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The Spirit of our Program

In our teaching, we try to recapture the intensity of that fire, to strive to understand what message it has for us today. We teach our children to question, to debate, to fall in love with Torah, and to find their own voices in the chorus of our tradition.

Our students don’t have a B’nai Mitzvah – they become B’nai Mitzvah. They become responsible adults in the Jewish community and in the world. They have the privilege of entering into the sublime world of Torah study, exploring the mysteries of the texts and ideas that have sustained our people. They become partners in the work of tikkun, of fulfilling the Prophetic mandate for the universal recognition of human dignity, the loving pursuit of justice, and shalom. They learn of the dangers of apathy and indifference, so freely fostered in our culture, and begin to ask questions about what they can do to make a difference.

The B’nai Mitzvah is not the end of the journey; it is the beginning. Our students are affirming, publicly, that they are part of the conversation, and our community is responding with a resounding “YES! We believe that you have something important to say, and we are ready to hear you.”

Torah

Students learn how to engage text seriously, study traditional rabbinic commentaries and find their own voices in the tradition.

Ethics and Social Justice

Through an extended social justice project, students examine core Jewish values, in theory and in practice.

Tefillah

Students become active participants in the davening of our community.

Hebrew

Students become comfortable reading Hebrew and will acquire a very basic Hebrew vocabulary, including words related to Torah study and Jewish life, and common Hebrew phrases.

Torah Reading

Students are trained in Torah and Haftarah Trope, giving them skills to read any parasha.