Genesis board member and past president James Downward here shares his personal reflection on Bob Creal's leadership leading to the founding of Genesis.

Whether your celebrations involve latkes and brachas or Christmas cookies and carols (or both), may they bring comfort, joy, and a sense of belonging in the community we continue to build together. May this season bring you hope, rest, and moments of quiet renewal.

As Ann Arbor gets whiter with snow, Genesis keeps getting greener as we progress toward our goal of carbon neutrality – and our efforts are getting noticed.

Genesis filled the Social Hall to capacity last Sunday night, for the 2025 Erev Thanksgiving celebration.

On Erev Thanksgiving this year, we'll take a new approach to an enduring tradition. On Sunday, November 23 at 7 p.m. , members of our two congregations will gather in the Social Hall for an evening of music, desserts, and conversation. For fifty years now, the Erev Thanksgiving gathering has provided an opportunity to take a moment to pause together in gratitude before we each celebrate the holiday in our own ways with our families and loved ones. Over the years, the evenin

There’s still time to make your mark on Genesis’s 50th Anniversary year — with a paintbrush and a touch of passion. Everyone in our two congregations is invited to contribute to the Genesis 50th Celebration Community Art Project, a collaborative work of art that will soon become a permanent installation in the hallway just outside the Social Hall. Each participant is invited to paint a their own heart on a wooden tile, which together will form two large mosaic-style panels ce

As soon as the sukkah went up, our long-anticipated, comfy new chairs went out, fulfilling a wish older than Genesis itself. From the earnest shehecheyanus recited by TBE congregants to the steadfast lounging by the church youth, the momentousness of the occasion is being met with fervent enthusiasm.

The earth has spun a full cycle and it's already time again to put our gardens to bed for the winter. It's always a joy to get together and pitch in the crisp autumn air, but this year we have the added incentive of good food as well as good company. The grounds committee invites you to join families from TBE, STC, and Blue Ocean for a “savory soups and harvest” themed potluck meal. While you're welcome to bring any type of dish and not only vegetarian, we encourage plant-fo

The High Holy Days are a time of reflection and introspection. Both the sanctuary and the parking lots are filled to capacity. These are times when Genesis’s shared spirit truly shines. Volunteers from St. Clare’s and Blue Ocean churches turn out to help stand watch so Temple Beth Emeth worshippers can gather to pray undisturbed. Their vigilance outside is felt deeply inside as an expression of care, friendship, and solidarity.

On Sunday, September 21 , Genesis of Ann Arbor will join faith-based communities across Washtenaw County to mark SUN DAY , a Multifaith...

Last Thursday evening, September 4, Genesis of Ann Arbor welcomed about fifty gardening enthusiasts from across Washtenaw County for a...

New resources for hybrid meetings are available, including an Owl. The children's library has been expanded.

On Thursday evening, September 4, Genesis will host a guided walking tour of the gardens on our grounds sponsored by the Washtenaw County...

Our new sanctuary chairs are on the way! For those of us who have warmed many a seat in our old sanctuary chairs—which have been in our...

Genesis took a giant leap forward toward our goal of carbon neutrality last month. In July, Genesis staff oversaw the installation of both a new heat pump RTU and a new array of solar panels to augment our existing solar panels.

For our June 8th celebrations, our honored guests prepared moving remarks and our cantor, inspired to compose a song for the occasion, debuted her song. Here are the remarks of Bishop Perry and Rabbi Jacobs, followed by the lyrics to Cantor Maier's “Heal Our Broken World.”

We’re thrilled to share some shining news: Genesis of Ann Arbor has a brand-new commercial dishwasher!

Last Sunday, June 29, a few dozen of our most intrepid TBE and STC congregants braved the heat wave to together witness the Toledo Mud Hens triumph 5-3 over the Charlotte Knights.

On June 1, Genesis held its 2025 Annual Meeting, followed by a Tri-Board meeting of the Genesis Board, the Temple Board, and the Church Vestry. With all the anniversary celebrations, lest our members think it's all fun and games, we attended to some very important business at these back-to-back meetings.

Honored guests, Bishop Bonnie Perry (Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Michigan) and Rabbi Rick Jacobs (President of the Union for Reform Judaism) joined our clergy—Rev. Anne Clarke, Rabbi Josh Whinston and Cantor Maier—and several hundred of our congregants to honor Genesis and mark the significance of the 50th Anniversary of our partnership.