Kids, Teens & Families / ילדים, נוער ומשפחות
Birth - TK
Gan Or Early Childhood:
Gan Katan & Gan Gadol
Ages & Stages — Find Your Program
K - 5th Grade
Nitzanim, Prachim & Shorashim
6th – 7th Grade
B’nei Mitzvah Program:
Arazim & Drorim
8th Grade
New Offerings
Nesharim & Derech
9th – 12th Grade
Hinneni Fellowship
Kitchen Teen Club
Gan Or / גַּן אוֹר
Early Childhood, Birth – TK
A community of families with babies
& toddlers ages 0-2 who meet monthly
We created Gan Or because we know that the early years of parenting are beautiful – and hard.
This is your community for the 0–2 season: a consistent group of parents and babies journeying through the year together. It's a space to connect, support one another, and nurture both your child’s Jewish identity and your own spirit.
We meet on Shabbat mornings in a joyful, relaxed setting with music, art, and community. And yes, coffee is included
What to expect
A musical service with rituals to introduce the kids to Shabbat core ideas and melodies
Crafts, games, snacks, and lots of ways to play with friends
And the icing on the cake – our wonderful teen Kitchen-ites will be on hand for childcare if you want to take a moment for a cup of coffee with the other parents
Family Kiddush with challah & juice
Schedule
9:00-10:30 – Open play and crafts with childcare
10:30-11:30 – A special Shabbat service for little ones
11:30-12:00 – Family Kiddush
If your kids haven’t melted yet, you’re invited to stay for kiddush lunch with the entire community around 12:30 PM.
Feel free to come and go at your family’s own pace!
For any questions about the program, please contact our Director of Family Education, Mor Shimonie at mor@thekitchensf.org.
Enrollment Fee
$240
Gan or enrollment includes registration & fees for all of the session dates listed except Purim, Shavuot and the Kitchen Retreat.
The sessions below listed with an * are open house sessions for new families to check us out and $25 per family.
Session Dates
2025
Saturday, 9/6 Shabbat Morning – Open House
Saturday, 9/13 Shabbat Morning – Open House
Tuesday, 9/23 Rosh Hashanah Morning *
Thursday, 10/2 Yom Kippur Morning *
Saturday, 10/11 Shabbat Sukkot Morning *
Tuesday, 10/14 Simchat Torah Evening
Saturday, 11/15 Shabbat Morning *
Open session registration for 11/15
Saturday, 12/13 Hanukkah Shabbat Morning
Friday, 12/19Hanukkah Kabbalat Shabbat *
Open session registration coming soon
2026
Friday, 1/9 Shabbat Dinner Family Matching
Saturday, 1/24 Tu Bishvat Shabbat Morning *
Open session registration for 1/24
Friday – Sunday, 2/6 – 2/8 Kitchen Retreat *
Retreat registration coming soon
Saturday, 2/28 Purim Shabbat Morning *
Open session registration for 2/28
Monday, 3/2 Purim Party *
Holiday registration coming soon
Saturday, 3/21 Shabbat Morning
Open session registration for 3/21
Saturday, 3/28 Havdalah Afternoon
Open session registration for 3/28
Saturday, 4/11 Shabbat Morning*
Open registration coming soon
Saturday, 4/25 Havdalah Afternoon*
Open registration coming soon
Saturday, 5/16 Shavuot Shabbat Morning
Thursday, 5/21 Shavuot Banquet + Siddur Ceremony *
Holiday registration coming soon
Mid-August Summer Day Trip, Date TBA
*New*
Freedom School Class
Pre-K/TK
!חדש
תכנית לגילאי טרום חובה
A program for families with kids 3-4
Our new cohort for 3 & 4 year olds and their parents! We’ll gather for a Shabbat or a holiday, and your family will join our school to explore Jewish life, joy, and community through hands-on activities, music, and celebration.
Example of what to expect on a Shabbat Morning gathering:
9:00 AM Opening circle with the entire Freedom School community
9:15 AM Family Learning time around Shabbat & upcoming holidays
10:15 AM Recess and snack with Freedom School friends
10:35 AM Join the community at service to feel the vibe!
