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Are you a synagogue or what? Yes and no and kinda. Words like “synagogue” can feel constraining, and we want to think expansively about what Jewish life can be… so we think of ourselves as a spiritual community, and let the experience define itself.


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“Prayer is meaningless unless it is subversive, unless it seeks to overthrow and to ruin the pyramids of callousness, hatred, opportunism, falsehoods. The liturgical movement must become a revolutionary movement, seeking to overthrow the forces that continue to destroy the promise, the hope, the vision.” –Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, “On Prayer”


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“To educate means to cultivate the soul.” -Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel


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“Love your neighbor, and love yourself. That is the whole Torah. All the rest is commentary.” –Hillel


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This community is crawling with good folks — from longtime members to newbies — and there are so many ways to connect.


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IKAR is fueled by the love, talent, and creative investment of each of our community members. Our membership is an expression of individual commitments and a way for each person to expand their Jewish horizons through learning and spiritual growth.


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The Spirit of This Nation is Rising Kfar Saba

March 25th, 2023

“The vitality of these pro-democracy protests in Israel is astonishing. The spirit of the people is rising on the streets. I was honored to speak at the protests in Kfar Saba after Shabbat— 25,000 strong! Israel must be a democracy, with justice and equality for all!”


“We Belong to Each Other – A Jewish Framework for a Just Society.” – Rabbi Sharon Brous, Boston University’s 2021 Elie Wiesel Memorial Lecture Series

October 6th, 2021

Click here to view the lecture.

Rabbi Brous was a featured speaker at Boston University’s 2021 Elie Wiesel Memorial Lecture Series at The Elie Wiesel Center for Jewish Studies on how “We Belong to Each Other – A Jewish Framework for a Just Society.”


“Living on Purpose: Finding Meaning in the Upheaval” – Rabbi Sharon Brous, at Cornell University

October 4th, 2021

Click here to view the lecture.

“Each of us born in this particular time and living in this particular place with this unique combination of skills and talents and drives, has a task, has some sacred work that only we can do in the world.”


White House Passover Celebration Emceed by Rabbi Sharon Brous

March 25th, 2021 — Pesah 5781

Rabbi Brous emceed The White House Passover Seder with Second Gentleman Emhoff. Special appearances were made by President Biden and First Lady Biden, Vice President Harris, Jonathan Cedarbaum, Herbie Ziskend, Michael Fuchs, Ann Neuberger, Jeff Zients,  Cynthia Bernstein, Abbe Gluck, Milton Gottesman Jewish Day School, and our own IKAR students!


Rabbi Brous at ADL’s Never Is Now Panel, Antisemitism in Progressive Spaces: How it Looks; How to Address It

November 19th, 2020

Antisemitism exists across the political, ideological, and social spectrum, often taking the form that is most fitting to the context. This workshop will examine the particular forms of antisemitism on the left by examining real-life incidents with anti-Jewish expressions in progressive environs, including those related to anti-Zionism and extreme anti-Israel rhetoric, and will discuss ways to address this bias, build awareness and help ensure all spaces are inclusive of Jews.


Rabbi Brous speaks on MAZON’s panel, How Did We Get Here? Hunger 2020

November 17th, 2020

Join anti-hunger champions for a look back on the movement. How did hunger evolve from a bipartisan issue to a deeply partisan flashpoint, and what has that meant for the millions of low-income Americans caught in the middle? And most importantly, how can we reshape our reality around a renewed moral clarity – that no one deserves to be hungry, and our social contract ensures that every person should get the support they need to lead a life of dignity and prosperity? The conversation will be framed by leading clergy voices, reflecting on the Jewish community’s relationship to anti-hunger and anti-poverty work, bringing “politics” to the bimah, and more.


Rabbi Brous speaks on Pomona College’s panel, Presidential Dialogues: Cultivating Empathy in a Time of Division

November 17th, 2020

This series brings together distinguished speakers working around our nation to share narratives that are often marginalized and to bring people together in dialogue with empathy and understanding.


In Quarantine with Steve Bodow: Sharon Brous Didn’t Want To Be A Rabbi

August 21st, 2020

The LA-based, nationally recognized rabbi talks about what to do when your society is having five crises at once, why the pulpit is for politics, and hot ’90s kiddush seduction techniques.


