Base Bay
Base Bay
Base Bay is on the Berkeley-Oakland border in Rockridge, home to R' Frankie, Elaina, their small pup Yosi, and their many beloved plants.
R' Frankie and Elaina are community builders, passionate educators, and deep lovers of Shabbos. We are here to host you for a meal, go for a walk among the redwoods, or learn together in our living room. We’d love to meet you whether you’re deep in Jewish community already or curious where to begin. Bring us your questions, your passions and even your doubts -- we will cook you dinner and dig in!
Want to stay in the loop about Base Bay happenings? Registering for an event will automatically add you to our email list OR simply "log in" to this website.
Want to support our work? Donate to Base here.
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Base Bay Programs and Events
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Base Bay
Let's Grab Coffee!
We'd love to connect with you! Whether you're new to the Bay and want support finding your way into Jewish community, have a question on your heart or mind, or just want to chat -- snag a time with us and we'll treat for coffee or a treat. Schedule with R' Frankie here. Schedule with Elaina here. -
Base Bay
Embark: Couples Learning Cohort
Join us for a summer exploring identity, values, and building a life together infused with Jewish values. The curriculum is designed primarily for couples with one Jewish partner, or with two Jewish partners who are navigating different relationships with Jewish culture and practice; no Jewish background or intention of conversion necessary, and all faiths, or no faith at all, welcome. Open to any and all pairs of humans building a home together.Wednesday Nights, May 21-June 25th AND a weekend retreat: June 6-8This is a 6-week cohort, we hope both members of each couple will be able to make the majority of sessions.Cost: $180/couple with a $100 deposit for the retreat (so, $280 upfront -- the deposit will be returned after the retreat).Want to chat with R' Frankie before signing up? Set up a time here.Wed, 21 May 202506:30 PM -
Base Bay
June 6th Kabbalat Shabbat (NO DINNER)
Join us for a soulful, songful Kabbalat Shabbat!Services will be grounded in traditional liturgy with full transliteration provided; no experience necessary. Davening (services) starts at 6:30; we'll wrap up by 7:45 to send folks off to dinner. **NOTE THIS WEEK WE WiLL NOT BE HOSTING DINNER!** We'll determine indoor/outdoor for services and dinner closer to the time of the event, based on weather & covid community spread. Access + Covid NotesWe understand access as an ongoing process & conversation; we're excited to work with our community to be maximally welcoming. There are about 6 steps into our house, where the bathroom is located. We are in the process of arranging a more accessible entrance - if you would benefit from this please let us know when you register and we will be in touch about the best way to meet your needs. Thanks for your patience as we work to make our house more physically accessible.We minimize the use of scents in our house and ask that you do the same when visiting.Fri, 06 Jun 202506:30 PM -
Base Bay
Songraiser for Kol & Let My People Sing
For the past ten years, Let My People Sing! (LMPS) has helped shape our song culture—infusing it with joy, depth, and collective power—inspiring our local festival, Kol: A Retreat for Jewish Music Across the Diaspora. LMPS is celebrating its 10 year anniversary, and after supporting and influencing so much of our song culture over the past decade, this community project needs our collective care to keep growing, thriving, and nourishing future generations!To support these efforts, we are hosting a song-raiser for LMPS and Kol. We’ll gather to sing, learn new melodies, and give generously to sustain this work that has sustained so many of us! Your presence and your contributions—of voice, spirit, and resources—will help ensure this project continues to grow and thrive for the next ten years and beyond.The first half of the night will be a community song circle, featuring songs from the LMPS and Kol communities, as well as opportunities for anyone to lead songs. The second half of the night will be an acoustic open mic: a chance to perform a song you love and be inspired by the local Jewish community we're building together.Sign up for the open mic here (sign up is required).Mon, 09 Jun 202506:00 PM -
Base Bay
June 10th: Summer Tuesdays!
Summer Tuesdays at Base we've got an open house for all things community! Explore the weekly Torah portion, featuring the epic & underrated book for NumbersCook soup to stock freezers & share with community members who need soupBYO study partner -- bring your own topic too or peruse Base's library.hang out, play games & shmoozeStop by anytime to join the fun!Tue, 10 Jun 202506:30 PM -
Base Bay
Pride Shabbat @ Urban Adamah
We're joining Urban Adamah for Kabalat Shabbat -- Rabbi Frankie and Elaina will be sharing the mic for services and we'll gather for dinner after. More details coming soon.Fri, 13 Jun 202506:30 PM -
Base Bay
June 17th: Summer Tuesdays!
