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Assignment: Pre-Bar/Bat Mitzvah Program

I. Description of Assignment

I am instructed to design a program for ten children who are going to be bar/bat mitzvahed this year. The program is meant to instruct them about Judaism in greater depth and intensity.

II. Purpose of Program and Desired Outcomes

The purpose of this program is to help these children explore their Jewish identity and to enhance their understanding and commitment to Jewish culture, law, and ritual. I want to impart information about and strengthen their attachment to the Jewish people. A second purpose of the program is to help them share their feelings and experiences as a group as they prepare for their bar/bat mitzvah. All of this must be age appropriate as well.

1. To make the children knowledgeable about the law, ritual, and culture associated with the responsibilities of adult Jews
2. To mitigate the stresses and anxieties associated with bar/bat mitzvah preparation and to enable the children to perform well and without anxiety on that day
3. To have the children continue to participate in shul by attending and taking on roles in Shabbat and holiday services after their bar/bat mitzvah
4. To have at least nine of them continue on to Hebrew High School
5. To have at least four of them register for the teen aliyah to Israel this summer

III. Timeline

The program will meet every Wednesday from 4:00 to 5:30 p.m., once a month on Shabbat, and a full weekend in April.

1. By October 1: I will have developed a full curriculum for October, November, and December. This curriculum will specify what is to be taught during each Wednesday and Saturday session. I will include with each session a statement of objectives, associated readings, any exercises which may be included, plus the format I will use to teach it. I will also be making contact with any guest speakers or arrange trips that will be a part of this program. I need also to decide the “rules.” For example, how many absences will be allowed, and so on.
2. By November 30: I will make the arrangements for the April weekend (securing a place to meet, which includes meeting rooms, sleeping arrangements, and kosher catering; determining expenses for the weekend in a budget format; and putting out an initial announcement to parents and children informing them of the weekend and costs).
3. By December 30: I will plan the second half of the curriculum for January, February, March, and April to include all the details mentioned in number one.
4. By January 30:  I will have completed an evaluation form to be completed by both parents and children. These forms will be distributed by April 15 to be returned by April 21.
5. By February 1: I will complete the plans for the April retreat. I will have permission forms and bills sent to parents and returned to me; room-sharing arrangements will be completed; the bus company will be hired; etc.
6. By May 1: I will have collected and analyzed the results of the evaluation.
7. By May 15: I will have written a full report on the program and handed it in to Rabbi Shapiro.

IV. Projected Obstacles

I know that it will be difficult to keep the children's attention for this long a period, given that they have school and many outside activities. I hope their parents will be supportive in this. I will have to check on school schedules (exams, assignments, etc.) so they do not interfere. I will also check the Jewish calendar to make sure I have not planned events on holidays or interfered with other events at the synagogue. I may have to reformulate some of the curriculum, depending on the schedules of guest lecturers or trip availability. Also, I must make sure that all teaching and experiences are handled at a level that the children can understand.

Program for Pre-Bar/Bat Mitzvah Teens

I have planned next Wednesday's schedule to teach about Torah. I plan to have the children look at pictures of different Torahs and read about and discuss the discovery of the Torahs after the Holocaust. I want them to get a sense that the Torah they will read at their service is the same as the one Moses read. I feel this will connect them with the importance of tradition. I have thought about taking them into the sanctuary to lift the Torah, unscroll it, etc., but they may be too noisy in there and may distract the other Hebrew classes. Will they get the same experience from looking at pictures and discussions in the classroom as they would from going into the sanctuary and actually handling the Torah? How do I decide what is a better trade-off: dealing with possible disciplinary problems in the sanctuary or having them experience the “real thing?” Also, how much reading can be expected of these children? In addtion, some of the members of the congregation may not like children handling the Torah. Do I need to tell anyone before I schedule this, if I decide this experience is necessary?

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