10:45 AM Kids oriented musical Shabbat service & kiddush
11:30 AM Closing Circle & Goodbye – families are welcome to stay longer and join our community services and enjoy the community kiddush lunch at 12:30ish
For any questions about the program, please contact our Director of Family Education, Mor Shimonie at mor@thekitchensf.org.
Our programs are meant to be accessible to everyone – if you have any questions about financial aid, please write our Executive Director, Spencer Weiss at spencer@thekitchensf.org.
Pre-K/TK enrollment includes registration & fees for all of the session dates listed except Purim & Shavuot.
The sessions below listed with an * are open house sessions for new families to check us out and $25 per family.
Tuition Rates
Early Enrollment: Until July 7th
$750
Regular Enrollment: July 8th and later
$950
Session Dates
2025
Saturday, 9/6 Shabbat Morning – Open House
Saturday, 9/13 Shabbat Morning – Open House
Tuesday, 9/23 Rosh Hashanah Morning *
Thursday, 10/2 Yom Kippur Morning *
Saturday, 10/11 Shabbat Sukkot Morning *
Tuesday, 10/14 Simchat Torah Evening
Saturday, 11/15 Shabbat Morning *
Open session registration for 11/15
Saturday, 12/13 Hanukkah Shabbat Morning
Friday, 12/19Hanukkah Kabbalat Shabbat *
Open session registration coming soon
2026
Friday, 1/9 Shabbat Dinner Family Matching
Saturday, 1/24 Tu Bishvat Shabbat Morning *
Open session registration for 1/24
Friday – Sunday, 2/6 – 2/8 Kitchen Retreat *
Retreat registration coming soon
Saturday, 2/28 Purim Shabbat Morning *
Open session registration for 2/28
Monday, 3/2 Purim Party *
Holiday registration coming soon
Saturday, 3/21 Shabbat Morning
Open session registration for 3/21
Saturday, 3/28 Havdalah Afternoon
Open session registration for 3/28
Saturday, 4/11 Shabbat Morning*
Open registration coming soon
Saturday, 4/25 Havdalah Afternoon*
Open registration coming soon
Saturday, 5/16 Shavuot Shabbat Morning
Thursday, 5/21 Shavuot Banquet + Siddur Ceremony *
Holiday registration coming soon
Mid-August Summer Day Trip, Date TBA
Freedom School
חינוך לגילאי גן - בני מצווה
Freedom School חינוך לגילאי גן - בני מצווה
Freedom School is The Kitchen’s answer for families to do Jewish together on Shabbat and holidays.
At The Kitchen, we believe it’s all about what you do.
If you want to do Jewish, c’mon in.
Welcome to Freedom School
Why Freedom School
We meet on Shabbat
Instead of learning about Judaism in a classroom on Sunday, we live Jewish life and learn together on the days when it actually happens. We know we can’t teach how to be part of a Jewish community, we can only experience it - So Shabbat is the core. Our Shabbat service is a classroom; it’s incorporated into the program so that we all live Jewish life together.
We build Jewish community for the entire family
From birth to 12th grade, we have programs for everyone, including the parents. Everyone, regardless of background, is fully welcomed and encouraged to become part of our community.
We mix Sephardi & Ashkenazi traditions
Our melodies, Nuscha’ot and Torah readings are drawn from Syrian, Moroccan, Tunisian, Chassidic, European traditions (and more!). Listen to our music here.
Justice is a part of everything we do
Jewish learning isn’t abstract — it’s a call to action. Our students understand Torah as a tool for justice, empathy, and equity. Through Justice/Proximity Days, we bring families close to the communities who need our support in San Francisco.
Proximity Day – Volunteering at GLIDE
Student displaying artwork
Etz Chaim / The Tree of Life
Our Educators & Teen Assistants
Preparing lunches at GLIDE
The story of creation as told by our students arts & crafts
Kitchen Purim Party
Getting ready for the Passover seder
Building Community IRL
We meet approximately 3 times per month through the school year (September-June), with most sessions on Saturday mornings* from 9:00 AM - 12:30 PM. Our Hebrew learning program begins in 3rd grade and continues through 6th grade, on Tuesday afternoons.
