Our young congregants work directly with our rabbi and cantor as well as with tutors, congregants, our Director of Lifelong Learning, and our Director of Youth Engagement to prepare for this rite of passage, marking the time when a child assumes the religious responsibilities of adulthood.
Learners are given opportunities to perfect their prayer and Torah reading skills, as well as to ask questions and explore their Jewish interests and identity. During their service, learners demonstrate knowledge of Jewish tradition and lead Shabbat morning worship before family and community. As part of their preparation for Kabbalat Mitzvah, teens also complete a Gemilut Chasadim (acts of loving-kindness) project.
The process of becoming a Kabbalat Mitzvah is integrated into our Beit Sefer curriculum starting in fifth grade. Please learn more about the timeline of our Kabbalat Mitzvah process below. For more information, please contact our Director of Lifelong Learning Lauren Reeves.
We work with Kabbalat Mitzvah learners approximately 12 months in advance of their Kabbalat Mitzvah date. This preparation process includes meetings with the clergy, tutoring, working on the learner’s d’var Torah with a volunteer mentor, and more. It is a meaningful process that is tailored to each child, reflecting the uniqueness of each child’s abilities, interests, and Kabbalah Mitzvah experience.
Gemilut Chasadim Project
A Gemilut Chasadim Project gives each Kabbalat Mitzvah learner an opportunity to raise awareness, volunteer, or fundraise for a cause that is personally meaningful. Together with Beth Emet staff, each learner designs a project that reflects their interests, values, and goals. Approximately six months before their Kabbalat Mitzvah date, each learner meets with Emmie Weprin, Director of Youth Engagement, to discuss issues that are important to them and develop a meaningful project that puts Jewish values into action.
Space Rentals
For questions about space rentals contact kabbalatmitzvah@bethemet.org or our Executive Director Allan Bogan at abogan@bethemet.org.
As part of Beit Sefer, 5th grade learners and their families participate in a series of volunteer experiences with Connections for the Homeless, a local nonprofit organization that helps to provide resources to folks experiencing housing instability. Through these hands-on opportunities, learners discover the many ways they can make a difference while exploring the Jewish value of tzedek (justice).
During the second semester, the class:
Hears from a guest speaker about the organization’s work and opportunities for community involvement.
Participates in an experiential program to understand housing instability in our community.
Volunteers at Margarita Inn, a hotel-based shelter operated by Connections for the Homeless.
Each experience includes both learners and their families. Together, participants explore the connection between Jewish values and social justice while putting those values into action.
The Kabbalat Mitzvah Shabbaton is a special overnight experience for 6th grade Beit Sefer learners and their families. Over the course of 24 hours, families gain a deeper understanding of the Kabbalat Mitzvah journey and the support Beth Emet provides throughout the process.
On Friday evening, learners travel to the Shabbaton location for Shabbat services, dinner, and community-building activities and a movie night. On Saturday morning, 6th graders’ families join the group for a full day of Shabbat experiences led by Beth Emet clergy and staff, including Shabbat services, interactive games, question-and-answer sessions, and discussions about preparing for Kabbalat Mitzvah.
Families leave the weekend with a clearer understanding of the Kabbalat Mitzvah process, stronger connections with their Beit Sefer community, and meaningful relationships with Beth Emet staff and clergy.
Tzedakah Fair
The 6th grade class spends time discussing tzedakah and the importance of righteous giving in Judaism, including their families in this conversation. Each 6th grade learner selects a cause and a nonprofit organization that is meaningful to them. In preparation for the tzedakah fair, learners research their chosen organization and create a display explaining why the cause matters. During the Tzedakah Fair, Beit Sefer classes visit the displays to learn from the 6th graders and contribute their tzedakah to the organizations represented at the fair. The Tzedakah Fair encourages 6th graders to begin thinking about their future Gemilut Chasadim Project while raising awareness and support for causes that reflect their Jewish values.
Gesher meets on Sunday mornings and Thursdays (every other week). The 7th grade Gesher class focuses on Jewish identity formation and community building alongside other specific learning topics. The highlight of many Gesher learners’ year is the overnight retreat, where the group forms a close bond.
“Reform Judaism was founded on the principle that Jewish practice and customs need to adapt and change so that our tradition can guide us today, and always, to serve God by living with righteousness and compassion.
This includes how we use language to talk about our Jewish faith. The commonly used term in the Jewish world for those who come of age is B’nai Mitzvah (plural), Bar Mitzvah (masculine singular), and Bat Mitzvah (feminine singular). These terms refer to those who are accepting responsibility for the sacred obligations of the Jewish people.
At Beth Emet, we have adopted the non-gendered term Kabbalat Mitzvah in order to have an inclusive term for all of our young adults. Kabbalat Mitzvah literally means the acceptance (kabbalah) of the sacred obligations (mitzvot) of the Jewish people.
Traditionally, the age when we recognize children as becoming Jewish adults is 12 for girls and 13 for boys. In the Reform Movement, we recognize 13 as the age at which all children, regardless of gender, take responsibility for their Jewish lives. This is an age when one’s identity is still in the process of formation. Kabbalat Mitzvah captures the essence of this transitional moment without reference to gender.
As societal and communal norms and conventions change, language adapts as well. Moreover, the words we use do not merely reflect our experiences but shape the way we understand the world. The term Kabbalat Mitzvah both reflects our broader understanding of gender and invites us to celebrate, embrace, and honor all of our young people as they come of age in the Jewish community.”
Kabbalat Mitzvah refers to the ceremony, not the person. One celebrates Kabbalat Mitzvah, rather than becoming Kabbalat Mitzvah. The wording of an invitation might read: “Please join us at Sam’s Kabbalat Mitzvah.” “We invite you to Alex’s Kabbalat Mitzvah.”
“We are delighted to celebrate Jordan’s Kabbalat Mitzvah.” There is no plural for Kabbalat Mitzvah so a double Kabbalat Mitzvah invitation might read: “You are invited to Jenny and Max’s Kabbalat Mitzvah.”
At Beth Emet we will use this language when discussing this life cycle event, but if you prefer to use the traditional terms, you are welcome to do so. We know that change is hard and new terminology can be awkward.
The correct way to use the traditional language is to say one “becomes” bar or bat mitzvah.
Other congregations are also experimenting with what language works best for them. There’s no universally agreed upon term. Just as baby naming services for girls have various names (e.g., Brit Bat, Simchat Bat, etc.) there might not be one term that will be used by everyone; each community will have to decide what best reflects its culture.
We have consulted with Keshet, a national organization working with the Jewish community on inclusion for LGBTQ individuals, and they like our term and have suggested they will let other communities know about it.
No. We prepare learners individually and tailor our teaching and expectations based on their capabilities.
Our goal at Beth Emet is to have every learner do their personal best and shine on the day they ascend the bima and take their place as an adult in the Jewish community.
Check out the following rental materials:
For more information, contact Allan Bogan, Executive Director, by email or by phone at 847-869-4230, ext. 325
