It is a shame that the 3 negative reviews which have nothing to do with the general Temple have not been removed. Yes, the preschool had some issues that were quickly resolved, which is what a responsible Temple board does. This is a wonderful, understanding and helpful Temple. The Rabbi is THE BEST! The members are THE BEST! Although due to having multiple homes in other areas I seldom attend events, I have heavily relied heavily on TRZ for personal issues and religious issues. I have discovered that ONE CALL is all it takes! read more

Y'all are probably going to come at me for this review, but here it goes. As a young adult in my late 20s, I came to this temple hoping to find a Jewish community and connect with people around my age. Unfortunately, that has been extremely difficult. From my experience, the congregation is overwhelmingly made up of people over 50, and there seems to be very few opportunities for people in their 20s and 30s to meet one another and build community. Some members have been welcoming and acknowledged me, while others have made me feel out of place. I even spoke with the rabbi about wanting to meet his daughter (who didn't have a desire to meet me whatsoever and did not acknowledge me at a Hillel event) and other people around my age because I genuinely wanted to develop friendships and become part of a Jewish community. Unfortunately, I never felt that my desire to make those connections was really acknowledged or facilitated. I don't think wanting to meet other young Jewish adults is an unreasonable expectation when you're actively trying to become involved in a congregation. I do want to give credit where it's due. The services are good, the rabbi has always been respectful towards me, and the rabbi has consistently been willing to answer any questions I've had. My criticism isn't really about the religious services themselves. At the end of the day though, one of my biggest reasons for joining a temple was to build community. I simply haven't been able to find that here with people in my age group. If you're in your 20s or 30s and are specifically looking for a congregation with a strong young-adult community, that is something I would keep in mind. read more

Within 1.5 months, the ELC went from being a preschool so beloved, warm, age/developmentally appropriate and a place I was proud to send my daughter everyday became a place myself and 15 other families didn't even feel safe keeping our children enrolled. Due to a very poor staffing choice, the director Katrin facilitated the complete crumbling down of our beautiful community. 2 beloved and dedicated teachers were treated so badly they resigned and 15 families were pushed to the point of having no choice but to leave. The lack of communication and transparency with the parents, the new director having absolutely no vision for the preschool and genuine safety issues such as our children being kept with people they don't know, being lied to on multiple occasions, allergies of a child being completely disregarded... the ELC became a place we had to leave. We tried everything we could to alert the leadership and board to these issues with no avail. Unfortunately for 15 families and two teachers time ran out and we are now grasping to find where to send our children mid year. This community failed us. If Katrin is the director at this school, please evaluate your decision very closely before even touring. Ask the office for the information of past families so we can provide more detail if needed. I wish the temple no harm- this is directly about the ELC. it is my duty to inform other parents of young children of this dangerous individual who dismantled our community. read more

This synagogue is like a second home to me. I have been going there for over forty years now, and the congregation is like a family to me.

My wife and I joined TRZ and enrolled our child at the Early Learning Center. We started out with a lot of hope and excitement, ready for our child to learn, have fun, and socialize with other kids her age. Unfortunately, the Board of Directors hired an inexperienced and incompetent new Director named Katrin Youssefzadeh. She single-handedly destroyed the entire school, and her decisions caused EVERY SINGLE FAMILY to pull their child out from ELC. This includes families who have had their children enrolled here for years. This is a warning to any potential families considering enrolling their child in the Early Learning Center. Katrin has repeatedly left kids unattended, put their lives at risk due to deadly food allergies, lied to multiple parents, fired beloved teachers, verbally abused other teachers who quit their job because of her, the list goes on and on. If you are looking into this school, request testimonials from former parents from the Admin Office if you want more information. BOTTOM LINE, DO NOT ENROLL YOUR CHILD IF KATRIN IS STILL WORKING THERE read more

