We value learning about Judaism through weekly Torah study, regular classes, or special opportunities and events. Visit our calendar to stay up-to-date about dates and times.
Saturday, January 24 at 12:00PM
RSVP for lunch (no cost)
The Middle Meets program is a series of facilitated, proactive dialogues developed in response to the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict. Its goal is to empower students to voice and share their unique perspectives with others. By sharing their experiences, program participants can help develop sustainable principles for navigating complex discourse and dialogue, embrace contradictions, and honor diverse perspectives with honesty. The dialogues include Jewish and Palestinian students from various universities and academic backgrounds in Israel and America.
At this lunch, sponsored by Middle Meets supporter David Ullendorff, participants will view a documentary film about this remarkable group and will meet Jewish and Palestinian citizens of Israel who wish to share their experience with American audiences. Together, we will explore the nuances of recent developments in Israel and the Palestinian territories from the perspective of people living through it every day. This program is coordinated with the American Friends of Hebrew University.
Saturday, January 31 at 12:00PM
RSVP for lunch (member pricing available)
Most Jews today do not speak the native languages of their great-grandparents, but they maintain some “heritage words” – words from ancestral Jewish languages that have been passed down the generations. In this talk, Dr. Benor explains the historical events that led to this situation and describes the phenomenon, based on interview data from the Heritage Words Podcast. Heritage words may relate to food, family, endearment, and curses, and they are often emotionally charged, allowing individuals to connect with their living and deceased relatives and express their identities as part of multiple groups. This talk also includes an interactive portion where participants discuss their own heritage words.
Sarah Bunin Benor is Professor of Contemporary Jewish Studies at Hebrew Union College (Los Angeles campus) and Adjunct Professor in the University of Southern California Linguistics Department. She received her Ph.D. from Stanford University in Linguistics in 2004. She has published and lectured widely about sociolinguistics, Jewish names, and Jewish languages, especially Jewish English, Hebrew, Yiddish, and Ladino. Her award-winning books include Becoming Frum: How Newcomers Learn the Language and Culture of Orthodox Judaism (Rutgers, 2012) and Hebrew Infusion: Language and Community at American Jewish Summer Camps (Rutgers, 2020). Dr. Benor co-edits the Journal of Jewish Languages (Brill) and directs the HUC Jewish Language Project, which features the Jewish Language Website, the Jewish English Lexicon, and the Heritage Words Podcast, which Dr. Benor hosts and produces.
All Jewish adults count as b’nai mitzvah – but not all Jewish adults have had the opportunity to celebrate and honor that status with a special service. And even those who did have b’nai mitzvah services as children may wish to recommit to Jewish life and learning through celebrating again as adults.
Adult B’nai Mitzvah at KAM Isaiah Israel involves two components. Those who complete both components will participate in the Adult B’nai Mitzvah service on June 20, 2026.
This program is open to members of KAM Isaiah Israel. The fee is $180 (scholarships available).
1. Iyyun T’filah: Shabbat Morning Study and Prayer
Candidates for adult b’nai mitzvah will, to the best of their ability, attend Shabbat morning classes and services. We will meet every other week for about six months according to the following schedule. (Schedule subject to change.) Class will meet at the same time as Shabbat morning services, and sometimes students will join the morning service as part of class. Attendance at 9:00 am weekly Torah Study is highly encouraged, though it is not completely necessary. Rabbi Kirzane will be the main instructor, though other experts will teach the class in his absence.
2. Hebrew Study
Candidates for adult b’nai mitzvah will, to the best of their ability, improve their Hebrew language skills, ideally participating in a Shabbat morning service led by the entire class.
Students will learn to improve their basic Hebrew reading ability. This class is right for you if you can’t read Hebrew at all or if you know the letters but need to practice forming words. All classes are in-person only at KAM Isaiah Israel. Registration forthcoming.
Students will prepare for their role in leading the Adult B’nai Mitzvah service. Depending on ability, students may learn to chant Torah and/or Haftarah, and they will prepare to lead Shabbat morning prayers in Hebrew.
Students who make reasonable efforts to complete Iyyun T’filah (Study and Prayer) and Hebrew Study will be invited to lead the celebratory Adult B’nai Mitzvah Shabbat morning service on June 20, 2026. Students will prepare a d’var Torah, a personalized lesson of Torah, drawing on their personal experience and reflections on the weekly Torah portion. There will also be special rehearsals and other meetings to ensure confident participation in the service.
See Program Dates on the Registration Page.
Questions? Reach out to Rabbi Kirzane at rabbikirzane@kamii.org.
Tuesdays @ 7:00 pm
KAM Isaiah Israel (in-person only)
Oct. 14, 21, 28 | Nov. 4, 11, 18, 25 | Dec. 2, 9, 16
Learn to read Hebrew with our Adult Hebrew Instructor, Maor Yehoshua-Sandak.
In ten sessions, students will become familiar with Hebrew letters and vowels and improve their ability to follow along during services.
This class is included in the Adult B’nai Mitzvah program.
You can also register separately for $100 (which is $10 per lesson). This class is right for you if you’ve never studied Hebrew or if you learned the letters a while ago and could use some extra practice. For questions, please contact Rabbi Kirzane at rabbikirzane@kamii.org.
