A Bar/Bat Mitzvah (B Mitzvah) is the coming-of-age ritual that signals the transformation of a Jewish boy and girl into a Jewish adult. In Humanistic Judaism—one of the five branches of Judaism—each bar and bat mitzvah is a unique and meaningful event.
The Congregation for Humanistic Judaism’s secular B Mitzvah Mentoring Program is a two-year program that prepares young mitzvah candidates for this milestone event, and celebrates the joys of being Jewish. Over the course of two school years, students are invited to be part of our community and to explore the values of Judaism and Humanism, experiencing how values are reflected in our daily lives, in the history and holidays of Judaism, and in the customs, food, and arts of Jewish cultures around the world.
Each young person’s program is tailored to individual interests with:
● monthly on-line personal meetings with a humanistic Rabbi;
● monthly in-person sessions with CHJ members who are Mitzvah Mentors;
● trips to Jewish museums, the Yiddish Book Center, Jewish communities, and Jewish
restaurants;
● opportunities to participate in volunteering with community programs, explore
genealogies, learn the Hebrew alphabet, and talk with different Mitzvah Mentors in our congregation;
● special focus during the second year in researching a Jewish topic of particular interest
Parents work together with the student and CHJ mentors to design an individual Mitzvah ceremony ~ past Mitzvah celebrations have included slides, videos, and performances.
CHJ offers this program to members, who are charged an additional yearly fee for participation.
CHJ has celebrated many such B’Mitzvahs in the past six decades ~ we invite you to join
us in building our future together.
Please see the Mitzvah Mentoring Program page for more information.
Watch as Ellie Shafer explains how you can have a Humanistic Jewish Bar or Bat Mitzvah in Fairfield County, Connecticut in this video.