When a colleague told me guests at his daughter’s bat mitzvah would pack grains and canned goods for the homeless, I was nonplussed. His explanation changed my thinking.
Mark Oppenheimer's article for Tablet overlaps with much of our own work at the Union for Reform Judaism’s B’nei Mitzvah Revolution (BMR).
Read about how one congregation infused the beginning of its b’nei mitzvah process with something more meaningful than a date assignment, and found ways to connect their b'nei mitzvah families to each other.
When students become Tzofim, they become essential: They have a valuable role to fulfill and an important place within our synagogue community.
For the past two years, Temple Chai in Long Grove, IL, participated in the URJ’s B’nai Mitzvah Revolution (BMR). Based on our desire to see b’nai mitzvah families develop strong, lasting connections to our congregation and to Judaism, we focused our efforts on enriching the family engagement opportunities that are part of Temple Chai’s b’nai mitzvah preparation experience.
Since my congregation became part of the pilot cohort of the Reform Movement’s B’nai Mitzvah Revolution in 2012, our goal has been to make b’nai mitzvah more meaningful. As it turns out, though, this is no simple task.
Along with 12 other congregations, URJ
Reform Congregation Keneseth Israel in Elkins Park, PA, began its journey in the pilot cohort of the URJ’s B’nai Mitzvah Revolution by asking our eighth grade families one question: What could we have done to better prepare your family for your child’s bar or bat mitzvah?
For the last three years, the URJ 'nai Mitzvah Revolution has supported more than 150 congregations in experimenting in areas that inspire b’nai mitzvah students to express what matters to them in the experience. Here’s are six areas of congregational innovation.