Adult Education = Spirtual Fitness / כושר רוחני

Shabbat is the Beginning

An Introduction to Jewish Life through the Kitchen's New Siddur / Prayerbook

Led by Rabbi Noa Kushner & Hazzan Asher Shasho Levy

The prayerbook is a secret decoder ring to Jewish life: By learning the evolution of Jewish prayer, we can understand what concepts the rabbis wanted us to engrave on our hearts. By learning more about the different versions of the prayerbook worldwide, we can understand the historic place the Kitchen holds in the current Jewish landscape. By learning the cadence of the calendar and the arc of the service, we can understand how we move through time. By engaging with the words, we can learn the verses that make up our DNA. And by learning our choreography and melodies, we can try to climb a most holy ladder, in real time. We'll be offering all this, plus a grand, behind-the-scenes tour of our new and historic siddur. Attendance on shabbat and holidays is assumed for this class. Perfect for 101 or advanced students.

Schedule
Wednesday evenings: 1/22, 1/29, 2/5, 2/12, 2/19, 2/26, 3/5, 3/19, 4/9, 4/23, 4/30, 5/7, 5/21, 5/28

Shabbat & Holiday Sessions:
2/7-8 – Kitchen Escape Retreat
3/13 – Purim celebration
4/18 – Passover Banquet
5/16-18 – Return to Eden Shabbaton
6/1 – Shavuot Banquet

Cost & Membership Requirements

Members – $54
Non-members – $540

Required Books
Kitchen Siddur V 3 (included in tuition)
JPS Hebrew-English TANAKH, Student Edition

Explore the Kitchen’s newest siddur here

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Sephardi

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Trope

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Sephardi 〰️ Trope 〰️

Learn how to chant torah in the Sephardic tradition. We’ll discuss the system of pronunciations and cantillation/trope marks that create the melodies and how they’re to the text of the torah.

After this course, you will be able to chant sections of the torah without the vowels or cantillation marks, i.e. it’ll be no sweat when the rabbi calls you up to read torah on Saturday mornings.

This class is exclusively for members. All adult education programs are included in Kitchen membership. This class is designed for each session to build on the last, so you are required to come to every session.

Schedule & Location
Tuesdays, 7 - 9 PM
1/21 – 2/25
Private Residence in the Mission District

Prerequisites
You must know all of the Hebrew letters and read the text.

Ta’amim
Sephardi
Trope

Led Hazzan Asher Shasho Levy

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Levinas: "What is a Jew?"

With Kitchen-ite Todd Asher Ormsbee

At the end of World War II, the French-Jewish Philosopher Emmanuel Levinas found himself asking: “What is a Jew?” For the rest of his life, Levinas tried to answer this question in the shifting world after the Shoah and the founding of the State of Israel. While he never found a singular answer, through his reading of non-Jewish philosophy and the Talmud, Levinas found a method, a way of answering this question.

In this class and conversation, we'll explore Levinas’ work and methods, debate his philosophy, and bring his writing into our own 21st-century, Left Coast, American Judaism.

Schedule & Location
Thursdays, 7 – 8:30 PM
1/23, 2/6, 2/13, 2/20, 2/27
Private Residence in Lower Pacific Heights

Fees
This class is exclusively for members. All adult education programs are included in Kitchen membership

Prerequisite
This class has no prerequisites other than a desire to learn and an interest in the subject matter.

Required reading
Please purchase Difficult Freedom – Essays on Judaism by Emmanuel Levinas, translated by Seán Hand, prior to class beginning.

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Kitchen Hebrew Club

With Merav Rozenblum

Picture this: a cozy, relaxed space where Hebrew flows as easily as wine, led by a brilliant teacher who makes learning fun. If you’ve dabbled in Hebrew before and want to level up, this is where it’s at.

This isn’t your typical Hebrew class – it’s a vibrant, engaging experience. Each session kicks off with a lively, thought-provoking discussion led by our incredible teacher. From there, it’s all about conversation – entirely in Hebrew! You’ll chat with two partners each week: one whose Hebrew is stronger (so you can soak it all in) and one whose Hebrew isn’t as strong (so you can share what you’ve got).

No lectures. No pressure. Just pure Hebrew fun.

Meet Your Teacher, Merav Rozenblum
Merav has spent nearly 30 years teaching Hebrew to adults and teens around the world – from Jerusalem to Moscow, Madrid to San Francisco. She currently teaches at the Jewish Community High School of the Bay and Ulpan USF, and she’s a skilled translator and interpreter. Her teaching style? Warm, approachable, and endlessly energizing. Hebrew doesn’t just get taught – it comes alive.

Grab your spot and let the Hebrew flow! Generously sponsored by Anne Germanacos. 🥂

Schedule & Location
Every two weeks on Mondays
6:45 – 8:00 PM
1/13, 1/27, 2/10, 2/24 & 3/10
Firehouse

Fees
Kitchen Members – $50 for the entire series, $10 for a single session
Non-Members – $80 for the entire series, $20 for a single session

Prerequisite
This is a conversational club and not a language instruction class, while every level is welcome, you’ll be most comfortable if you can speak basic conversational Hebrew.

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SCHOLARS IN RESIDENCE

2025 Visiting Scholars

We're overjoyed to welcome some of the most engaging, powerful teachers in the US and Israel. Many are long-time Kitchen favorites, some newer to us but all known for their ability to connect Torah to our lives right now. Check out our line up below

Rabbi Ed Feinstein

January 17 – 18
Parashat Shemot

Kabbalat Shabbat, January 17th – Register
Shabbat Morning + Kiddush Lunch, January 18th – Register
Late Shabbat Afternoon & Havdalah, January 18th – Register