Upcoming events

Our virtual Morning Minyan is one of the best-kept secrets of IKAR. Monday-Friday and Sunday at 8am PT on Zoom, we’ll explore a different modality we might use to help us access our prayer life: singing, meditation, study, etc. And each day we will end with a Mourner’s Kaddish.

Bargello is a needlework art that was popular during the Renaissance. The patterns are created by counting stitches on a canvas, as there is no printed pattern provided. It is very easy to learn and the beginner patterns are simple to create. You only need to be able to use a sewing needle and to count!

This drop-in class is open to anyone who wants to explore the subject of our aging, with the aim of creating community as we turn towards this largely uncharted terrain. Prior to every meeting you will be emailed a poem in English which will serve as a springboard for practical exercises and meaningful conversations that incorporate our tradition’s wisdom and our own. Together we will set new goals for approaching our aging with humor, insight, purpose and grace. Recommended age 55+.

Sigd, a holiday which originated in the Jewish communities of Ethiopia, is a celebration of the acceptance of the Torah, and is traditionally observed by ascending a mountain to face Jerusalem. There is a 2-mile total round-trip hike option or a gentler walk around the Center. This event is free and open to all!

6 pm Shmooze | 7 pm Presentation Santa Monica 90403 Full address revealed upon RSVP   Join us for a trip through Oregon, guided by the stories of our fellow travelers. We’ll trade favorite stops, unexpected discoveries, and share whatever photos we can collect. 🌲🗻🌅 Been to Oregon? Take the mic! Share your trip in up to 10 minutes, then pass it to the next traveler. No tour guide credentials required— photos and strong opinions about a favorite stop are welcome. Email Deb Lemattre [email protected] if you’d like to be an Oregon guide.

Mondays from 8:30-9 am PT, after our virtual Monday Morning Minyan, we open a short Grief Garden Circle, a sacred listening space. Please join us here if you are holding grief. Have questions? Please email [email protected]

Most of us first formed our ideas about God when we were adolescents. And if we’re honest, we may not have changed them a whole lot since then. But our tradition has a whole spectrum of ways to get to know, and know about, the Divine, and some of them are definitely for grown-ups. Join Rabbis Panitz and Silver for a text-based class designed to shake out and renew our relationship to/with God. We may be surprised at what we discover. (Note: belief in God is not a condition of entry!)

Once a month, IKARites in their 20s and 30s come together to study a series of texts that speak to a pressing theme of our time. Each session addresses a different set of texts and a standalone topic. No previous experience with Jewish text required.  Led by Rabbinic Intern Jacob Schatz, with occasional guest facilitators. Timeline: 7 PM – Dinner 7:45 PM – Learning (indoor/outdoor)

An Evening with Sally Abed and Nadav Shofet Join us to discuss this critical moment in Israel-Palestine and how Standing Together is organizing for peace, equality and a shared future. Standing Together is the largest progressive grassroots movement organizing Jewish and Palestinian citizens of Israel. In recent years they have become one of the most powerful voices in Israeli society fighting against the Right’s campaign of forever wars and occupation and for a society based on peace, equality, and social justice. Join Nadav and Sally for a moderated discussion with Forward senior columnist Rob Eshman. They will share first-hand updates on the movement’s activism in the aftermath of Israel’s October elections and the work that lies ahead.

What is the Grief Garden? Please join Dev Brous, a certified trauma-informed Compassionate Bereavement Care grief counselor, and herbalist. Join this safe, reflective space to hold, and to be held as we “garden” grief. Here, we share reflections on what we’re learning from grief through embodied weekly prompts that connect people to nature-based Jewish healing practices. To sign-up, please fill out this form. Here’s the link to join the Grief Garden FS2S What’sApp: https://tinyurl.com/2eacz8nc Schedule a 1-0n-1 Grief Support with Dev here: https://cal.com/devorah-brous/grief-support?duration=60  

Parenting is amazing. And hard. Really hard. But it can be so much better when we do it in a community of thoughtful, caring, supportive, inquisitive parents. Here’s a chance to be part of an amazing community from the comfort of your couch, one night a week. We will take up different parenting challenges and questions, share information and ideas from experts and from each other, and enjoy a bit of grown-up time. Facilitated by Beth Weisman, M.A., IKAR’s Early Childhood Engagement Consultant. Free and open to grown-ups with children ages birth-5 years. Members and non-members welcome. We will meet virtually Wednesdays from 8:30-9:30 pm 9/30, 10/7, 10/14, and 10/21. A Zoom link will be sent once we receive your RSVP. We hope you’ll join us!

Join Rabbi David Kasher, Director of Hadar West Coast and past IKAR rabbi, for a virtual literary study of the text of the Torah, aided by the keen eyes of the classical commentators. This series is co-sponsored with Hadar. It will run from Wednesday, October 7 through Wednesday, November 18, 2026.