Throughout the year we’ll also meet for:
2 Friday nights for Kabbalat Shabbat
2 Saturday afternoons for Havdalah
2 Sunday mornings for Justice/Proximity Days
6 Holidays – Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Simchat Torah, Hanukkah, Purim, Shavout
1 Kitchen Retreat in the Winter, Fri-Sun (Included in tuition with reduced family rate!)
+ 1 optional community-led camping trip for Freedom School at the end of the Summer
Typical Saturday morning schedule:
9:00 AM Opening Circle
9:15 AM Whole-Family / Grade-Cohort Learning/parents class
10:15 AM Recess & Snacks
10:30 AM Kids: Grade-Cohort Learning,
10:30 AM Adults: Schmooze + enjoy Torah service
11:15 AM Recess & snacks
11:30 AM Kids leading prayer (Yimloch!)
11:45 AM Electives!
12:15 AM Kiddush + Lunch (bagels, anyone?)
*A note on meeting on Saturdays - We Think Shabbat is the most important thing. that's why we build our programs around it, We also know that the weekend is packed with other things, you might be one of those families that does both sports, dance, and birthday parties – we love that! That's why we mix up our schedule and add Friday night, Saturday afternoon and Sundays.
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Weekly Hebrew on Zoom for 3rd – 6th grades, with an option for 7th graders to join. This is a focused 30min class, on Tuesday afternoons, with 4-6 students, focusing on decoding of letters, vowels, reading and learning key vocabulary of prayer and Torah. Cohorts will be sorted into the following groups:
Ulpan – students new to learning Hebrew
Novice – students who know some letters and vowels
Intermediate – students who are comfortable reading basic Hebrew
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Throughout the year, we’ll also hold justice/proximity days in our community. For Justice/service days, Freedom School collaborates closely with One City, Glide, and Rabbi Michael Lezak for on-the-ground projects that help us get proximate, learn, and collectively do more good in SF.
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Our students learn in two-year grade cohorts, each with one consistent teacher for Preschool, K/1, 2/3, 4/5, 6th, and 7th. We also have our Kitchen playground for the 0-2 year old siblings!
Each grade’s curriculum centers Torah, T’fillah, Justice and Hebrew through immersive, student-driven learning. Our pedagogy centers student voice, choice, and curiosity.
And an opportunity to put learning into action – our Freedom School students mentor and lead younger kids in our school community too!
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Our parents class is a growth space for learning, sharing life experience and building our community
Receive the tools and support to build and strengthen a vibrant Jewish home.
No prior knowledge of a Jewish household is needed. For those with experience, this will deepen and enrich your journey even further.
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6th & 7th graders will step into responsibility and have roles within the school and community.
8th – 12th graders return as classroom assistants, community stewards, and role models for younger students.
Check out our full calendar here
Questions about Freedom School structure or enrollment?
Email our Executive Director, Spencer Weiss, at spencer@thekitchensf.org.
B’nei Mitzvah Program
At The Kitchen, becoming B’nei Mitzvah is more than a ceremony – it’s a family journey of learning, community, and Jewish growth. Freedom School is the route to B’nei Mitzvah with us.
Families who are actively engaged before 6th grade are better prepared, more connected, and get the most out of the experience. Enrollment in Freedom School is required at the beginning of 5th grade, and encouraged earlier.
Our B’nei Mitzvah approach is based fully around our Shabbat experience, with our kindergarteners starting to participate in services and Hebrew learning begins in 3rd grade.
In 6th grade, your child will start their journey, get their B’nei Mitzvah date, Torah portion, and assigned tutor and clergy member.
In 7th grade, your family begins “Torah Love” – a special class with Rabbi Noa Kushner (hands-on learning with our founding Rabbi), and the cohort supports each other as each child is called to the Torah.
