7th Grade
This class meets on Tuesday nights from 6-8pm, getting a dedicated social time to eat dinner together (something they don't get in our younger programs). The curriculum for the class is focused on being an upstander and taking care of the community around us, something that is very valuable to 7th graders. It is a very different experience than our younger classes and also gives them exposure to our teen/high school programs in a different way. They hear from a lot of guest speakers from wonderful organizations about how they can make the world a better place.
8th Grade
This class meets eight times throughout the year (about once a month) on Tuesday nights from 6-8pm. The eighth grade curriculum this year is called Introduction to Mussar. Mussar is practical life guidance - based on Jewish texts and wisdom - for becoming the best version of
ourselves we can be. Some people think of it as "ethical instruction" and others as "Jewish mindfulness".
Madrichim (8th-12th graders)
In our Madrichim program, students have the opportunity to volunteer as assistant teachers and serve as role models for the students in the Jewish Experience Center. Madrichim volunteer on Sunday mornings either on-site (24 sessions at KI from 9-11:30am) or at our OJE program (10 sessions at Tumbleweed Camp from 9am-1pm and 2 sessions at KI from 9:00-11:30am.) Madrichim assignments are subject to availability, and receive a stipend or community service hours for their time. Madrichim will learn how to develop leadership skills and learn how to make a difference in their community. As madrichim are role models for the younger students with whom they work, they are required to be enrolled in at least one other program.
KI Tzedakah Teens (KITT) (9th-12th)
KITT: Philanthropy (10th-12th Grades)
KI Tzedakah Teens is a Jewish teen philanthropy program. Over the past 15 years, KITT has donated over $500,000 to national and international nonprofits. KI Tzedakah Teens meet monthly to: Form together as a board of a foundation and develop a mission statement; Develop a deeper understanding on how Jewish wisdom can help inform philanthropic decisions; Learn about important local and international issues facing our world; Research and understand how Jewish and non-Jewish organization are working to address these issues; Send Requests for Proposals to applicable nonprofits, review grant proposals, raise funds, and interview organizations; Make difficult but critical funding decisions; Build a community of Jewish teens who are passionate about changing the world. Click here for a video which explains KITT in more detail. (10th-12th grade). This program meets on Sunday mornings from 9:30am-12pm.
KITT: Social Action (9th Grade)
In this program, our 9th graders will learn about several of the different social justice topics that our teens care deeply about. Beyond learning about and hearing from different nonprofit organizations linked to the topics, there will be some "field trips" across Los Angeles. On these "field trips" our students will take part in hands-on social action helping people across the city. (9th grade). This program meets on Sunday mornings from 9:30am-11:15am plus additional times TBA for the trips.
Teen Social Action Trip (9th-12th Grade)
This year our teens will be heading to New York City on February 28 - March 3, 2025. Students will be exposed to the history of Judaism and Jewish immigration on the East Coast and get a tour of the Jewish influence on food in New York City. More information coming soon.
KI EDU: Powered by AJU Courses
We are thrilled to offer two college-credit courses through American Jewish University. These courses have a strict attendance requirement. Each class has 2 Sunday sessions (10am-2pm) and 13 Tuesday night sessions (6-8pm). Please note that payment (and financial assistance requests) will be handled directly through AJU).
This year's courses:
Introduction to the History, People, & Culture of Israel (9th-12th Grades)
Israel’s history, culture and people have always been and will continue to be distinctly nuanced and complex. This course will present historical events and statistics pertaining to Israel and teach students how to critically analyze a wide range of subject matter, perspectives and experiences. Topics include the founding of the State of Israel, a timeline of Jewish history in the region, the various versions of Zionism, and the path to becoming an independent country. The course will also explore the multiple wars and attempts at peace which have changed the evolving, contested boundaries of the country. A survey of the lived experiences of the land's inhabitants from the diverse religious and cultural backgrounds as well as the food, culture, language, art, and poetry which have contributed to a multifaceted society will be discussed.
Introduction to Philosophy (10th-12th Grades)
The goal of this course is to introduce students to some of the most important thinkers and issues in modern Jewish philosophy. This includes both analyzing and synthesizing the frameworks of these great thinkers, but also honing one’s ability to analyze an argument philosophically, identifying strengths and weaknesses and seeing its implications. Finally, students will learn how to apply both the learned content and their own perspective to texts from our Jewish tradition.