Sar Shalom Synagogue

John Wright

Intense place. I was there awhile, exploring all sides of Messianic Judaism. I liked how they seemed to know/take great interest in halakha. The rabbi brought midrash and many other sources into his sermons. (I think mostly from Artscroll notes, but still.) But their theology quickly turned anti-gentile. Everyone has to convert. That membership class series you started? They are now called conversion classes. When you’re done, we have a halakhic (really?) conversion ready for you. Then 2016 and Donald Trump. Out came the politics. Suffice to say, not my politics. Then weird stuff with the rabbi. He’s adopting a young woman of color. But he denies racism is a problem in the world today. I don’t think this is going to end well. Plus I’m seeing how those who have left the community get treated/talked about. No one likes to be left, but I was getting the same culty vibes others have attested to. I left. I got the treatment I expected to get. Did I learn a lot from some of the leaders? I did. Did I have beautiful moments worshiping God, singing along with their worship? Oh yes. Did I spend a Sukkot week camping under the stars, enjoying time with some beautiful generous people? Yes. All that. But to stay here, you had better be comfortable with authoritarian male leadership and far right politics. *update: this synagogue does not like it when you leave reviews that are “too old.” Also, what I heard with my own ears is “simply not reality.” Come for the Torah, stay for the gaslighting.

E B

Jews do not worship or believe in Jesus (even if you spell his name differently). This is an evangelical church LARPing as a synagogue. Jews beware!

deborah kaufman

Christian church engaged in disrespectful larping and religious appropriation.

Avraham K

See below where they don’t know what Chazal means. These people don’t know what they’re talking about, which makes sense since they’re appropriating Judaism