Through IKAR’s PATH Meals collaboration, a small group of volunteers will serve and enjoy warm meals with residents who are temporarily housed at PATH Cotner residence. Drop off a prepared dish or join us in person to serve warm meals for residents getting back on their feet at PATH Cotner. How can I participate? You can participate by donating items before the event begins or signing up to bring donations and serve. Those who donate food and serve during the event will have the opportunity to eat with the clients we serve. Who can participate? Volunteers must be at least 16 years of age to serve meals at PATH, but we encourage you to make a dish at home with younger children and drop it off if they are too young to serve. Does food need to be home-cooked? No, participants can feel free to prepare meals at home or bring store-bought items to serve. Should participants expect to cook items onsite? No, please bring pre-cooked dishes. There will be an oven to warm up items, if needed. How much food should I prepare/purchase? We expect to serve 25-30 PATH clients during each event. Please bring enough food to serve 20 guests, as it will be served potluck style. Other accessibility info: There are steps to access the building and a handicap lift – if needed, please reach out in advance for assistance. There is only street parking available with no guarantee of a handicap spot.

Wind down and get ready for Shabbat. We are diverse: still working and retired; single, divorced, widowed, and in a relationship; have children, grandchildren, pets, plants, or none of the above; Angelinos and transplants. What we have in common is ikar, a multitude of experiences, and a desire to spend some of our time enjoying events and experiences with those in our age group (60+).

Every Saturday morning at 9:15am, join Dev Brous and/or Dr. Barry Goldstein for a meditation session on the 3rd floor/rooftop Art Room, located next to the elevator. And find your way to sip some homemade herbal tea blends, FromSoil2Soul, near the coffee station.

Join us for a craft, and then drum and dance your way through our always awesome family service. Don't forget to bring your Shabbat dinosaur!

We welcome everyone to our Shabbat morning services at 9:30am PT, no matter their level of observance, experience, or familiarity with Hebrew. Daven with us in person at Shalhevet, or join us virtually on YouTube or Zoom. Childcare is available during Services for kids ages 2-5. Stay afterward for our kosher, vegetarian community lunch. 11/14/2026 Henry Posalski 11/28/2026 Ezekiel Mataan Brous-Weber 12/5/2026 Samuel Rafael Marquit 12/19/2026 Finch Rhodes

Tech2Peace continues to co-create and co-learn across divides, building bridges across the region even amid the fragile ceasefire and the challenges following October 7th. Their story reflects how dialogue, empathy, and innovation can help rebuild trust and hope in these complex times. https://tech2peace.com/

Join B’nai David-Judea, Temple Beth Am, and IKAR during Seudah Shlishit as we hear from guest speaker Joshua B. Cohen of Leket Israel. Leket Israel rescues fresh, surplus food from farms, hotels, corporate cafeterias and IDF army bases feeding 470,000 of all Israelis in need weekly. Joshua Cohen will discuss the impact that Leket has has in the aftermath of October 7th.

This Saturday class offers opportunities for connection, learning, play, and community. We include music and movement, child-led play, and grown-up discussion of developmental and Jewish topics. Open to members and non-members. Facilitated by our Early Childhood Engagement Consultant Beth Weisman, M.A. and coach/trainer Cricket Buchler. The cost is $400/family. Shalhevet Room 303. Also: 12/5, 12/12

A delicious brunch in the event space followed by a specially curated session led by Ann Bohrer and Ross Berman of IKAR’s Creating Circle. As we grow older, our longings can feel more present, more meaningful, and show up in new ways. Using the amazing Jewish Studio Process, we’ll come together to creatively explore the great power still available in our aspirations. No art experience required and we’ll provide all the materials.

This event is for IKAR members only. Join IKAR member Bob Wolfe for a special walking tour of Jewish history in Downtown LA. The route is compact and flat: we’ll walk north to south from 2nd to 6th Streets and east to west from Spring Street to Olive Street, ending at Grand Central Market. Wear comfortable shoes, and give yourself extra time to find parking.  The afternoon is part of our Taste of IKAR series, hosted by the Capital Campaign team in collaboration with Minyan Tzedek. Throughout the afternoon, you’ll have the opportunity to learn more about The IKAR Center and ask questions about our vision for the future. As we work toward our goal of 100% community participation, every gift truly makes a difference. The afternoon will conclude with an opportunity to support the campaign. About The Taste of IKAR Series:   Taste of IKAR is a curated event series designed to give our community a tangible “taste” of the kind of vibrant, creative, and soul-nourishing programming we will be able to offer in the new IKAR Center. Each gathering brings to life a different dimension of what’s to come—food, music, learning, art, and meaningful connection—offering an experiential glimpse into a future filled with dynamic Jewish life

Most of us first formed our ideas about God when we were adolescents. And if we’re honest, we may not have changed them a whole lot since then. But our tradition has a whole spectrum of ways to get to know, and know about, the Divine, and some of them are definitely for grown-ups. Join Rabbis Panitz and Silver for a text-based class designed to shake out and renew our relationship to/with God. We may be surprised at what we discover. (Note: belief in God is not a condition of entry!)

Poetry can often heal, elevate the soul and awaken the heart. Come join IKAR’s Jewish Poetry Circle as we read Jewish poets — the Oneg Shabbos poets of the Warsaw Ghetto, Medieval Sephardic poets, Israeli and Jewish-American poets up to the present—the historical context of their writing, spiritual relationships, personal agonies and joys. The Circle is not an academic writing class but rather an informal experience of a committed group of participants to explore and hopefully bond with Jewish poetic expression and with each other.