For over six decades, the CHJ’s bar and bat mitzvah program has offered highly meaningful opportunities for secular Jewish families to celebrate a traditional milestone in their children’s lives while remaining faithful to their humanistic beliefs and values.
CHJ’s secular Bar and Bat Mitzvah program celebrates the joys of being Jewish. We follow the Society for Humanistic Judaism’s “Cultural B’ Mitzvah” program. Over two school years, students explore the values of Judaism and Humanism and discover how those values shape daily life, Jewish history and holidays, and the customs, food, and arts of Jewish communities around the world.
Uniquely tailored to the interests of the student and family, the mitzvah program allows each young participant an opportunity to engage in this historical rite of passage in a way that is personally meaningful and provides a lasting link to their Jewish heritage.
Our B’Mitzvah program is thoughtfully shaped around each student’s unique interests. Students build meaningful relationships through monthly online meetings with a humanistic rabbi and monthly in-person sessions with CHJ Mitzvah Mentors. The program can include visits to Jewish museums, the Yiddish Book Center, Jewish communities, and Jewish restaurants, along with opportunities to take part in “healing the world.” Students who wish to explore genealogy, learn the Hebrew alphabet, or follow other interests will find caring, knowledgeable mentors in our congregation to support them.
In the second year, the student explores a Jewish topic that interests them, with guidance and encouragement along the way. Parents help students create a meaningful Mitzvah ceremony. They may also receive coaching to help them share their work with confidence during the ceremony. Past presentations have included slides, videos, and performances.
The culminating presentation on the student’s Jewish topic will be shared with the congregation at the Mitzvah ceremony. Past mitzvah candidates have explored historical events of interest including the Kindertransport and female WWII resistance fighters, as well as personal issues such as mixed marriage and adoption. Others have studied their families’ genealogies, Jewish art, athletes, music, and dance, in order to broaden their understanding and appreciation for their personal histories and for the rich contributions of Jewry around the world. Each student presentation has been unique; many share their research orally, while others have used performance art such as acting, dance or video to tell their story.
Over the past six decades, CHJ has celebrated many B’Mitzvahs and looks forward to celebrating many more in the years ahead.
CHJ members who enroll their child(ren) in the B’Mitzvah program pay an additional annual fee.
For more information about our Mitzvah program, please contact mitzvah@humanisticjews.org.