This is specifically related to the Early Learning Center TLDR: if the Director is still Katrin, this may not be a safe school for your child On behalf of the children in this community and in service to parents who are evaluating schools I feel compelled to share our recent experience with the Early Learning Center. Our child attended school here for 18 months, the first 17 of which were a dream come true. We watched them blossom, learn, make friends, become independent and build a foundation for their Jewish identity. Unfortunately, in January of 2024 a new Director was hired. Her choices, actions, negligence and attitude destroyed the program in a month. She fired or forced resignations out of our beloved teachers. She spoke down to our children, left them alone or with unfamiliar adults, was cavalier with allergies, was dishonest about who would be with our children, lied to and continues to lie about parents, and more. As parents we tried every internal avenue to address these issues. We had meeting after meeting, offered grace, offered feedback, offered mentorship... and were shut down at every turn. It came to the point where the school was no longer a physically or emotionally safe environment for our children and so EVERY FAMILY removed their children from school. I'm not writing any of this out of spite or to hurt the temple community. I sincerely hope this is an issue that can be corrected and the school can flourish once again. This is an issue of safety and respect and as a parent to young children I know how stressful it is to find a school you trust. I would advise anyone evaluating this school to ask the office (not the director) for references from former families and know that if Katrin is the director you cannot and should not trust what she has to tell you. read more

A wonderful community that is open and inviting...even to someone who is only Jewish adjacent. All three of my children had their Bene Mitzvahs there and each time was magical and profound. The congregation is incredibly supportive. Two of my three kids are graduates of the Early Learning Center and the memories of their time there are priceless. Great Hebrew school, of course, since all my children performed incredibly during their Bene Mitzvah ceremonies. The Rabbi is wise, totally engaged and has deep and thoughtful sermons. The Hazan is charismatic with a spectacular voice and more than a bit of flair. There is plenty to do in the community both on and off campus. It's a wonderful place to belong. read more

Have been a member for over 40 years. Greatest place for community involvement ,religious services, fabulous clergy. Membership and involvement at TRZ creates a second family. This has helped me and my family through family losses and simchas. read more

I have been at Temple Ramat Zion for nearly nine years and love it! My son went through the fabulous preschool and is now enjoying religious school. Both my husband and I are active in the synagogue through either the board or singing in the choir. We have so much fun here! Last year I was diagnosed with cancer, and while going through treatment, the entire synagogue community rallied behind me and my family and not only visited me in the hospital while I went through a painful stem cell transplant but brought my family and me meals for weeks on end! This is a community of good people and love them dearly! read more

For those of the Jewish persuasion, this is the temple for you. It has a great, inspiring Rabbi who seeks to build a true community and family environment. There is something for everyone, uplifting services, religious education classes, community service and a family friendly environment. It has a great preschool and children religious education program. I love this temple! read more

Temple Ramat Zion - Trees in the courtyard - Synagogues Near Me - Northridge, California

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My family and I have been members for 5 years. We loved the preschool and are equally impressed with the religious school. My son looks forward to going to religious school because of the great kids and caring teachers. The clergy are fantastic as well. This is the only temple in the valley where I've felt at home and where people feel down-to-earth. Highly recommend! read more

Home away from home. We have been members for 11 years. We started in preschool. The program did an amazing job preparing both boys who are now in local magnet programs. They love Hebrew school to the point that if they are misbehaving I threaten to keep them home... No joke! It is always difficult to come into a new community but give us a chance, keep coming and soon you are a familiar face. Lots of opportunities to get involved. Lastly, we just had my son's Bar Mitzvah. It was perfect, the community really came together to make such a warm and beautiful event. The Rabbi and all of the staff have always been supportive of our family. read more

My kids started pre-school here. Fabulous program, and Betty is the greatest director ever! Fast forward many years. My daughter had her Bat Mitzvah here, and my son will have his Bar Mitzvah in three years. Yes, they have gone through some rough times, but with the new, younger Rabbi, he has made this temple a much nicer place to worship. Not going to take away stars for this, but the temple needs an overhaul of it's board of directors. They are all old, and set in their ways. Need younger congregants to bring it into the 21st century. read more

We have been members at Temple Ramat Zion for 17 years. Our kids started in Mommy and Me classes, went to the loving and caring preschool, went through religious school, were bat mitzvah'd here and we are still members. TRZ is a second home to our children and we have made lifelong friendships here as well. The clergy is educated and very approachable (unlike the Rabbi and Cantor I grew up with). Rabbi Sela is innovative and creating new and fun programs for all age groups and Cantor Friedman is talented and does wonders with our choir and b'nai mitzvah program. The services are interesting and always enjoyable. We highly suggest this synagogue. read more

Like a second home and family for us. We have been members for over 10 years and have found friendship, guidance, support and much more here. My kids feel a sense of belonging and as well and have connected to their Judaism because of this temple. read more