Enrich your life. Cultivate health and resilience. Discover joy. Experience ancient wisdom. Create new pathways for your personal well-being.
The PJCC is committed to both Wellness and vibrant Jewish living. SHALEM: The Jewish Wellness Initiative melds these two core missions by offering wellness programs infused with Jewish wisdom and practice.
Shalem means wholeness, and Jewish wisdom has a great deal to offer anyone who seeks to live a healthy, resilient life with a joyful sense of balance and well-being.
From ancient teachings to modern-day practices, Jewish wisdom encourages us to cultivate qualities—such as gratitude, joy, compassion, and mindfulness, as well as physical wellness.
When we engage in practices to enhance our physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being we are shalem: whole in body, heart mind and spirit.
Jewish Wellness offerings are organized around the PJCC’s integrated approach to wellness focusing on Nourish, Move and Engage activities.
Nourish your body and mind with wholesome foods and with practices that promote healing, energy, improved concentration and stress relief.
Move your body for greater physical strength, flexibility, stamina, balance, and resilience.
Engage your body, mind, heart and spirit for increased joy, wholeness, gratitude, intellectual and spiritual understanding, wisdom, community connection, and meaningful relationships.
Explore our Jewish Wellness offerings below!
Join Rabbi Lavey Derby and Julie Emden as we explore how to experience and support Middot, personal and spiritual qualities, through these 10-minute meditation and yoga practices infused with Jewish Wisdom. Listen to our podcasts today.
Friday, November 30 • 10:30 am – 12:00 pm • Treehouse A • $10 for Center and Community Members/$15 for the Public
Learn about the story of the Maccabees and the traditional foods that are symbolic of the events we celebrate. Learn how to make healthy desserts in this hands-on baking workshop!
Call 650.378.2703 or visit the PJCC Welcome Center to register.
Sunday, September 16 & 23, October 7 & 14 • 4:30 – 6:00 pm • Free
Join Tracey Green and explore the intersection of yoga and Judaism in the New Year. Classes are held at Peninsula Sinai Congregation, Foster City. Please register through PSC at 650.349.2816 or roassia@peninsulasinai.org.
Sunday, September 30 ● 10:30 am – 1:00 pm ● Offsite ● Free
Experience nature through a Jewish lens, make new friends and enjoy time with your family! Join Nicole Cruz, a JOFEE (Jewish Outdoor, Food, Farm, and Environmental Education) Educator at the PJCC. We will explore our Jewish connection to nature thru exciting games and activities. Suggested ages: 5-9 years. Small children in backpack carriers are welcome. Pack a picnic lunch and water; wear layers and sunscreen. Registration Required. Call 650.378.2703 or visit the PJCC Welcome Center to register.
Sunday, October 14 • 9:00 am – 12:00 pm • Meet at hike location ● Free
Attune your body, mind and spirit to the rhythms of nature with moderate hiking and yoga in a beautiful Redwood forest. We’ll pause for yoga poses along the way, breath the fresh air, and meditate on pearls of Jewish wisdom to inspire the spirit. Call 650.378.2703, follow the link below, or visit the PJCC Welcome Center to register.
Join a friendly, social group for 2–4 mile hikes in San Mateo County or San Francisco. Hikes are usually held on the first Sunday of the month. (All are welcome, but hikes are geared towards those in their 60’s and 70’s.) For details, email Dave Cohen or call 650.574.2558.
Thursdays, weekly • 1:30–2:30 PM • Board Room
Free for Center and Community Members and the Public
Drawing on the experience of mindfulness and on insights of the Jewish spiritual path, give yourself the gift of wellness through meditation. Instructor: Rabbi Lavey Derby.
Fridays • Two Sessions: 9:30–10:30 am and 10:30–11:30 am • Board Room • Free for Center and Community Members and the Public
New session begins October 5 • Contact us for waitlist
Celebrate Shabbat in a relaxed and playful, community atmosphere with music, creative prayer, movement, and more. Experience and connect with Shabbat in a brand new and energetic way guranteed to nurture family bonds and build connections to Jewish life and values. For grownups and their little ones. Registration is required. Call 650.378.2703 or visit the PJCC Welcome Center to register.
Instructor: Jeni Markowitz Clancy
Sunday, November 3 ● cFamily of 4: Members $20/ Public $25
Join us in the Hamlin Garden and gather with Shababa families to celebrate Havdalah! Smell the sweet spices, sing, dance, and start your new week refreshed and recharged. Don’t forget to wear your favorite PJs! Includes pizza dinner.
Sunday, September 9 ● 1:00 – 3:00 pm • Free
Get your hands dirty and join us for a service day in the PJCC Justice Garden! Activities this month include gardening work and learning about food justice issues. All levels of experience are welcome. Registration is required. Call 650.378.2703 or visit the PJCC Welcome Center to register.
Thursday, October 4 & November 1 • 7:00 – 8:30 pm • Free
Is faith and spirituality an important part of your life? Are you seeking a connection to deepest truths, inner meaning, and a feeling of wholeness? People of all faiths and all backgrounds are invited to participate in an open and safe conversation that will develop a deeper awareness of the spiritual aspect of being human.
Saturday, October 20 • 3:00 – 5:30 pm • PJCC Campus • Free
Unplug, wind down, and connect with family and friends for a screen-free afternoon! Enjoy live music with Sol Tevel, plus games, snacks, drinks for adults 21+, and more! Co-sponsored by Reboot. Free! All are welcome! Call 650.378.2703 or visit the PJCC Welcome Center to register.
Saturday, October 28 • 9:00 am – 4:00 pm • Free
The PJCC is pleased to present this annual fundraising event in support of all who are touched by breast cancer. “Pink it up” at special Group Exercise classes, listen to a powerful keynote lecture by Dr. Sharima Rasanayagam of Breast Cancer Prevention Partners (BCPP), and enjoy a special marketplace featuring CanCan Health, Environ Skin Care, Orchard Supply Hardware, and more!
See the Pink Ribbon page for more information about ongoing programs. For more information, please contact our Breast Cancer Exercise Specialist, Vicki McGrath at vmcgrath@pjcc.org or 650.378.2727.