Summer Tuesdays at Base we've got an open house for all things community! Explore the weekly Torah portion, featuring the epic & underrated book for NumbersCook soup to stock freezers & share with community members who need soupBYO study partner -- bring your own topic too or peruse Base's library.Learn to Lead Shabbat Ma'ariv with Elainahang out, play games & shmoozeStop by anytime to join the fun!Tue, 17 Jun 202506:30 PM -
Base Bay
Learn to Lead Shabbat Ma'ariv
Get tips, tricks and skills on leading Shabbat davening.Tuesday June 17 & 24th, in partnership with Urban Adamah. Wondering if this is right for you? Reach out to Elaina elaina.marshalek@memglobal.orgTue, 17 Jun 202507:00 PM -
Base Bay
June 20th Kabbalat Shabbat & Dinner
Join us for a soulful, songful Kabbalat Shabbat!After Kabbalat Shabbat we will host dinner; all are welcome to join, or to make your own dinner plans (we definitely encourage those attending to host your own shabbat dinner & invite friends you meet at Base)! Services will be grounded in traditional liturgy with full transliteration provided; no experience necessary. Davening (services) starts at 6:30; we'll wrap up by 7:45 to send folks off to dinner. We'll determine indoor/outdoor for services and dinner closer to the time of the event, based on weather & covid community spread. Access + Covid NotesWe understand access as an ongoing process & conversation; we're excited to work with our community to be maximally welcoming. There are about 6 steps into our house, where the bathroom is located. We are in the process of arranging a more accessible entrance - if you would benefit from this please let us know when you register and we will be in touch about the best way to meet your needs. Thanks for your patience as we work to make our house more physically accessible.We minimize the use of scents in our house and ask that you do the same when visiting.Fri, 20 Jun 202506:30 PM -
Base Bay
June 24th: Summer Tuesdays!
Summer Tuesdays at Base we've got an open house for all things community! Explore the weekly Torah portion, featuring the epic & underrated book for NumbersCook soup to stock freezers & share with community members who need soupBYO study partner -- bring your own topic too or peruse Base's library.Learn to Lead Shabbat Ma'ariv with Elainahang out, play games & shmoozeStop by anytime to join the fun!Tue, 24 Jun 202506:30 PM -
Base Bay
Trans* March Shabbat Picnic_Copy
We're excited to join forces with Kehilla Community Synagogue, Sha'ar Zahav Congregation, and Keshet for a shabbat gathering at Trans* March! We will gather at Dolores Park in San Francisco (up the hill from where 19th Street intersects with Dolores) to share Shabbat ritual and a BYO picnic dinner before the march.Register to stay in the loop for more details!Event will be outdoors; according to the Trans* March protocols, masks are optional but encouraged.Fri, 27 Jun 202505:00 PM -
Base Bay
Donate to Base Base!
Donate Here! -
Base Bay
Tuesday Night Torah Study
Join Base community members for weekly Parsha study! Gather on Tuesdays to read and discuss the weekly Torah portion, self-guided by community members, bring your own commentaries or explore some from Base's library. This is a weekly drop-in gathering -- register here and we'll send over a whatsapp link to stay in the loop!These meetings are indoor & mask-optional. If a different masking policy would make this accessible to you, please note that in your registration. -
Base Bay
Morning Davening
Join the WhatsApp group to stay in the loop about morning daveing.What to expect: We generally gather outside at Base on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 8 am and strive to wrap up by 8:45. The content is very simple – one person leads a traditional morning service and on Thursdays we read Torah. All are welcome to join, whether you choose to follow the traditional rhythm or go on our own spiritual journey in community. We have extra talitot, and some siddurim/prayerbooks but feel free to bring your own. If you're new to traditional davening, folks are friendly and generally happy to help you follow along.To learn more about traditional davening: A brief guide to weekday morning prayer set up a time to grab coffee with R' Frankie -
Base Bay
Join Our Email List
We send out emails with upcoming events, important updates, and occasional fun Torah. You can expect to hear from us every few weeks 😊 New to the community? R' Frankie and Elaina would love to meet you! Find a time to grab coffee with R' Frankie here or Elaina here.
