How do we get to the B-Mitzvah?
EASY! Jump on board at any of the stops, below.
Bus stop #1 – 3rd-5th grade Jewish community education
Our classes meet in groups of 10-14 students in the Davie, Weston, Boca and (coming soon) Boynton Beach. We meet every other week, and in accordance with a Broward and Palm Beach County school calendar. In these classes, students will study and learn about Jewish culture, Holidays, Mitzvoth & Ethics, G-d, Torah stories and heroes, and Tikkun Olam. We gather in various homes 3-4 times per year to get our hands dirty by cooking foods relevant to the holidays we study. Latkes, Hamentashen, and yunmy Passover treats are just some of the exciting and overwhelmingly popular cooking programs our students love to take part in! Our philosophy is simple – please don’t ask your child what they learned. Ask them if they had FUN! The most important concept of educating a Jewish child is establishing a connection between their Jewish education and having fun – the rest is easy!
Bus stop #2 & 3 –
B-Mitzvah boot camp (6th grade), leading into The Final Stretch!
Here in 6th grade, we’re really accelerating our learning! We are going to learn how to read Hebrew, and dive into the beautiful lessons of the Torah, bringing the teachings of the Torah to life in our classroom and in our daily lives. We will learn all of the basic prayers for a student to lead their B-Mitzvah service, and each class (microgroup – of 3-5 students) will take part in a mini Mitzvah-Maker’s program, focusing on Tikkun Olam (repairing the world). Our students will focus on the meaning of becoming a B-Mitzvah, navigate through a 13 step mitzvah program, and emerge from this program ready to take on the world! (ok, well, maybe just ready to take on their B-Mitzvah, but we have to start somewhere!) (Exit from this program onto stop #3 where your student will learn to read Torah and write their personal prayers and summaries for their special B-Mitzvah day)
Bus stop # 3 – The final stretch!
This is a four-month program prior to the student’s B-Mitzvah, where they learn their individual Torah portions, learn to write their personal prayers and Torah summary, and create their personal vision of what they wish for their B-Mitzvah service. (Students arrive at stop #3 from stop #2) We make special accommodations based on the date of your service to begin students at the appropriate time, and also keep in mind their summer schedules. Therefore, some students becoming B-Mitzvah in early 7th grade will begin their Final Stretch during the boot camp program, but we make an effort to minimize “doubling up”.
Bus stop #4– Express ride to the main event
We know many families have time, money, or learning constraints – so we created a 3rd choice – The Express Lane. In 6 months, your child will prepare for his or her B-Mitzvah through a transliteration method, but they will still experience learning the meaning and importance of the B-Mitzvah, and take part in all of the rites of passage that a student enjoys in option #2. This is an accelerated, yet still personalized program to fit your family’s needs in educating your child for their special day.
Bus stop #5– What’s next? Mitzvah Makers!
In conjunction with Shema Koleinu, our post B-Mitzvah students will put their Tikkun Olam skills into action, and become a part of our Mitzvah Makers Organization. Our Mitzvah Makers put together 9 months of community service projects, and we begin “praying with our feet” – going out into the community and helping to make it a better place. Mitzvah Makers will also be seen in the classrooms of our bus stops – mentoring and inspiring our younger passengers, so they can help lead them into a first class B-Mitzvah student!
Who’s “driving” these programs?
Of course, Cantor Debbi is behind the creation of all of these programs, and makes sure she meets with every family to be sure we are creating the perfect program for YOUR family. That’s what makes her program so special. But we have amazing teachers that will SHARE the roll of preparing your child for their B-Mitzvah and beyond programs. Cantor Debbi and her “awesome and amazing” teaching staff will all be part of the teaching experience together, however Cantor Debbi will be mostly present in the final stretch program, and teaches a minimum of once a month, from beginning to end – during the B-Mitzvah boot camp program to ensure she is building a life-long relationship with your family.