Sunday School + Jewish Dance with Bruce Bierman
2025-03-09
Sholem is delighted to welcome Bruce Bierman for two Joy of Jewish Dance workshops – one for adults and one for kids.

Sunday, March 9, 2025
10:00 a.m. Check-in, bagels & coffee
10:30-11:30 a.m. Dance for adults
11:45 a.m. -12:30 p.m. Dance for children

NOTE for visiting families: Sholem’s non-religious Jewish Sunday school will be in session for the first hour while the adult programming is taking place. Families with children 4 years and up are welcome to sit in on a class. Please contact Sholem principal Ross Helford for more info: ross@sholem.org.

The Joy of Jewish Dance — a smorgasbord of global Jewish music, moves and grooves including: the ancient hand gestures and steps of traditional Yemenite dance, the dancing shoulders of the Ethiopian Jews, soulful Hasidic nigun dancing, mad hot Klezmer and the choreographic gems of classic Israeli Folk dance. This participatory dance celebration welcomes all bodies and invites all backgrounds to learn the moves of the ancestors to the grooves of your own imagination.

Bruce Bierman is the co-artistic director of the award-winning Yiddish Theatre Ensemble of Berkeley and is a leading presenter of Jewish dance throughout California. Among his extensive credits, Bruce was a lead dancer and teaching artist with the acclaimed Aman Folk Ensemble of Los Angeles and a regular at the Skirball Museum with Mostly Kosher and John Anson Ford Theater with the L.A. Jewish Symphony.
Click here for a short video introducing you to Bruce:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AH2Uh7fxSQw&t=1s

Sunday School - Purim Carnival
2025-03-16

Sunday School
2025-03-23, 2025-04-20, 2025-04-27, 2025-05-11

Sunday School - Field Trip Day
2025-03-30

Model Secular Seder (Pre-Passover, Saturday 4/5)
2025-04-05 11:00 - 14:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Veterans Memorial Building, 4117 Overland Ave, Culver City, CA, 90230, United States
Model Secular Seder
Community Potluck Luncheon
SATURDAY, April 5, 2025
(1 week before Passover holiday begins)
Sholem’s non-religious cultural celebration of Passover acknowledges the holiday’s origins as a spring festival and honors the tradition of “Exodus” as a symbolic tale of freedom. This communal event will feature readings from Sholem’s secular family Hagada, a potluck luncheon, singing & musical accompaniment, with plenty of opportunities for children to participate.
11:00 a.m. Doors Open
Please arrive by 11:30 with your food. This will give us time to organize the potluck buffet, find our tables places, and get everyone seated.
12:00-2:30 p.m. Program
The program will begin promptly at noon.
Veterans Memorial Building
Rotunda Room
4117 Overland Avenue, Culver City, CA 90230
Suggested donation is $18 per person (children 12 yrs & under free) to help cover costs including venue rental. You may contribute at the Seder with cash, or we will have a QR code to scan.
Step 1) CLICK HERE
to reserve your seat(s)
Step 2) CLICK HERE
to choose your potluck item(s)
Please feel free to share this notice and invite family & friends.
ALL ARE WELCOME!

Sholem’s SECULAR Hagada
Click here to download a PDF
For questions regarding the Seder, please email rachel.braude@verizon.net or call/text 310-291-7379.
We look forward to a wonderful, freylekh (festive) Sholem Community Potluck Seder. Hope to see you there!

