B'nei Mitzvah

One of the programs we’re the most proud of at Beth El is our Bnei Mitzvah training. The bar/bat mitzvah year is the culmination of years spent studying in our Judaism School, though it is just the beginning of each student’s teen and adult Jewish journey. While the day of the bar/bat mitzvah is powerful, exciting, and obviously a central focus, we put just as much emphasis on the process. The year before consists of a weekly bnei mitzvah class with the rabbi, where the students learn more deeply about Judaism and themselves (family members are invited in to particular classes like the one on social justice and the one where the students create family trees).

Each student also meets weekly with a prayer tutor, and then later with Rabbi Boettiger (who teaches them Torah and haftarah, and helps them craft their speech/d’var torah). The student is expected to craft a “mitzvah project” where they volunteer and help raise money for a cause of their choosing. While there are standard requirements and traditions, each bar or bat mitzvah service reflects the individuality of the particular child.