FAQ

Services are held at 7:00 p.m. on Friday evenings. Tot Shabbat Services are held on the first Friday of each month at 5:30 p.m. We have a Saturday morning service at 10:45 a.m. only when there is a b’nai mitzvah.

No. You can come to any of our services. You do need to have a ticket for the High Holy Day services, and our tickets are free. You only need to give us a call and we’ll mail them out to you.

Yes. They really are. Take it as a sign that you should come worship with us.

We don’t care, but do wear something! We are generally pretty casual so wear what you want. Jeans or khakis are fine. Ballgowns are fine. Come as you are.

Of course! If your little ones need a break during services, you can take them into Room 13 where there are toys and plenty of space to be noisy. The service can be live-streamed into that room. On the second Friday of each month following our Potluck dinner, children aged 2 – 5 can sit with their grown-ups in the back of the sanctuary as part of our Prayer Group. Room 13 also serves as our meltdown room, should you need that space. If you need to change a diaper, there is a changing station in the bathroom by the administrative offices. Just exit the sanctuary and turn left through the glass doors.

• September through June: Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• June, July, and August: Monday-Thursday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Friday from 8 a.m. to 12 noon.

The Cemetery is open Sundays from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., April through November. You can obtain a key for entry at other times from the temple office; just give us a call. Click here to get directions to the cemetery.

Please contact our Bookkeeper, Sharon at 518-374-8173 ext 115 or email her at SharonL@cgoh.org.

Just give us a call!  We’ll mail you a membership packet and Elisa Harrington-Verb, our  Hospitality and Engagement Coordinator, will contact you. In addition, you may call the temple office with any questions at 518-374-8173. To talk to someone about financial questions, please contact our Executive Director, Laura Ehrich at lehrich@cgoh.org. And please feel free to contact any of our staff with specific questions.

All of our programs and services are open to non-members (except for Religious/Hebrew School beginning in kindergarten.) Please join us for Shabbat or High Holy Day* services, pot luck and holiday dinners, attend an adult ed class or lecture, and come to our prospective member open house held in September of each year. Also, feel free to make an appointment to meet our Rabbi, Educator, or Executive Director. Click on the Prospective Member tab for more information.

You can get a taste of Religious School and have your child come for day to check it out. They only need to call Arnie Rotenberg in advance.

* High Holy Day tickets are free, but you do need them to attend. Just give us a call!

Yes, absolutely. We use a mix of Hebrew and English, but mostly English. The Hebrew in our prayer books is usually transliterated as well as translated, and we regularly announce where we are in the prayer book so we are all on the same page. Most of the congregation is not Hebrew-proficient so you will be in good company.

Welcome home. You belong here! We embrace the idea of audacious hospitality. Whoever you are, whatever you look like, however your family is comprised, wherever you come from, whatever your abilities, however you learn, whoever you love, whether you, your family, your spouse or partner is Jewish or not, whatever your socioeconomic situation, however you choose to engage with Judaism, wherever you are in your own personal journey, we will welcome and affirm you as you are and nourish you as you grow toward who you want to be.

Our Religious and Hebrew Schools accommodate students who learn differently. Speak with Arnie Rotenberg, our Director of Congregational Jewish Living, to get your questions answered. You might also visit the Beit Bracha tab under Learning in the main menu to learn about our special needs program.

Our goal is to make membership accessible to everyone. Please contact Laura Ehrich, our Executive Director to discuss membership options. Conversations will be painless and held in confidence.

Early childhood is a great time to expose our kids to Jewish education: the results can last a lifetime.  The experiences we have as young children form the basis of what we regard as comforting and safe for years to come. During this time children will learn that a synagogue is a place one feels comfortable with their family to participate in prayer, music, and dance and eat together.  They will also discover how we treat other people and creatures through acts of good deeds. They will discover ritual, symbols and the culture of the holidays and the Synagogue and learn that prayer is our way to talking to God.

We offer Religious School classes from preschool through high school including a vibrant youth group for 5^th grade students and up. Your child can enter our Religious School at any age.

School runs September through May. 

Religious School for preschool through 7th grade is held on Sunday mornings from 9:30 a.m. to 12 noon. Middle and High School courses are held at various times as outlined in our Chai School catalog which includes Confirmation. Middle and High School students also serve as Madrikhim—teacher assistants on Sunday mornings.

Formal Hebrew Instruction begins in 4th grade and continues through 7th grade: families have a choice of Tuesday from 4:30 – 6:00 pm at our Clifton Park satellite school located in Congregation Beth Shalom, 688 Clifton Park Center Rd;  Wednesdays from 4:15 p.m. – 5:45 pm at Gates, or Sunday mornings from 8:15 am – 9:30 am followed by Religious School.

In our congregation, students become a Bat or Bar Mitzvah at age 13. Formal Hebrew lessons begin in 4th grade and it is expected that students attend four years of Religious school. New members should meet with the Educator to determine what preparations would need to be made.

It’s best to make an appointment to see Rabbi Matt. Please call the Rabbi’s Assistant Michelle Warren at 518-374-8173 ext 111 or e-mail her at mwarren@cgoh.org.

Thank you for considering a donation to our congregation. You can make a secure donation online; click the donate link at the top right or bottom of any page. You may mail a check to Congregation Gates of Heaven, 852 Ashmore Avenue, Schenectady, NY 12309 or call the temple office at 518-374-8173 to give us your credit card information. Please be sure to specify your name and address, the name of the person in whose memory or honor you are making the donation, and the name of any specific fund you would like credited with your donation. If a fund is not specified, the donation will go to our the Jewish Vibrancy Fund so we may direct your donation where it is most needed. You may also contact our Executive Director Laura Ehrich at lehrich@cgoh.org if you would like more information about our funds or about other Perpetual Endowment Giving Opportunities.

Yes, and all of these programs are open to non-members.

• On Tuesday mornings at 9:15 a.m. we have a vibrant parent/child playgroup:  PJ Library Playgroup
• The first Friday of each month at 5:30 p.m. is Tot Shabbat followed by a pizza, chicken nuggets and salad dinner at 6:00 pm.
• We have a Sunday Preschool Religious School program for 3 and 4 year old children.

Following our monthly Pot Luck dinners on the second Friday night, we offer 2 options for younger children:

• Katan Shabbat is the perfect service for children from Kindergarten – Second Grade. Your children will enjoy an energetic Shabbat experience with Elisa Harrington-Verb downstairs while you enjoy the regular service in the Sanctuary. This is a great introduction to the music, stories and magic of Shabbat.
• Prayer Group is for parents/significant others and their children to partake in the service. It is for children up through 2^nd grade only. It is for quiet play during the service.

No pork or shellfish may be cooked, served, or eaten at Congregation Gates of Heaven.

We are a nut allergy conscious congregation. We have asked our vendors, caterers, and congregants to prepare items without nuts but we cannot guarantee that these products are nut free.

Despite the new guidelines, those with allergies should continue to take the necessary precautions when attending events at which food is served. If you have questions about a particular dish at any event, please ask a staff person for assistance.

Yes! Both adults and children who are transgender, nonbinary, or  gender nonconforming, are welcome to become b’nai mitzvah. We will work with you to craft a ceremony that is reflective of you, using language that you choose to describe yourself and your relationship to Judaism and family. Give us a call to start the conversation!