There are so many young families living in Pico-Robertson that it is very important to have a range of shuls where families can feel welcome and children can feel comfortable.
A couple great ways to make children (and their parents) feel welcome in shul is by having Shabbat morning programming for kids and teens alike. Becoming involved in your shul is also a wonderful way for your kids (and for you!) to make friends in your community.
Here are 10 kid-friendly shuls in Pico. This is by no means an exhaustive list and there are absolutely many more shuls which are warm and welcoming to families with young children!
The Community Shul
TCS offers Shabbos morning childcare from 9 am until shul ends for babies through 12 year olds (babies must be accompanied by a parent). At age 9, the boys can join the teen minyan.
Adas Torah
Adas Torah offers weekly Shabbos morning programming with groups for 18m-3yr olds, 4-6 yr olds, and 7-9 yr olds. Their childcare groups run from 9-11:15 AM with different activities. They do not have a teen minyan, but they do have father-son learning during the week as a great way to encourage boys to be involved in the shul community.
LINK
LINK offers weekly Shabbos morning kids groups running from 8:30 in the morning through kiddush time. They offer childcare groups for ages 2-5, 5+ girls, and 5+ boys. Activities include davening, games, and parsha, and they have snacks as well.
BKLA (Beis Knesses Los Angeles)
BKLA has many young families and does offer weekly childcare programming that is warm and friendly – people bring babies as well!
Chabad SOLA
Although SOLA is currently undergoing construction, they still have weekly Shabbos morning childcare available as well as a large outdoor playground area for kids to play in supervised while their parents daven inside.
YINBH (Young Israel of North Beverly Hills)
YINBH has Shabbos morning programming for all ages: The YINBH Kids Club program begins at 9:30am and continues through the end of services. They have activities such as toys, books, games, bouncy house and softplay area as well as outdoor sports games like foosball, pingpong and basketball. Their babysitters and counselors lead the younger children in a joyful circle time with songs and stories and older children join a weekly “mini-yan.” Every week the kids club features a Parsha STEAM activity that engages the kids in building something or playing a game related to the weekly Parsha.
KBT (Kehillat B’nai Torah)
KBT is a relatively new shul which has made a significant point of integrating children into their community. They have multiple children’s programs on Shabbat morning with kids groups in classrooms where they have parsha activities, treats, and games for ages 2+. They have a play area as well. On Shabbat they also have a special program for teaching boys traditional Sephardic Shabbat zemirot in the morning as well as before and during Seudat Shlishit. They also offer a girls program for ages 8 and up with special motzi Shabbat activities for girls such as baking and kumzitz.
Shuvah Israel
Shuvah is very warm and welcoming towards children and has a yard with play equipment children are welcome to use. In addition to having childcare programming on Shabbat morning for all ages, they have both a kids’ minyan and a teen minyan.
B’nai David-Judea
B’nai David-Judea has weekly Shabbos morning programming for children with a wide range of ages from ages 6 months through 6th grade. Their programming includes davening, learning the weekly parshah, games and other fun activities. They also have a youth teen minyan for grades 7-12 most Shabbos mornings and special holiday programming year round for children. All food is nut-free.
Beth Jacob
Beth Jacob is a great shul for young families as they have a large playground at the shul and weekly Shabbos morning programming for kids of all ages from babies through 12 years old. According to their website each group has age-appropriate toys and games, story time, Tefilla, Parasha, outdoor activities, snack time, Mitzvah money, raffles, and prizes. In addition to Shabbos morning programming, they also offer parent & me classes for newborn to age 2.5 years old and support groups for new and expecting moms. They have a teen minyan as well.
YICC (Young Israel of Century City)
YICC offers Shabbat programming and activities every Shabbos morning including mommy and me every Shabbos morning at 10:15 AM for moms with babies. For older children they have groups for 18 months-3 yr olds, 4-5 yr olds, 6-9 yr olds, and 10-12 yr olds. They offer a teen minyan for older boys every Shabbos morning as well. The shul also gives Youth Chesed Awards every Shabbos which is a great way to encourage children to love mitzvos and helping others.
Chabad of Beverlywood
The Chabad of Beverlywood is a warm, friendly environment with lots of children present on Shabbos. They are located at The Friendship Circle and have a large sensory safe playground that can be enjoyed by children of all abilities and ages.