IKAR is a non-denominational Jewish congregation and community founded in Los Angeles, California, in the United States. The congregation was founded in 2004 and is led by rabbi Sharon Brous, who was one of its founders.

History

IKAR (transliterated from Hebrew as "essence"), was founded in 2004 by CEO Melissa Balaban, senior rabbi Sharon Brous, and others in a Santa Monica home.

In September 2015, IKAR announced that it had signed a two-year lease to relocate to the newly built campus of Shalhevet High School. In August 2018, the synagogue announced that it paid $6.9 million ($8.4 million in 2023 dollars) for a building on South La Cienega Boulevard near 18th Street, although the move was not immediate due to time needed for construction. As of January 2024, IKAR still met at Shalhevet.

Activities

IKAR schedules its services to avoid conflict with Shalhevet's school days, meeting in the gymnasium on Shabbat and other holidays where Shalhevet is not in session. Weekday morning services take place at IKAR's daycare center, which operates elsewhere.

Notable members

• Mayim Bialik, actress
• Eric Garcetti, former mayor of Los Angeles
• Rick Jaffe, screenwriter
• David Nevins, president of entertainment for Showtime Networks
• Andrea Blaugrund Nevins
• Dara Resnik, screenwriter, producer, and director
• Amanda Silver, screenwriter
• Daniel Sokatch, CEO of the New Israel Fund
• Steven Spielberg, film director and producer