Our excursions are outside-the-classroom experiences where our students go places together and live Kehillah’s Four Commitments. Our all-school opening retreat (Kinnus), community partnerships, and each of our grade-level trips provide many of the highlights of the year. Each excursion helps our students become citizens of the world, socially aware, engaged, and working for a more just and kind world. Through these learning opportunities, our actions are guided by compassion, critical thinking, and Jewish values.
Kinnus (All-School Retreat)
The first days of the school year are dedicated to Kinnus, an all-school retreat. Kinnus means gathering in Hebrew. The days of Kinnus are focused on welcoming new students, bonding, games, and school spirit! Students will meet teachers, connect with peers in different grades, and form lasting bonds with their classmates in this fun-filled start of school year. One evening is devoted to a local, senior class overnight.
Kehillah Community Service Day
During the year, we dedicate time for community partnerships. In previous years, we have worked to alleviate food and housing insecurity, clean up beaches and parks, and support social action throughout the Bay Area.
EDUCATIONAL TRAVEL
Learning beyond the classroom is a vital facet of a Kehillah education. Whether it is a class lunch to practice a new language, a visit to a San Francisco art installation, or travel around the world, we cherish opportunities to construct meaning and expand our horizons.
Each year, our students engage in transformative experiences that spark lifelong curiosity and build lifelong friendships. Kehillah students embrace experiential education as part of their learning journey and their growth as adults capable of navigating life’s complexities, engaging in informed decision-making, and contributing meaningfully to society.
Each educational travel experience includes time for learning, for bonding, and for contributing in a meaningful way to an element of repairing the world. Whether it is learning about ocean ecology, human trafficking, or the plight of endangered animals, Kehillah students are being prepared for a world in which they can and will make a difference.
9th Grade: Los Angeles, CA
- Hike in Griffith Park to see the Hollywood sign
- Tour the historic Wilshire Boulevard Temple
- Observe a panel discussion on tolerance and social justice at the LA Museum of the Holocaust
- See a comedy show
- Take a gentrification tour of Downtown LA
- Visit the Broad Museum of Modern Art
- Volunteer at the Pico Union Project
- Create portrait art led by a Mexican immigrant artist, Hedy Torres
- Tour Homeboy Industries
- Visit Safe Place for Youth, a homeless teen drop-in center
- Relax on Venice Beach
- End the trip with a farewell campfire at the famous Dockweiler Beach
10th Grade: Portland, OR
- Fun in the snow on Mt. Hood – skiing, snow tubing, snowshoeing, and more.
- Volunteering with Dignity Village, Zenger Farms, Habitat for Humanity – building, farming, and learning to use tools.
- Hiking near Multnomah Falls
- Meet with teens from Outside the Frame
- Visit Powell’s books and other Portland landmarks
- Meet with Tivnu Gap Year Fellows
- Participate in late night food banks
11th Grade: Southern U.S.
- Embark on a journey into the past and unearth the history of the Civil Rights Movement with visits to Atlanta, Montgomery, Birmingham, and Selma
- Tour Atlanta's King Center, Ebenezer Baptist Church, and the National Center for Civil and Human Rights
- Learn the story of Rosa Parks and why her determination for equal rights left a lasting legacy
- Partake in building Selma's Foot Soldier Park and walk across the famed Edmund Pettus Bridge in the footsteps of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
- Discover the legendary music city of Nashville and experience the amazing history at the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Grand Ole Opry, and the Ryman Auditorium
12th Grade: NATIONAL PARKS
12th Graders are headed to Bryce, Zion, The Grand Canyon, and Sedona. Everything from the history of the National Parks, environmental issues, star gazing, hiking and being together.