Congregation Gates of Heaven

It feels a bit weird to say this after just being a member for a couple of months, but I love this place.
My family and I kicked around the Jewish community in Albany for a couple of years looking for our spiritual home. And of all places we found it in Schenectady.
We feel it is a great fit for us. It’s not too big, it’s not too small. It’s not too religious (I don’t feel guilty about my love for bacon), it’s not too secular. It’s not too fancy, it’s not too drab.
There is a word in yiddish that sums it all up nicely, and that is haimish. For those who don’t know what that means, it’s «having qualities associated with a homelike atmosphere; simple, warm, relaxed, cozy, unpretentious, etc.»
They also have an annual Jewish Food Festival, which I have to say I’m excited to be participating in this year.
Don’t tell the rabbi, but it also doesn’t hurt that I can drop my kid off at Sunday school and then hang out at the Schenectady Greenmarket. I love it there, and I love any excuse to make the trek out to the Electric City.