No Sunday School (the day after Seder)
2025-04-06

Spring Break- No Sunday School
2025-04-13

Sunday School + Klezmer Dance 101 with Bruce Bierman
2025-05-04 10:00 - 12:30 | Short Avenue Elementary School, 12814 Maxella Ave, Los Angeles, CA, 90066, United States
Classes will meet as usual this Sunday, May 4, beginning at 10 a.m. Please come early for coffee, bagels and schmoozing.
Also, we are delighted to bring back Bruce Bierman for another workshop in Jewish dance. All are welcome! There will be a one hour adult workshop from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., followed by a workshop for the entire school and parents from 11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Klezmer Dance 101: A Mitsve to be in Simkhe
Come move, laugh, and connect at this joyful workshop for youth and their families! Once nearly forgotten, the traditional Jewish folk dances of the Ashkenazi Jews—like the Freylekh, Joq, Husidl, Sher, Bulgar, and Patsh Tanz—are now joyfully returning to life, thanks to a renaissance sparked by the tireless work of passionate Yiddish music and dance folkologists and researchers.
No experience is needed. whether dancing in community, with a chaver (a friend), or stepping out solo in a moment of shayning—showing off your own unique flair—there’s room for everyone. Led by an experienced dance leader—but always invited to dance to the beat of your own drummer—this is dance for the Folk, where joy matters more than perfection.
Bruce Bierman is the co-artistic director of the award-winning Yiddish Theatre Ensemble of Berkeley and is a leading presenter of Jewish dance throughout California. Bruce has studied with a handful of great Jewish dance masters including Felix Fibich–who with his wife and mentor, Judith Berg, choreographed the 1937 Yiddish classic film, ‘The Dybbuk’. Bruce was a lead dancer and teaching artist with the acclaimed Aman Folk Ensemble of Los Angeles and a regular at the Skirball Museum with Mostly Kosher and John Anson Ford Theater with the L.A. Jewish Symphony. He recently served as Yiddish dance and theater dramaturg for several productions of Paula Vogel’s ‘Indecent’ at the Arena Stage, Oregon Shakespeare Festival and the critically acclaimed production at the San Francisco Playhouse. Here’s a short video introduction to Bruce.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AH2Uh7fxSQw

Sunday School - Last day of 2024-25 School year
2025-05-18

Theater Party at the Ahmanson
2025-06-22 17:00 - 21:00 | Ahmanson Theatre, 135 North Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, 90012, United States
JOIN SHOLEM FOR A THEATER PARTY/ FUNDRAISER AT THE AHMANSON WHICH IS HOSTING A JEWISH COMMUNITY NIGHT ON SUNDAY, JUNE 22
(deadline to order tickets is May 15)
PARADE is a powerful musical telling the true story of Leo Frank, a Jewish factory manager wrongly convicted of murder in Georgia in 1913, and his wife Lucille’s fight for justice.

Parade was the winner of the 2023 Tony Award® for Best Revival of a Musical. Parade has been proclaimed as “a work of art! As commanding as any musical revival to hit Broadway in years” (Deadline).

The evening of June 22 will be a Jewish community night at the Ahmanson, hosted by the Center Theatre Group.

The tickets to this event will include a pre-show cocktail party hosted by the Ahmanson beginning at 5:00 p.m., with curtain time at 6:30 p.m. In addition, at a later date, the Ahmanson will be conducting a Zoom Q&A for the show’s patrons.

Sholem has reserved a bloc of tickets for the evening performance on June 22. This performance will be sold out. If you wish to secure a ticket for this event, please place your order by May 15, 2025. Sholem will release any unsold tickets back to the Ahmanson after that date.

Rear orchestra seats are $125, mezzanine seats are $100 and balcony seats are $75. This event is a fundraiser for Sholem. All are welcome. A portion of the ticket price is tax deductible as a donation to Sholem.

For more information and tickets:
https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/sholem-theater-fundraiser-parade-at-the-ahmanson

2025 Summer Planning Meeting
2025-08-17
This meeting is open to the entire Sholem community, and is for anyone interested in serving in leadership or in taking on a volunteer role.

Jewish Sunday School Begins, Los Angeles
2025-09-07 10:00 - 12:30
Jewish Sunday School | Secular Jewish Education for Kids Ages 4-17
Join Sholem’s secular Jewish Sunday school serving families throughout Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Brentwood, Westwood, Venice, Culver City, Beverly Hills, and the greater West Side.
Next Session: Sunday, September 7th at 10:00am Location: Sholem Community
Why Choose Sholem’s Jewish Sunday School Alternative?
Sholem’s secular Jewish education program offers an engaging curriculum for children ages 4-17, focusing on Jewish identity, history, culture, and social justice traditions – perfect for families seeking non-religious Jewish education in Los Angeles.
Our inclusive approach welcomes:

Interfaith families from Santa Monica to Beverly Hills
Parents seeking cultural Jewish learning without religious doctrine
Families looking for progressive Jewish education in West LA
Children interested in Jewish history and traditions

