Brit Mitzvah & Beyond at BZBI
Brit Mitzvah (Bar / Bat Mitzvah)
Welcome to the BZBI Brit Mitzvah process! Our community thrives on personal interaction. Our goal is to help you create a memorable spiritual and personal event that respects Jewish traditions and embraces modern practices.
You may not be familiar with the term “Brit Mitzvah” which literally means “covenant of the commandments (contained in the Torah).” BZBI chose this term as a way to focus on the obligations of 13-year olds in joining the Jewish community, rather than referring to the person who is becoming a Bar or Bat Mitzvah (son or daughter of the commandments). We seek to emphasize the significance of the ritual as the start of lifelong learning and commitment to our community and its values.
Your simcha is a very special time and many families have questions about the learning process, as well as logistics and planning. Stacey Lasky will be your primary guide throughout this process. Please feel free to contact her directly at 215-735-5148 or education@bzbi.org with any questions.
Teen Education Programs at BZBI
Wednesdays 7:30-9:00pm (Starts October 22nd)
Associate Rabbi Abi Weber and Director of Congregational Learning, Stacey Lasky will lead BZBI Teens in a 2-track elective program on Wednesday evenings. Dessert and/or snacks will be served.
7:30-8:00: Asepha (Group Meeting): This will serve as a check-in and review of what was learned the previous time(s) the group has met. An aspect of leadership training will be introduced to all participants during this part.
8:00-9:00: Elective (Choice of Beit Midrash or MadriKulam-In-Training – Leadership Training through Jewish Identity/Israel Education)
- MadriKulam-in-Training: Using Moving Traditions Kulam Curricula for Neziner Classroom Teacher Assistants/Shabbat No’ar Counselors (MadriKulam) along with their Jewish Identity and Israel, post-Brit Mitzvah students will become proud Jewish leaders in the BZBI Community.
In Hebrew, Madrich means “guide” and Kulam means “Everyone.” Using a non-binary term to include ALL, MadriKulam-in-Training participants will learn about the History of Israel and a variety of Jewish topics as they acquire skills to lead in life and at BZBI.
For those who would like to put these skills into practice, we welcome these teen volunteers to be teachers assistants in our Neziner and Shabbat No’ar program. These role models will show the younger students that creating a brit (commitment) with their synagogue as a volunteer is a meaningful and rewarding contribution to their community. Additionally, this leadership training track will strengthen their connections to BZBI and their purpose in the larger BZBI community.
We understand that teens have a plethora of extracurricular obligations, so volunteering with Neziner and Shabbat No’ar is not required, but it is highly encouraged. Please contact Stacey with any questions.
- Teen Beit Midrash:
High School (9th through 12th Grade): Wednesdays
Teens will learn alongside Rabbi Abi to cultivate their skills to navigate reading and discussing deep concepts within The Talmud.
Other Teen Learning Opportunities:
- Tween Beit Midrash:
Middle School (7th and 8th Grade): Mondays, 4:00-6:00pm
Rabbi Abi will introduce fundamental skills of Talmud study to tweens in Middle School.
- Mitzvah Mentors: Tweens who have just experienced the Brit Mitzvah process will help a student currently going through the journey towards their Brit Mitzvah.
- *Mercaz Philly: Unaffiliated Jewish Teen Program in Center City, contact the Director and Founder, Larry Kaplan.
*Mercaz Philly is generously funded by the Bernard and Etta Weinberg Fund through the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia and is fiscally sponsored by Temple Beth Zion Beth Israel.
