Community and events
There is something happening here most days of the week
Groups that meet all year, volunteering that makes a difference in Houston, and the handful of events that people plan their calendars around. Nearly all of it is open to anyone, member or not.
What is on
Coming up at HCRJ
Pulled straight from our calendar, so it is never out of date.
Our next five events
Open the full calendarEvents
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Art Class – Explore the exciting and endless possibilities of watercolor.
HCRJ 801 Bering Drive, Houston, TXIn Person. No experience necessary, just enthusiasm and a willingness to learn and tap into your creative side. All materials are provided.
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Canasta and Bridge Games
HCRJ 801 Bering Dr. , Houston, TX, United StatesDrop-in Games for all levels.
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Erev Rosh Hashanah Service
HCRJ 801 Bering Dr. , Houston, TX, United StatesWelcome in the Jewish New Year at HCRJ with a spiritually uplifting musical servcie led by Rabbi Gross, Mike Kahn and our High Holiday choir with Jonathan Kraft as the choir ... Read more
Groups and clubs
Find your people
Every ongoing group at HCRJ, listed here so you do not have to guess. Meeting dates for all of them are on the calendar.
Senior Chai
Our retiree group
Lunches, speakers, day trips and good company for members who are retired or nearly there. The easiest group in the congregation to walk into cold.
Boomers
A social group for members in their fifties and sixties
Dinners out, theatre, and the occasional weekend away, organized by the people who go on them.
Mah Jongg
Drop in play, no partner needed
Seasoned players and people who learned last month, at the same tables. Come at ten and someone will deal you in.
Bingo
An evening of bingo and company
Cards, prizes, and a room full of people enjoying themselves loudly. All ages.
Sisterhood
The women of HCRJ
Programs, fundraising and friendship, and the group behind a good deal of what happens in this building.
Brotherhood
The men of HCRJ
Service projects, socials, and the crew who show up when something needs carrying, cooking or fixing.
HCRJ choir
Sing with the congregation on Friday nights
No audition and no requirement to read music. If you like to sing, there is a place for you on the bimah.
Torah Tots
A playgroup for babies, toddlers and their grown ups
Songs, stories, snacks and an hour where nobody minds the noise. Built for families who are not ready for religious school yet.
Mitzvah and Caring Community
Meals, rides and visits when a member needs them
The volunteers who cook, drive and sit with members through illness, a new baby, or a death in the family. Ask for help, or offer it.
Looking for when a group next meets?
Every group meeting is on the events calendar alongside services and everything else. Filter by category to see only the social and community listings.
Signature events
The ones people plan their year around
A few HCRJ events have transformed into traditions. here are a few of them.
Annual
Bark MitzvahA blessing of the animals. Bring the dog, the cat, the hamster or a photograph, and the rabbi will bless them along with everyone else’s.
Seasonal
HCRJ at the AstrosA congregation night at the ballpark. We buy a block of seats, everyone sits together, and the synagogue gets a mention on the big screen.
Through the year
Film screeningsA Jewish film, a room full of opinions, and a conversation afterward that is usually better than the film.
About Member Events
Most of what we do is public and lives on our calendar. A few events need require a member RSVP and/or a payment. Those events are handled in ShulCloud, our member portal. You will see the event here with a Members badge and a button that takes you straight to it. One event, one home, so nothing goes stale.
Our calendar is best place to find exactly what is happening when.
Services, classes, groups, volunteering and celebrations, all in one place and all kept current. If you want to know what HCRJ is actually like, look at a month of it.
Social action
Volunteering, and the work of repairing the world
Tikkun olam, repairing the world, is not a slogan here. It is a food pantry shift, a coat drive, a legislative visit, and a rabbi who has spent his career building trust between Houston’s faith communities.
Most of what we do needs two hours and no particular skill. Packing boxes at the food pantry, driving a member to an appointment, or standing alongside a partner organization when it matters that we are there.
You do not have to be a member to volunteer with us, and you do not have to commit to anything beyond the shift you signed up for.