Grade by Grade
Each Grade-Cohort is built around an interconnected, spiraled curriculum, based in three areas of content: Torah, Mitzvot/Jewish Actions & T’fillah/Prayer, and Jewish Justice. Through immersive, experiential, and student-centered learning, our cohorts will emerge from Freedom School as skilled, thoughtful readers and interpreters of Torah stories and texts, comfortable and confident pray-ers who are “strong in the kahal". Once graduated from Freedom School, your young adults with be ethically minded with a sense of Jewish values that underlie their understandings of the world.
Each grade cohort has a two-year sequence called Aleph & Bet (except 6th & 7th grade) that has an overarching essential question and theme.
Click through to see what each grade cohort will achieve in their two-year sequence.
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ALEPH
Essential Question
Who am I?Torah
Stories of Beresheet/creation, Adam & EveMitzvot & T’fillah
Shabbat ritual, Havdalah ritual, holiday symbols, prayers of the morning service (Psalm 136, Psalm 150)Justice
Values of kedusha/holiness, sakranut/curiosity, & emunah/faith; developing personal & communal creativityBET
Essential Question
Who are we?Torah
Stories of Noah & the flood, the Tower of Babel, & the Exodus from EgyptMitzvot & T’fillah
Shabbat & Passover rituals, connections between holidays & social relationships, prayers of the morning serviceJustice
Values of t’shuva/saying “sorry,” g’vurah/inner strength, & savlanut/resilience -
ALEPH
Essential Question
How do I interact with and appreciate the world?Torah
Stories of prayer, praise/gratitude, and petitioning/requesting in the TorahMitzvot & T’fillah
Prayers of Praise/Thanks and Petition/Asking as part of Shabbat Shacharit (focus on Shema + V’ahavta, l’El Baruch, Healing Prayers). Prayer stewardship: Greeting/Pass our siddurim/prayerbooksJustice
Values of bikkur cholim/visiting the sick, Shalom Bayit/Peace in the HomeBET
Essential Question
How do I honor previous generations?Torah
Stories of Abraham & Sarah, Rebekah & Isaac, Jacob, Rachel & LeahMitzvot & T’fillah
Petition, Praise, and Thanks as part of shabbat Shacharit, focus on Barechu, AvotJustice
Values of Kibud Av’V’Em/Honor Your Parents, Pesach as a holiday of honoring all, laws and customs of Tzedakah -
ALEPH
Essential Question
Why is it important to tell the story(ies) of the Jewish people?Torah
Stories of Creation, Leaving Egypt, Receiving TorahMitzvot & T’fillah
Marking Jewish time (rituals and practices); holidays of Zikaron/memory. Arc of a shacharit/morning service, with themes of Creation, Leaving Egypt, and Receiving Torah. Focus on prayers: Yotzer Or (Creation), Ahavah Rabbah (Receiving Torah), Mi Chamocha (Leaving Egypt). Prayer stewardship: KiddushJustice
Values of B’tzelem Elohim/In the Image of God, Brit/Framework for a Righteous Life, Zikaron/Memory, Cheirut/FreedomBET
Essential Question
What are Different Models of Jewish Leadership and Humility?Torah
Stories of Joseph, Moses & EstherMitzvot& T’fillah
Shabbat as a time for Menucha/Rest, Oneg/Delight + Shabbat Ritual (Kiddush and Challah). Leading prayers: Yotzer Or (Creation), Ahavah Rabbah (Receiving Torah), Mi Chamocha (Leaving Egypt). Prayer stewardship: KiddushJustice
Values of anavah/humility, g’vurah + gibor/inner strength and inner heroism -
Essential Questions
How do I develop as a leader and a teen/young adult in my community? What is a meaningful journey of growth into Jewish adulthood?Torah
Stories from Bamidbar and the formation of Israelite community; review of Torah and TanakhMitzvot & T’fillah
History of t’fillah through Jewish time; Torah Service liturgy, texts, ritual, and choreography. Prayer Stewardship: Torah Scroll careJustice
Middot & Mussar, Jewish ethical citizenship -
Essential Question
What does it mean to become a Jewish “young adult?”Torah
Close reading, drash, and midrash skillsMitzvot & T’fillah
Torah Service liturgy, texts, ritual, and choreography. Mitzvot of Jewish adulthood.Justice
Value of what our obligations to our city as a new Jewish adult?