What to Expect at Our Jewish Sunday School
10:00am: Classes begin with bagels and community time
12:15pm: Weekly assembly brings all ages together
12:30pm: Dismissal
✨ Try Before You Commit: Families are welcome to visit any Sunday to experience our secular Jewish community firsthand.
Serving Jewish Families Throughout Los Angeles:

Los Angeles
Santa Monica families
Brentwood and Westwood communities
Venice and Culver City residents
Beverly Hills area families
Mid-City and Hollywood families welcome

Registration Information
Online registration opening soon – or attend any Sunday and register in person. No family turned away.
Questions? Contact our principal, Ross Helford, to learn more about our Jewish cultural education program.
Perfect for families seeking:

Alternative to traditional Hebrew school
Jewish education for interfaith families
Secular Jewish community in Los Angeles
Progressive Jewish values and social justice education
Jewish Sunday school that welcomes all backgrounds

Learn more about our amazing community by following us on Facebook or Instagram.

Rosh Hashanah In the Park, Los Angeles
2025-09-23 11:00 - 13:30 | Clover Park, 2600 Ocean Park Blvd, Santa Monica, CA, 90405, United States
Join Sholem Community’s secular Rosh Hashanah celebration in Los Angeles – a meaningful Jewish New Year observance that welcomes families of all backgrounds.
What Makes Our Rosh Hashanah Celebration Special: Sholem’s secular Jewish holiday observances draw from Jewish history, folk traditions, contemporary readings, and social justice themes. Our secular humanistic adaptations of Jewish holidays are creative and imbued with relevance to modern family life.
Experience the Jewish New Year with readings, literature, and poetry rooted in Jewish heritage and progressive values – perfect for interfaith families and those seeking cultural Jewish celebration without religious requirements.
Event Details:

Free Rosh Hashanah celebration for Los Angeles families
Bring your own picnic lunch and a dessert to share
Traditional apples and honey provided
Family-friendly Jewish holiday activities
No cost to attend – donations welcomed
11 am at Clover Park, in Santa Monica

Perfect for families seeking:

Secular Jewish education and community
Alternative to traditional synagogue services
Jewish holiday celebration for kids and adults
Progressive Jewish community in Los Angeles

Join our inclusive community where Jewish culture, ethics, and traditions come alive for modern families.

Mindfulness Meditation (Adult Activity)
2025-09-28 10:30 - 12:00
We are delighted to bring Robin Hart Cohen to Sholem to teach a class in Mindfulness Meditation. This class will explore a variety of ways to meditate and discover what mindfulness is all about.

10:00 a.m. Check-in; coffee & bagels provided
10:30 a.m. to 12 noon
Free to attend. Donations to Sholem appreciated.

In preparation for the class, if possible, you are invited to find a quiet area where you might be able to sit comfortably with a low level of distraction and take a few moments to consider your intention for the class. What brings you here? What would you like to take away from this class?

Please feel free to bring a pillow, blanket, back support, water or any other comfort you might need. You might want to bring a journal as well.

Robin Hart Cohen is a graduate of the Insight L.A. Facilitator Training Program as well as a graduate of Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach’s two-year Mindfulness Meditation Teachers Certification Program. She also has certificates from UC Berkeley Power of Awareness course and UC San Diego Mindfulness Center for “Do No Harm” Course. She is also a member of the International Meditation Teachers Association.

Sholem's Kol Nidre 2025 - Los Angeles, Jewish High Holy Days
2025-10-01 19:00 - 21:30 | Morgan-Wixson Theater, 2627 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica, CA, 90405, United States
Sholem’s Kol Nidre 2025 – Los Angeles Secular Jewish High Holy Days
What makes Sholem’s Kol Nidre special? As my late friend Lila Garrett asked: “Where do you go to feel empowered instead of humbled? Where the music is spectacular, the themes are Peace, Justice, Remembrance and Hope, and everyone around you feels the same transformative energy?”
The answer is Sholem’s Kol Nidre; this year, more important than ever, despite Gaza, despite the elections, despite ongoing challenges.

For a taste of Sholem’s Kol Nidre, and why Sholem’s Kol Nidre is a highlight of the year for many people, click here.

Experience the transformative power of secular Jewish tradition at Sholem’s renowned Kol Nidre celebration in Los Angeles. This year’s in-person event takes place at Morgan-Wixson Theatre:
2627 Pico Blvd.
Santa Monica, 90405

Parking: Convenient free parking is available at the Venice Family Clinic located at 2509 Pico Boulevard – just one block west of the theatre.