Pod Drash podcast, “Moving Along, Muckily” featuring Rabbi Brous

August 20th, 2020

How do we move on when the apology we so long for – and the resolution and accountability week seek – refuse to come? We begin a snippet from Heavyweight’s episode 11, Christina, and from there we explore perhaps one of the thorniest issues of teshuva and of human relationships in general: how can I move on, personally and in a specific relationship, when instead of a clean, new start with the other side I just get muck? Featured guests: Rabbi Sharon Brous (IKAR LA) and Jonathan Goldstein (host, Heavyweight).


Rabbi Brous Speaking at the DNC

August 20th, 2020

In this time of pandemic and political upheaval, it is important that faith communities work together in our efforts towards social justice. In this panel, Muslim Public Affairs Council president, Salam Al-Marayati will discuss with Rabbi Sharon Brous of IKAR, Hedab Tarifi of Islamic Center of Southern California and Dylan Williams of J Street, Muslim-Jewish relations here in the U.S. our work on policy in the in the Middle East, and how we can support each other’s communities, working together towards social transformation.


Rabbi Brous Speaks at At a Multi-Faith Gathering 4 Black Lives

July 19th, 2020

DAWN: The End of Desire: The Tenth and Most Difficult Commandment with Rabbi David Kasher & Rabbi David Ingber

July 7th, 2020

Rabbi David Kasher (IKAR) & Rabbi David Ingber (Romemu) come together to discuss the 10th Commandment. This session was a part of DAWN, an all-night cultural arts festival celebrating Shavuot, presented by Reboot in association with the Jewish Emergent Network.


DAWN – You Can’t Love God While Trampling God’s Image – Rabbi Sharon Brous, Bishop Gene Robinson & Lisa Sharon Harper

July 7th, 2020

Rabbi Sharon Brous (IKAR) in conversation with Bishop Gene Robinson and Lisa Sharon Harper (Freedom Road). This session was a part of DAWN, an all-night cultural arts festival celebrating Shavuot, presented by Reboot in association with the Jewish Emergent Network.


DAWN: The Most Sacred of Times: Sabbath in the Crossroads of Corona with Rabbi Sharon Brous & Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie

July 7th, 2020

Rabbi Sharon Brous (IKAR) and Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie (Lab/Shul) dive deep into the fourth Commandment – “remember the sabbath day and keep it holy.” This session was a part of DAWN, an all-night cultural arts festival celebrating Shavuot, presented by Reboot in association with the Jewish Emergent Network.


DAWN: Stealing Hearts and Minds: Tales of Deception with Rabbi Rachel Nussbaum & Rabbi Ronit Tsadok

July 7th, 2020

Stealing Hearts and Minds: Tales of Deception with Rabbi Rachel Nussbaum & Rabbi Ronit Tsadok. This session was a part of DAWN, an all-night cultural arts festival celebrating Shavuot, presented by Reboot in association with the Jewish Emergent Network.


Rabbi Sharon Brous on KPCC Take Two

June 8th, 2020

Rabbi Sharon Brous interviewed at George Floyd’s memorial procession in Los Angeles.


Heschel/King Forum Keynote Address – Rabbi Brous

November 3rd, 2019

Rabbi Brous was the keynote speaker alongside Rev. Jim Lawson, a civil rights activist called by Martin Luther King Jr, “the leading theorist and strategist of nonviolence.”

The forum was intended to reaffirm the transformational relationship between Jewish and African American religious communities during the early sixties, lead by Abraham Joshua Heschel and Martin Luther King.


Chautauqua Institution – Reclaiming Religion (4)

June 23rd, 2019

Rabbi Brous was the first-ever rabbi to serve as chaplain-in-residence at Chautauqua. This is part 4 of the series.


Chautauqua Institution – The Amen Effect: “I Can’t Heal You, But I Can See You” (5)

June 23rd, 2019

Rabbi Brous was the first-ever rabbi to serve as chaplain-in-residence at Chautauqua. This is part 5 of the series.


Chautauqua Institution – Holy Hutzpah: Our Inheritance (6)

June 23rd, 2019

Rabbi Brous was the first-ever rabbi to serve as chaplain-in-residence at Chautauqua. This is part 6 of the series.


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