A California Forest Synagogue Experiments with Nature-Based Spirituality

Why It Matters

The forest synagogue model meets a rising demand for worship that aligns spiritual practice with ecological values, offering a replicable blueprint for faith communities seeking relevance in a climate‑conscious era.

Key Takeaways

• Makom Shalom grew to 83 members within a year.
• Services held outdoors in redwood groves, reflecting earth‑based Judaism.
• Membership spans tech leaders, lawyers, retirees, and artisans.
• Programs include nature‑focused b’mitzvah and ancestral‑skill workshops.
• Rabbi Golden, ex‑environmental lawyer, leads the nondenominational congregation.

Pulse Analysis

Nature‑centered worship is gaining traction across faith traditions as congregants seek immersive experiences that align spiritual practice with ecological awareness. Within Judaism, the earth‑based renewal movement draws on Kabbalistic mysticism, Hasidic hitbodedut, and feminist liturgy to re‑imagine ritual outside brick‑and‑mortar walls. Makom Shalom exemplifies this shift, offering Kabbalat Shabbat beneath towering redwoods, where prayers are paired with sensory engagement—greeting trees, inhaling forest floor, and sharing vegetarian meals. The model reflects a broader desire to locate the divine in the natural world rather than confined sanctuaries.

The Bay Area’s 350,000‑strong Jewish population provides fertile ground for such experiments. High‑tech professionals, retirees, and artisanal entrepreneurs converge around shared values of sustainability and personal authenticity, making sliding‑scale dues and inclusive programming attractive. Rabbi Zelig Golden leverages his background as an environmental lawyer and former Jewish Renewal maggid to blend legal‑savvy organization with mystical storytelling. By hosting holiday observances, monthly men’s circles, and upcoming gender‑neutral b’mitzvah classes, the congregation creates a holistic community that bridges traditional liturgy with hands‑on ecological skills like plant identification and acorn flour production.

For established synagogues, Makom Shalom’s success signals both a challenge and an opportunity. As climate anxiety rises, congregants increasingly evaluate institutions on their environmental credibility, prompting many to incorporate outdoor elements, green certifications, or partnership with local land trusts. Replicating the forest‑synagogue model may be harder in dense urban settings, yet hybrid approaches—rooftop gardens, park‑side services, or seasonal nature retreats—can capture the same ethos. Ultimately, the movement underscores a shifting paradigm where spiritual fulfillment and ecological stewardship are intertwined, reshaping the future landscape of American Jewish life.