Street parking is also available. Meters are free after 6pm Monday – Saturday and free on Sundays and strictly enforced.

Do not park at the SGI Buddhist Center, The HAUS Santa Monica, Car Nerds or neighboring strip malls.

Click here to purchase tickets

No one turned away for lack of funds.

For assistance, please email rachel.braude@verizon.net.

Yom Kippur In the Park, Santa Monica
2025-10-02 11:00 - 13:00 | Clover Park, 2600 Ocean Park Blvd, Santa Monica, CA, 90405, United States
Secular Jewish Observance for All Families
Join Sholem’s outdoor Yom Kippur celebration in Santa Monica, a secular Jewish observance that welcomes families throughout Los Angeles for meaningful reflection without traditional religious requirements.
What to Expect at Our Secular Yom Kippur
Lively discussion of ethics in our daily lives led by community speakers – a humanistic approach to Yom Kippur focused on reflection, social justice, and Jewish values.
Perfect for: Anyone seeking alternative Yom Kippur observance in LA!
Why Choose Sholem’s Yom Kippur in the Park?

Secular Yom Kippur celebration – no fasting or traditional religious elements
Family-friendly Jewish holiday observance in beautiful outdoor setting
Interfaith families welcome – cultural approach to Jewish holidays
Progressive Jewish community exploring ethics and social justice
Alternative to synagogue services with meaningful reflection

Practical Information
Time: 11:15 AM (arrive by 11:00 AM for seating)
Location: Clover Park, 2600 Ocean Park Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90405
Cost: Free – donations welcomed to support Jewish educational programs
Parking: Free lot on east side of Clover Park (enter from Ocean Park Blvd going east)
Seating: Limited picnic tables available – bring chairs recommended
‍‍‍All ages welcome to this community gathering
Questions? Contact Sholem Community to learn more about our secular Jewish programs serving the greater Los Angeles area.

Sukkot Assembly
2025-10-12 10:00 - 13:00
As we connect with our ancestors in celebration of the autumnal harvest, and look up at the magnificent harvest moon, we can take this time to reflect upon where our food comes from and to appreciate the laborers that pick our foods and deserve fair wages and human dignity.
Our Sukkot assembly will begin at noon, outside in the school’s central courtyard. Every class will present about their ushpizin i.e. “guests” — a person, group of people, or movement — the students would like to invite to join them in the suke. Rebekka Helford, our vice principal and Alef/Beys teacher, will lead an opening and closing song.

Interested parents/adults are invited to come earlier, after 10am, to help assemble and decorate the sukkah, socialize, and partake of coffee and bagels. Following the school assembly, volunteers are needed to take down the suke.

10am – 12pm
assemble & decorate sukkah,
socializing, coffee & bagels

12:00 – 1:00 pm
Sukkot Assembly
dissemble sukkah

Prop 50 Special Election Discussion with Mona Field
2025-10-19 11:00 - 12:00
CA Prop 50 Special Election Forum
w/ Mona Field, Professor Emerita, Political Science

Are you feeling confused about prop 50? Or have a strong position on this brand new ballot measure? Either way, come to Sholem for discussion of proposition 50, why we are voting unexpectedly in an odd numbered year, and all the pros and cons. Prop 50 is a statewide special election, which was announced very recently.

Many people may find this an easy decision, but please feel free to join us and join the conversation about how and why we have a special election. Who’s behind it? What does it all mean? How will the outcome affect us all?

As always, we will have a civil and thoughtful discussion, no matter how many points of view we bring to the conversation.

Sunday, October 19 2024
10am check-in, bagels & coffee
Program 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 PM.

Short Avenue Elementary School
12814 Maxella Avenue.
Los Angeles, CA 90066
(Plenty of free street parking)
FREE to Attend – All are welcome!

