Congregation B’nai Emunah

Specialties

We’re a small, friendly, synagogue in the San Francisco’s Outer Sunset District, two blocks from the beach and four blocks from the zoo. We are members of the Conservative movement.

Please check us out via www​.bnaiemu​nahsf​.org or in person.

Service Schedule:

Fri — 7:00 PM

Sat and Holidays — 9:45 AM

1^st and 2^nd Thursday of the month — 9:30 AM

Potluck Shabbat — Last Friday of the month — 7 PM

Our Clergy:

Rabbi Mark Melamut, Spiritual Leader

Cantor Linda Semi, Chazzan

Rabbi Ted Alexander, Rabbi Emeritus

Our Programs include:

o Religious Education for Grades K-​10

o Extensive Family Programming

o Judaism University — Serious Adult Education

o Annual Camping Shabbaton and annual Retreat

o Monthly Social Action

o Movie Nights, Games Nights

o Individual Spiritual Direction

History

Established in 1949.

Congregation B’nai Emunah was formally established during Hanukkah in 1949. Most of the founding members were refugees from Nazism and survivors of the Holocaust. In particular, many of the founding members had spent the war years in Shanghai and had arrived in San Francisco as their port of entry into the United States.

The appointment of Rabbi Ted Alexander in 1968 marked a major transition from a refugee congregation to an American synagogue. New members joined the Congregation from backgrounds different from the founders. The use of German was replaced with English. The synagogue was relocated to its present quarters at 3595 Taraval Street in 1975.

Today the Congregation consists of approximately 100 membership units who represent the full diversity of the San Francisco Jewish community. Our members come from all age groups, national backgrounds, lifestyles, and socioeconomic circumstances.

We welcome you to come and make new connections.

Meet the Manager

Rabbi Mark M.

Manager

Rabbi Mark Melamut has been our Spiritual Leader since the summer of 2008, when Rabbi Mark graduated from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in Pennsylvania.

While in rabbinical school, Rabbi Mark worked at several small synagogues. In addition, he was the Rabbinic Educator at Drexel University Hillel, creating programming to engage college students. He also has teaching experience at various grade levels and has facilitated workshops in a variety of settings. A position very important to him has been his chaplaincy work in Pennsylvania, visiting those in hospitals and those who are terminally ill.

Rabbi Mark lives near Stonestown. His wife, Hayley DeLugach, teaches Bible at the Jewish Community High School. His daughter Kinneret was born in December 2007, and his son Geffen was born in February 2010. He writes religiously (no pun intended), including poetry, and enjoys cooking, reading, movies, music, hiking, camping, biking, and traveling.