Community Offerings
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BCI: Summer 2025 - Become Who You're Meant To Be
Transform Your Summer with BCI:BCI (Ziering Brandeis Camp Institute) hosts life-changing retreats for Jewish and Jew*-ish* young adults aged 18-29. Our unique programs offer a blend of Jewish learning, creative arts, cultural engagement, and community building, set on the scenic Brandeis-Bardin Campus of American Jewish University. Participants from across the globe gather for a journey of self-discovery, creative expression, and spiritual growth in a pluralistic and welcoming environment.We are offering two programs this Summer for Jewish and Jew-ish people: a 10-day retreat for Jew-ish college students, and a 26-day experience for those in their 20s.→ *applications can be found at: https://www.aju.edu/bci* -
Retreatology: Tikkun Olam
Retreatology: Tikkun Olam, Atlanta, GA, May 30-June 1, 2025. Application link: https://form.typeform.com/to/IXnOIV7QMem Global's Retreatology is ready for 2025! Join other Jewish young adults (22-32) who dream big and want to create amazing multi-day immersive Jewish programming! After completion of Retreatology: Tikkun Olam Edition, you'll be eligible for a grant of up to $6,000 (USD) to put on the retreat of your dreams! We'll be gathering on May 30-June 1 in Clermont, Georgia to learn all of the skills to run a Peer-Led Jewish Learning Retreat! We are looking for those who want to host a retreat grounded in Tikkun Olam, service learning, justice learning, advocacy, civic engagement, volunteering, etc. This is open to anyone who identifies as Jewish and we would love to see you there! For more information check out our website and apply here. For any questions please reach out to retreatology@memglobal.org -
Everything You Have Is Yours @ JFI WinterFest 2/22-23
Everything You Have is Yours Saturday February 22, 20257:00 p.m.Vogue Theatremore info and ticketsIn this sensitively crafted documentary, choreographer Hadar Ahuvia interrogates the roots of the Israeli folk dances she grew up dancing with her mother. Facing romanticized stories about her grandparents, Zionist ‘kibbutznik’ settlers in Palestine in the 1930’s, she begins a personal endeavor unpacking and confronting the appropriative origins of this inherited dance. Through this vulnerable, personal story a larger weaving of powerful artistic portraits emerge— Jewish, Israeli, and Palestinian dancers living in New York City question what is inherited and what to choose to carry forward.Director Tatyana Tennenbaum conveys the power of dance as an embodied medium for grieving, healing, resistance and reclamation. Everything You Have Is Yours honors these powerful associations, reminding us of our shared humanity and the need for collective liberation.more info and tickets~~~~~Please also join the filmmakers at the Creative Interventions: The Role of Art in Healing Political Division panel on Sunday, February 23 at 1:30pm for an extended conversation.Tatyana Tenenbaum, director, Everything You Have is YoursHadar Ahuvia, participant and choreographer, Everything You Have is YoursAdditional guests to be announcedOctober 7th and the war in Gaza poured fuel on the fire of long standing political polarization and community divisions, making the need for nuanced conversations more vital than ever before. But as topics like Israel, Palestine, and antisemitism continue to dominate the headlines, Jewish communal discussions around these themes are increasingly fraught. Film, and the arts more broadly, offer an alternative lens for unpacking past and current events that can then create space for complexity, nuance, and healing when words alone are not enough. Winterfest selection Everything You Have is Yours tackles these themes head on, tracing the familial and communal fractures that break out along political lines. In addition to the film’s director and main participant, this panel will include Jewish community thought leaders and creative practitioners discussing the role of the arts in addressing these emotionally charged topics, and how art works to heal the internal divisions that prevent it from being discussed in the first place. – REBECCA PIERCE -
How to Share Your Events
The Community Offerings space is here for you to share events, gatherings, or other opportunities that you think fellow Basers may be interested in, whether its an through an organization or DIY, a formal space or an informal meet up - this space is for you. Here’s how: Click the plus sign at the top of this website Choose “Partners”Upload an image for the thumb nail, a short description, and a link to register in the External Link box. – we’re happy to help with any of this!R’ Frankie or Elaina will approve the event (we may check in first if we have questions) and then it will be live for others to join or reach out.