Adath Israel, San Francisco :: Modern Orthodox Shul

Adath Israel is a friendly and welcoming Modern Orthodox community that brings tradition to life. Adath Israel has brought a new face to Jewish tradition in San Francisco. We are a traditional community that welcomes Jews from all walks of life to experience the beauty of Jewish tradition as it has been observed for over 3,000 years. Adath Israel has a rich history of over 60 years, and is an integral part of the San Francisco Jewish community. We believe strongly in the importance of the State of Israel to the future of the Jewish people.

We offer adult education, a multitude of kids programs, holiday and Shabbat services, a daily minyan, and a number of creative events throughout the year. We also have our own preschool on site, and are proud to host the Jewish Study Network, four young couples who are available to learn with members of our community.

 

 

Modern Orthodox Jews are comitted to observing the details of Jewish law, including strict adherence to the laws of the Sabbath, dietary laws (kashrus), and the laws governing formal congregational prayer. Further, Modern Orthodox Jews have a positive attitude toward many aspects of surrounding non-Jewish culture, based on the conviction that an observant Jew should confront and deal with modernity in all of its aspects

Although it has roots in 19th century Europe, Modern Orthodox Judaism as practiced in America is based largely on the concept of Torah Umadda (Torah and secular knowledge), which was developed by the greatest leader of Modern Orthodoxy in America, Rabbi Yosef Dov Soloveitchik zt"l (1903-1993), known as "the Rav". He descended from a prominent rabbinical family in Eastern Europe and in 1941 became the Rosh Yeshiva at the rabbinical school of Yeshiva University in New York. The Rav articulated a paradigm which allowed for a "synthesis" between Torah scholarship and Western, secular scholarship, as well as positive involvement with the broader community; see more on Rav Soloveitchik’s philosophy. Soloveitchik himself did not use the term Torah Umadda, but some of his students including Rabbi Norman Lamm, characterize his legacy using the term.

Our community is blessed by a growing number of young professional couples in their 20s and 30s (some with children, some without) who form a tight-knit and welcoming group. Most of them came to San Francisco for work opportunities in tech, medicine, or finance. If you are a young couple thinking of moving to San Francisco, or just looking for different city to spend a shabbos in, feel free to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , who can put you into contact with the appropriate people.