A Lifelong Jewish Community for All

Rooted in Secular Humanistic Judaism, Folkshul is a vibrant, multi-generational community that celebrates Jewish culture, connection, and conscience.

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Folkshul is a welcoming and joyful Secular Humanistic Jewish community that transmits the values of social justice and human responsibility.

Our community includes:

Sunday School

Students learn Jewish history, traditions, holidays, and values while having fun and making new friends. Our curriculum teaches young people social action through the Jewish lens of Tikkun Olam—repairing the world.

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Adult community

Our inclusive, Secular Humanistic Jewish community invites you to participate in our programming for adults, whether you have a child in our Sunday School or not. Adult community activities include: restaurant club, local outings, study groups, mah jongg, film screenings, speakers series, Zumba, and more!

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Lifecycle Events

We take pride in welcoming all who wish to grow, celebrate, and find comfort in Jewish life cycle ceremonies. We’ll work with you to identify and personalize Jewish texts and rituals. Together, we’ll create an individualized ceremony that is a reflection of you and your family’s values and traditions

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Holiday Celebrations

At Folkshul, we interpret Jewish holiday celebrations through a humanistic lens. We believe that humans are responsible for each other and our planet. Our intergenerational holiday celebrations combine Jewish traditions with current events and secular music. We reflect on the lessons of the holidays and how they inform our commitment to Tikkun Olam—repairing the world.

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However, Folkshul is more than a community — it’s a home.

Folkshul is Open and Affirming

Whether you are born Jewish, or have chosen to identify;
are grounded in religious or secular or cultural perspectives;
are Jew-ish, Jew-curious, believe in God or are agnostic or atheist or spiritual;
identify as Lesbian / Gay / Bi / Trans / Queer / Unidentified;
are part of an interfaith or multi-cultural family or are single;
are young or old; leaving Judaism, returning to Judaism,
freethinkers, humanists, grandparents,
or simply
parents-trying-to-give-their-kids-good-values-and-a-cultural-identity-in-a-non-religious-setting.

Folkshul EXPLICITLY welcomes and seeks out the greatest diversity of Jewish people.

WE WANT YOU.

We are a welcoming, joyful Jewish community that lives and transmits the values of social justice and human responsibility — not only through words, but through action.

Join an open and affirming Jewish community

Folkshul EXPLICITLY welcomes and seeks out the greatest diversity of Jewish people.

WE WANT YOU.

We are a welcoming, joyful Jewish community that lives and transmits the values of social justice and human responsibility — not only through words, but through action.

Get involved today

Each year at Folkshul, we choose a central theme to frame our learning, community action, and curriculum development. This year’s theme, Shorashim (Roots), invites us to explore where we come from—culturally, spiritually, and ecologically—and how those roots guide us toward responsible, compassionate action.

In 2025–26, this theme Becoming Guardians of the Earth and All Inhabitants—connecting the Jewish values of Tikkun Olam (repairing the world) and Pikuach Nefesh (honoring and protecting the sanctity of human life). Pikuach Nefesh encompasses feeding the hungry, clothing the needy, helping the homeless, and helping immigrants. Tikkun Olam and Pikuach Nefesh are also integral values to how we’re interfacing with Israel and Palestine. These principles are foundational to Jewish law and tradition, and they call us to respond to the needs of both people and planet.

As a school we’re connecting our value of tikkun olam to our daily practices with a highlight on the holidays of Sukkot and Tu B’Shevat. We’re partnering with Furtick Farms again for some gardening and planting workshops and are working to do a Jewish environmental day of service at Awbury Arboretum.

Folkshul is aiming to drive personal reflection and community building through intergenerational programming surrounding the 6 holidays of Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Hanukkah, Purim and Passover building on Shorashim by adding the element of L’Dor Vador (Generation to generation).

Join our Shorashim