School Tuition & Enrollment
Tuition
Early Enrollment: Until July 7th
$750 per Pre-K/TK – 1x per month
$2,425 per K-2 student
$2,725 per 3-7 student*
Regular Enrollment: July 8th and later
$950 per Pre-K/TK – 1x per month
$2,750 per K-2 student
$3,050 per 3-7 student*
*Tuition reflects the extra day of learning for weekly Hebrew classes.
Our programs are meant to be accessible to everyone – if you have any questions about financial aid, please write our Executive Director, Kate Glass at kate@thekitchensf.org.
Membership
Families enrolled in Freedom School (including the Pre-K/TK cohort) are expected to be Kitchen members as well. Our program is a part of our Kitchen community, including sessions over holidays with our large membership base.
Visit our membership page to learn about the different levels. If you have questions about membership, please reach out to our Executive Director, Kate Glass at kate@thekitchensf.org.
Enrollment includes:
32 sessions a year
Snacks & supervised recess at every session
Kiddush lunch for the entire family on Saturday’s
Dedicated teacher and 1-2 student assistants per cohort
New for 2025-2026 school year – The Kitchen Retreat fee, a 2 night/3 day member retreat in the Redwoods, is included in your enrollment for your entire family with a reduced rate for a standard cabin lodging for the child enrolled plus two parents. Separate fee would apply to any non-enrolled siblings.
Freedom City / הוראה לנוער
We are a community of teens putting torah into action & making real change in San Francisco.
We are built on 3 pillars:
1.
Rooted
We start by building our own sense of the Torah that guides us, a sense of each of our unique identities, our privileges, as well as our insight as youth, and create a Freedom City community based on trust.
2.
Proximate
Then, we get proximate to injustice and learn how to be change-makers from those who are leading the fight. We work in partnership and solidarity with community organizations and marginalized groups.
3.
Action
Through organizing and mutual aid, we address the most pressing injustices that we see in our city and on our planet.
Overview
What is Freedom City?
A community of teens putting Torah into action and making real change in San Francisco.
We meet twice a month – on weekday evenings from 5:30–7:00 PM, plus a monthly Friday night or Saturday morning gathering.
Where
In addition to Kitchen holiday programs, we utilize our community homes & spaces for meetings.
Learn More
Our full calendar is available for participants upon registration. If you have questions now, email our Mor Shimonie, Director of Family Education at mor@thekitchensf.org.
Freedom City Participant Requirements
→ You will be in 8th to 12th grade in Fall 2026
→ A desire to bring more justice & Torah into the world
→ Your family is a member of The Kitchen, more information here.
Tuition Pricing
Early Enrollment: Until July 7th
$1,200
Regular Enrollment: After July 8th
$1,350
We are committed to ensuring that financial constraints are never a barrier to participation. Please be in touch with our Executive Director, Kate Glass at kate@thekitchensf.org with any financial questions.
Freedom City
FAQs
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Participants in Freedom City will become “Organizers-in-Training”, learning how to analyze justice issues using power analysis, advocacy, social media strategy, relational 1-1s, base-building techniques, policy, direct action, protest, and art & music.
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We need to understand the issues we are confronting. We also need hands-on action that leads to direct interaction with affected communities. And, we need to build community through hard and sometimes exhausting justice work which means taking time for joy, celebration, and fun.
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It is critical to do justice work in deep partnership. GLIDE Memorial Church is a local institution that does deep justice and community-building work in the Tenderloin. They are a key partner in both giving us opportunities to do real, meaningful service work and bringing us into organizing. Jewish Youth Climate Movement has connected us to resources and relationships with a huge crew of teens working on the climate crisis.
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Tuition for the 2025-2026 is $1,350. However, if you enroll by July 7th, then you can get early registration pricing of $1,200. We are committed to ensuring that tuition is never a barrier to participation. We understand that every family's situation and needs are different and we will work with you to make Freedom City happen for you.
