Our Mission
Being Jewish means that we are part of a 3000+ year-old history, a tradition with so much complexity, depth, and lessons that are applicable today. We can't possibly expect teens to glean everything that they need to know about what it means to be Jewish by age 13. But that's where many end their formal Jewish education.
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Jewish learning doesn't stop after B'nai Mitzvah. In fact, it gets even better.​
A Message From Our Founder
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Erica Katsel,
Founder & Lead Educator
I spend a lot of time thinking about what the future of Jewish life in America looks like. While there are many factors to consider when it comes to a lack of affiliation/involvement among a large percentage of the Jews in this country, I believe an essential component of ensuring a strong Jewish future is investing in innovative programs and experiential education opportunities for young Jews.
I was on maternity leave the summer of 2022 when I heard the sad news that LA Hebrew High School was closing its doors after over 70 years of providing a robust Jewish education to teenagers across the city through their supplemental program. I was lucky enough to attend LAHHS (my mom was a graduate, too!) and continued my relationship with the school after graduating because it critically shaped my Jewish identity, and what I learned there had a life-long impact on my values, sense of self, and social circle. So much so that my first job after graduating from college (with a degree in Media Arts and Judaic Studies) was working as a teacher and administrator there. When I started a new career working in pro-Israel politics over a decade ago, I agreed to serve on the LAHHS Board.
As the mom of young kids, I want to provide my children with both a public school experience & a quality Jewish education. I want them to be engaged in big Jewish questions, to wrestle with their faith, to perform mitzvot and learn about our traditions in a way that enriches their understanding about the world around them, and the joys of being part of such an amazing, resilient people that over contributes to every society they have ever been a part of. And so, I was thrilled to be partner with HAMAKOM in the West Valley to run the Jewish Teen Learning Center with their integrated community as our pilot site. The plan is to continue to build and innovate, expanding to other synagogues, creating a nexus for post-B’nai Mitzvah engagement for Jewish high schoolers as we cultivate the next generation of Jewish leaders.
I hope you'll join us so we can learn and grow together, transforming the Jewish trajectories of teenagers one student at a time!
We believe that every Jewish teen can draw inspiration from understanding the wisdom of our ancient texts and feeling driven by the imperative of "Tikkun Olam" to influence the world around them