inform our efforts to repair the world. All are welcome, and no prior knowledge is required. Torah study is always both in-person and on Zoom on the same link as services.

In Person - Mask use is optional.  We reserve the far-left section of the sanctuary for those who prefer to sit exclusively with fully masked congregants. Masking is not required in the Kiddush room (lower level).   Elevator access:  Elevator access is now available to all levels of our synagogue building following the completion of our elevator project this year.

Online Services via Zoom are either "Hybrid" or "Livestream" style - The Zoom link for services is available in our weekly e-newsletter (sign up here), or you may admin [at] westendsynagogue.org (subject: Interest%20in%20WES) (email the office) for the Zoom link, if you are not currently a member.  There is a Zoom usher sharing siddur pages onscreen during these services. "Hybrid" and "Livestream" differ as follows:

*Services labeled Hybrid are more interactive, with in-person participants in the synagogue able to see and hear Zoom participants. During hybrid services, Zoom participants can offer readings, have an aliyah, and share comments in the chat that are then shared from the bima, including names for mi sheberach or before Mourner's Kaddish.

**Services labeled Livestream allow Zoom participants to see and hear the service in the sanctuary but do not allow the clergy or in-person participants to interact with Zoom. Zoom participants will be able to see one another, as well as the sanctuary, and write in the chat to each other.  If you will be joining a livestream service via Zoom and would like a name read during mi sheberach or before the Mourner's Kaddish, please email the clergy by noon on Friday with the name(s) you would like read.