Questions: info@sholem.org

Sunday School Open House
2025-10-26 10:00 - 11:30
Our School Principal, Ross Helford, will discuss the importance, urgency, and value of a secular Jewish education. We will also have an overview of our school, curriculum, philosophy and classes, as well as our bmitsve program, teen/belfer program, and our multigenerational community offerings.
The presentation will be followed by a tour of classes, and then an opportunity for some community building amongst adults.
Sholem Open House
Sunday, September 22
10:00 a.m. Bagels, Juice & Coffee
10:30-11:30 a.m. Program
Help spread the word. Invite friends.
All are welcome!
Questions: ross@sholem.org

Screening & Discussion: “Meet Me at Brooklyn & Soto”
2025-11-16 10:00 - 12:30 | Short Avenue Elementary School, 12814 Maxella Ave, Los Angeles, CA, 90066, United States
Screening & Discussion
Sunday, November 16, 2025
10:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
“MEET ME AT BROOKLYN AND SOTO” (1995, 70 min) is a nostalgic celebration of the Jewish community that once thrived within the East L.A. neighborhood of Boyle Heights. The street then named Brooklyn Avenue (now Cesar Chavez Avenue) and its intersection with Soto was the heart of the largest Jewish community west of Chicago from the 1920s to the 1950s.
This documentary film, created by oral historian Ellie Kahn for the Jewish Historical Society of Southern California, began as an oral history project, with Ellie training 25 volunteers to interview 120 former residents of Boyle Hts and City Terrace. Ellie then produced “Meet Me at Brooklyn & Soto,” which utilizes archival film footage, vintage photos and her interviews with dozens of former residents of the neighborhood.
The fascinating, moving and often amusing recollections shared by those who were interviewed make it clear that it was a unique, hamish, active community, rich in Yiddish culture and leftist organizing.
“One of the most heart-warming documentaries you will find.” — the Barrio Boychik
Producer/Director Ellie Kahn will be present for discussion following the film.
>>> To reserve your seat(s),
RSVP to regan@sholem.org <<<
10:00 a.m. Check-in, Bagels & Coffee
10:30 a.m. Screening and Q&A
Short Avenue Elementary School
12814 Maxella Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90066

Presented by the Sholem Community and Ellie Kahn/Living Legacies Productions, in cooperation with the SoCal Arbeter Ring/Workers Circle and Kultur Mercado.
All are welcome | Free to attend

L.A. Yiddish Day 2025 (field trip)
2025-11-23 10:00 - 17:00 | Hebrew Union College, 3077 University Avenue, Los Angeles, 90007, United States
This day-long celebration will bring together Yiddishists, cultural enthusiasts, educators, students, and the wider Jewish community for lectures, workshops, performances, and community-building centered on the Yiddish language and its enduring legacy.
Programming will feature sessions for both beginners and advanced speakers, cultural events highlighting Yiddish music and literature, and special presentations to connect audiences with the lived experience of the Holocaust through survivor testimony. LA Yiddish Day aims to reignite Yiddish cultural life in Los Angeles by catering to all levels of interest and creating a platform for intergenerational learning and exchange.
There will be a schoolwide field trip for Sholem students and their families, prioritizing activities for younger children earlier in the day.
Sunday, November 23, 2025
10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
at Hebrew Union College – Los Angeles
3077 University Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90007
This will be the first major community-driven Yiddish event in Southern California in nearly a decade, bringing together the many organizations whose work helps to keep Yiddish language, culture, and memory alive in the city.
Doors will open at 9:45 AM for check-in and morning coffee. Light refreshments will be provided throughout the day, and all sessions are open to registered participants.
For tickets go to
https://givebutter.com/layiddish2025

Presented by Kultur Mercado, in partnership with the Sholem Community, Southern California Arbeter Ring Educational Center, Holocaust Museum LA, Der Nister, HUC-Jewish Language Project, and the California Institute for Yiddish Culture and Language (CIYCL).

"The December Dilemma" Group Discussion
2025-12-14 10:30 - 12:00
Beginning at 10:30 a.m., there will be an Adult Activity for Sholem parents and community members.
Longtime Sholem members Laurie Braude and Lois Bostwick will facilitate a community discussion on “The December Dilemma,” which may arise from tension between the celebration of Chanukah and Christmas, especially when the two holidays coincide. This season can be challenging for many interfaith or intercultural families as they navigate the desire to honor their Jewish identity while also participating in the festive spirit of Christmas.

Chanukah Assembly
2025-12-14 12:00 - 13:00
At 12 noon, we will all gather in the auditorium for our annual schoolwide Chanukah/Khanike Assembly.
All of the classes have prepared presentations or performances for this special event.
