Sholem Community

Sunday School
2026-01-25 10:00 - 12:30, 2026-02-01 10:00 - 12:30, 2026-02-08 10:00 - 12:30, 2026-02-22 10:00 - 12:30 (America/Los_Angeles)
Are you culturally Jewish but not religious?
Would you like your children (or grandchildren) to connect with their Jewish identity?
Do you have an intercultural family?
Sholem’s secular Sunday school engages children 4-17 years old in an exploration of Jewish identity, history, culture and traditions of social justice.
Classes meet 10:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m most Sunday mornings during the school year.

Click here for more information about our school
All prospective families are welcome to come check out a class.
We offer rolling admissions.
Contact our principal Ross Helford ross@sholem.org, so he may plan to greet you.

Tu Bishvat Assembly
2026-02-01 11:15 - 12:30
Traditionally Tu Bishvat was the New Year of Trees, originally established as a way for Jewish farmers to keep time. In modern times, it has been adapted for the planting and care of trees and as a reminder to be kind to our planet – similar to Earth Day.
11:15 a.m.* – Principal Ross Helford will give a presentation about Tu Bishvat from a secular perspective – adults are welcome!

12 Noon* – Assembly with songs

*Times to be confirmed

Sholem Does Not Meet (President's Day Weekend)
2026-02-15
Sholem will not meet on this Sunday (Feb 15).
Classes resume Feb 22nd.

Annual Purim Carnival
2026-03-01 10:00 - 12:30
All are welcome to our Purim festivities!
We’ll be doing our usual pantomime reading of Sholem’s Super-Colossal Purim Mishmash shpil, adapted from Megiles Ester by Hershl Hartman.
As is our tradition, our Sunday school classes will each be hosting a carnival booth.
Kids (and adults!) are encouraged to wear a costume!

10am – Setup (volunteers needed at this time)

Students: Set-up booths & rehearse pantomime
Adults: Schmoozing, bagels & coffee

11am – Assembly With Megile Reading
The assembly will kick off with the triumphant return of the Sholem klezmer ensemble!

11:30am to 12:30pm – Purim Carnival!

CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS:

Megile (megillah) readers!
Hamantaschen bringers!
Cleaner-uppers!

If you can pitch in, please RSVP to rosshelford@gmail.com

Fundraiser: Here Lies Love at the Mark Taper Forum
2026-03-01 19:00 - 21:00 | Mark Taper Forum, 135 N Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA, 90012, United States
Join us for a night at the Mark Taper Forum to see Here Lies Love.
Sholem has reserved a bloc of tickets to the performance on Sunday, March 1 at 7:00 p.m. A portion of each ticket purchased will be donated to Sholem. The deadline to order tickets is February 7, 2026. (After that date, any unsold tickets will be released back to the Taper.)
Here Lies Love is a groundbreaking musical about former First Lady of the Philippines Imelda Marcos and her family’s rise to power and subsequent fall at the hands of the Philippine People Power Revolution. Witness her journey through “exhilarating songs” (USA Today) and “imaginative spectacle” (The Guardian) over “90 breathless minutes” (The Washington Post).
Featuring music by Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Award winner David Byrne and Grammy Award winner Fatboy Slim, and direction by Center Theatre Group Brindell & Milton Gottlieb Artistic Director Snehal Desai, comes an all-new production (the first since appearing on Broadway in 2023) in a transformative experience combining disco beats and adrenaline-fueled choreography. The show goes beyond Imelda’s near-mythic obsession with shoes to explore true questions of authoritarian rule and responsibility. It is a story fueled by greed, power, and disco that feels as timely today as ever.
For more information and to order tickets, please go to
https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/sholems-here-lies-love-theater-fundraiser
A portion of your ticket price is tax deductible as a donation to Sholem.

Sholem Model Secular Seder - Passover 2026
2026-03-22 11:00 - 14:30 | Farragut Elementary School, 10820 Farragut Dr., Culver City, CA, 90230, United States
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 popular communal event will feature:

Readings from Sholem’s secular family Hagada
Community potluck luncheon
Singing & musical accompaniment, with plenty of opportunities for children to participate!

PLEASE PURCHASE TICKETS HERE:
https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/sholem-model-seder–2026
Suggested donation is $18 per person. Sholem students and children five and under are free.
No one turned away for lack of funds.
This is event is a potluck – Please sign up to bring a dish, beverage, etc. at the link below.

WHEN:
10:00 am – 11:00 am: Setup
11:00 am: Doors Open
11:30 am – 2:00 pm: Program
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm: Cleanup
Volunteers who can arrive early for setup or stay after for cleanup are greatly appreciated!

WHERE:
Farragut Elementary School
10820 Farragut Dr, Culver City, CA 90230

POTLUCK SIGN UP
Please sign up for one item per each adult and one item for every 1-3 children in your group.
Link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C054DA5AB2DA0FD0-61879120-2026

Sholem Field Trip to Skirball Center
2026-03-29
All Sholem classes will participate in a field trip to the Skirball Center.
Sholem families – Please check your email for details.

Spring Break - No Classes
2026-04-05
Sholem will not meet on this Sunday (April 5).
Classes resume April 12th.

Milo, Clara, & Olivia Bar/Bas Mitsve Ceremony
2026-05-09 14:00 - 19:00
The families of Milo Groseclose and Clara Perez Howe and Olivia Perez Howe invite the Sholem Community to join in celebrating their children becoming Bar/Bas Mitsves.

Milo’s topic will be:
Jews, Comics, and Superheroes

Clara’s topic will be:
Secular Jewish Influence on Rock Music

Olivia’s topic will be:
A Comparison of Yiddish Dance and Flamenco

Saturday, May 9, 2026 at 2:00pm in Van Nuys
(address to be provided upon RSVP)

There will be a light Kiddush reception at about 5:00pm following the ceremony.

Kindly RSVP by Friday, May 1
by emailing rachel.braude@gmail.com

About Sholem’s secular Bar/Bas Mitsve program…The bar/bas mitsve candidate chooses a topic for in-depth research and/or significant thought. Then, working with their advisor, the student prepares an approximately 20-minute presentation on this topic and how it reflects the aspects of Jewish heritage and identity that are most meaningful to them at this point in their life.To learn more, click here.

Year End Assembly
2026-05-17
This will be our final meeting at Short Avenue for the current school year. Classes will meet as usual, beginning at 10:00 AM. Please come early for coffee, bagels and schmoozing.
Following classes, we will be having a year end assembly to wrap up the academic year.
