The term “Jew(s) of Color” is political and is used to build community and solidarity amongst non-white Jews. It encompasses a wide breadth of cultural, racial, and ethnic backgrounds. Some JOCs may be hyper-visible in white Jewish spaces, while other JOCs may have proximity to whiteness, though are JOCs because of their generational lineage or cultural background. We consider Sephardi and Mizrahi Jews who identify as non-white to be Jews of Color. And we welcome people of color who are deeply exploring Judaism and Jewish learning regardless of conversion status.

We know that might feel confusing — race is a social construct that at the same time concretely impacts lives. If you’re sitting in the messiness of trying to decide if you are a JOC (i.e. you object to the term, you are grappling with the concept of being “white-passing,” etc), we welcome you in this space in all that messiness as a JOC Member. If you identify as white, you’re welcome to join the community as part of the Ally Circle, which grants you access to select Ammud programs and resources but not our regular programming. If you have further questions or are struggling with whether or not this space is for you, in particular if you identify as Sephardi or Mizrahi but are not sure about the “race" part, feel free to reach out at team@ammud.org

We invite you to join as you explore your Jewish journey in depth, regardless of conversion status.

Firstly, many people who identify actively as JOCs are also Ashkenazi. “Ashkenazi” should not be used as a placeholder for “white,” just as “Sephardi” should never be used as a placeholder for “non-white.” However, many Jews, including a large percentage of Ashkenazi Jews, benefit from conditional whiteness. It’s real that a person who is Ashkenazi and often viewed as white can have racialized experiences (i.e. being “outed” as Jewish based on curly hair). Race is not objective, it’s all contextual. The context Ammud operates in is that some members of the American Jewish community are consistently more accepted in Jewish spaces than others and some face challenges of racism every day.

Courses are only open to JOCs and we currently have quarterly programs open to our Ally Circle and JOCs. Join the Ally Circle to be notified of programming open to all members.

All programs at Ammud are donation based. We suggest donation amounts for most programs. Whether you are able to make a large donation, $18, or are not able to donate, we want to learn with you.

Yes! Course registration doubles as membership, meaning you get access to all of the membership perks.

Upon signing up for membership (or taking a program), your email will be added to our membership newsletter, which includes links to membership exclusive perks, such as Parasha Study, online programs, and in-person programs. These links are not shared on our website or social media.

If you are a member and not receiving our newsletter, please email us at team@ammud.org.

Once you become a member or register for a program, you may need to confirm your email subscription on the Member Portal in order to receive our email updates, which includes our newsletter and reminders for our weekly Parasha Study sessions. Please email team@ammud.org with any questions on receiving our newsletters.

We will record our Hebrew classes for ease of learning/reviewing materials. Our other programs are not recorded.

We will ask permission from everyone present in class before starting to record the Hebrew session. We only send the recording to class participants

Ammud is a proudly intergenerational space where we provide adult-centered education. We have members spanning from young adults (18-24) to elders (60+). We do not offer children or teen programming at this time.

At Ammud, we are a pluralistic community that embraces a broad definition of the word ‘Torah’. ‘Torah’ includes many kinds of learning, some more traditionally seen as religious, some secular. We all benefit from wisdom that comes from many places. If you’re hungry for religious Jewish skill-building and education, this place is for you. If you are less excited by Hebrew and traditional Jewish learning and yet want to be learning Jewish material alongside other JOCs, this is also the place is for you.

Ladino, Yiddish, Judeo-Arabic, and other Jewish diasporic languages are rich, beautiful, important, and worthy of a person’s full attention. We would love to be able to study all of them! And, Hebrew provides a powerful key to discovering Jewish traditions and texts spanning multiple continents and many points in history, long before the revival of Modern Hebrew in 19th and 20th centuries. We are so excited to offer Hebrew classes and skill-building opportunities this year at Ammud. It’s a starting point. Let’s see how we grow from here!