B Mitzvah
Building community and actualizing the vision of a coming-of age experience for each individual and family.
We believe:
It is important to mark major life transitions.
There is deep value in marking young peoples’ coming-of-age. Our young people are coming to terms with themselves, accelerating the process of self-discovery, and grappling with how they interact with the world around them.
Coming-of-age experiences should feel appropriate for the person having them.
Marking coming-of-age can look different for different people. Individuals who are coming-of-age should have agency in their coming-of-age experience. One size does not fit all.
Jewish learning on a deeper level is a fundamental component of this experience.
There is rich wisdom within Jewish tradition. Studying and grappling with that wisdom is crucial for a young Jew when they come of age. We come from a tradition of questioning and it is important for young people to have a safe space to question their tradition and to wrestle with how that it is integrated in their lives. The ceremony should represent the capstone of a rigorous process of learning and discovery, so that the young person emerges from their learning and discovery process different than how they started.
Life does not happen alone in a vacuum, it happens with community.
Coming-of-age is not something that one can do alone—a community of loving, connected, present people welcome the young person into community. While it is the individual becoming a bat/bar mitzvah, it is a moment in time that involves the whole family and their relationship and commitment to Judaism. The connection between the young person and a trusted, knowledgeable mentor can catalyze deep self-discovery that benefits the young person and the broader community.
The B Mitzvah Experience at SIJCC
The experience of becoming b mitzvah at SIJCC is patterned after our approach. It includes:
Culminating experience in which the student demonstrates their learning and readiness to enter this next phase of communal life. For some students, this looks like reading from the Torah during a service and for others it looks very different. We are open to a wide variety of culminating experiences that fit within our approach.
One-on-one mentorship with a skilled mentor who guides the student through their learning goals and helps them prepare for the culminating experience.
Family meetings led by SIJCC to plan and prepare for the b mitzvah experience.
For more information, please reach out to our Rabbi Kerry Chaplin rabbikerry@sijcc.net.
In order to participate in our B Mitzvah program, students must be enrolled in JLC.
Our B Mitzvah Program is possible thanks to our partnership what The Jewish Federation of Los Angeles.
