B’nai Mitzvah Year

B’nai Mitzvah is not an end, or a beginning. It is a journey: a spiritual and personal rite of passage. Fig Tree works with families to craft a meaningful and unique Bar or Bat Mitzvah year, as exceptional and multifaceted as the students themselves. 

Fig Tree’s B’nai Mitzvah Year

The Fig Tree B’nai Mitzvah Year is a values-based program that encourages students to explore what it means to take action for justice and commit to service work, within the context of Jewish text, history, ritual and culture. At Fig Tree, we believe the B’nai Mitzvah presents a powerful opportunity for spiritual and emotional transformation, a rich rite of passage towards becoming a Jewish adult. That opportunity also comes with responsibilities (as is the case with "adulthood" in general): responsibilities to others in and outside our community, to our families, and to ourselves.

Requirements and Prerequisites

No previous Hebrew School experience is required to attend our B'nai Mitzvah program. Yes, we know that's a bit, um, unorthodox. It is the case that the Fig Tree B'nai Mitzvah program is intellectually and spiritually rigorous- and will certainly build on Jewish concepts introduced in earlier years of Fig Tree study. So we expect that, from time to time, students who are just joining us in 7th grade may need to be brought up to speed via additional 1:1 time with our teachers, take-home reading material, and perhaps even in-class explanation from another student. From our perspective, that's totally fine. We have faith that all of our students, new and returning alike, are motivated, curious and resilient, and we think diversity of Jewish knowledge in the classroom makes the experience better, for all. 

That said, we do have one requirement, and it is not negotiable. Students enrolled in our B'nai Mitzvah program must be attending by choice. Students have to want to be there. We encourage families considering B'nai Mitzvah to sit down and discuss the commitment of weekly classes, monthly service learning, and (potentially, depending on what kind of ceremony is ultimately desired) regular tutoring sessions and officiant meetings. Our B’nai Mitzvah students also commit to a classroom code of conduct, as a way to create a safe, respectful space for stimulating intellectual exploration and meaningful personal growth.

The B'nai Mitzvah year is not to be taken lightly, and that is intentional. The journey, as they say, is the destination. 

B’nai Mitzvah Program Components

Fig Tree helps students and their families design, prepare for, and realize a Bar or Bat Mitzvah experience that incorporates each student’s individuality, and reflects his or her self-defined Jewish identity. Our yearlong B’Nai Mitzvah Program is comprised of cohort-style group Judaic studies and meaningful service work, culminating in an end-of-year community celebration. In addition, we recommend independent rabbis and cantors who can design and officiate a unique B-Mitzvah ceremony, custom-designed for each student and family. 

Curriculum
B’Nai Mitzvah students meet weekly for cohort-style learning, including the following units:

• "Machloket Matters"/ Civil Discourse - utilizes Jewish texts and principles of social-emotional learning as a roadmap to examine personal conflicts and societal disagreements

• The Shabbat Prayer Service - our B’nai Mitzvah students will become familiar with many of the prayers, blessings and songs from a typical Shabbat morning service, making personal connections and drawing modern meaning from ancient ritual and practice

• Modern Social Injustice: A Jewish Response - students will consider what Judaism has to say about our responsibility to repair injustice in the world.

• Torah Exploration - students study the weekly Torah portion, or parashat hashavua, using various creative methods such as art, music, drama, and improvisation games

• G’milut Chasadum/ “the giving of love and kindness” - students will consider how to show authentic kindness to strangers, their communities, and to themselves.

Mitzvah Project + Meaningful Service Work
Service work- the act of doing good for others- is a fundamentally Jewish act, according to both text and custom. (It also happens to be awesome.) We feel that this connection between service work and Jewish identity is incredibly relevant today, and establishes for our students a powerful connection to their heritage. Fig Tree has partnered with Repair the World to create meaningful service learning projects throughout the year, which can either stand alone or culminate in individual Mitzvah Projects.

End of Year Community Celebration
At the end of the school year, Fig Tree will host a community celebration in honor of the B’nai Mitzvah students. This celebration is not a replacement for, or mirror of, the students’ individual Bar or Bat Mitzvah ceremonies and parties. Rather, it is an opportunity for family, friends and Fig Tree classmates to gather in community to honor and acknowledge the year of hard work and service commitment fulfilled by our B’nai Mitzvah students.

Rabbis and Tutors
Fig Tree has carefully curated a small network of rabbis, cantors, and other clergy who delight in guiding young people on the journey to becoming B'nai Mitzvah. The rabbis we recommend run the gamut from traditional to totally alternative, and all of them are committed to honoring individual students' (and their families') visions and goals for a unique and meaningful B’nai Mitzvah experience. Fig Tree maintains a similar network of highly skilled independent B-Mitzvah tutors. Whether you want to learn your full Torah portion, Haftarah and trope or choreograph an interpretive dance as your D'var Torah, there are officiants and tutors who share your passion, and we will help connect you. [Note: Officiant and tutoring contractual details are between the family and the individuals directly. Fig Tree is not affiliated with, and does not benefit from, third-party officiant or tutoring relationships.]

Preparation for a Meaningful Ceremony

Fig Tree recognizes that each student and family arrives at B’Nai Mitzvah with different goals and intentions. Our process begins with an initial planning meeting between the B’nai Mitzvah candidate & parents, Fig Tree Director of B’nai Mitzvah, and Fig Tree Executive Director. Together, we will outline goals, timeline, and a suggested tutoring plan. Following that planning session, Fig Tree can also provide referrals to local rabbis or other officiants, and once an officiant is chosen, we are available to meet with them/her/him to confirm the plan. Regularly scheduled check points throughout the year will ensure that each B’nai Mitzvah student is on target to meet his or her goals.

A word about Hebrew...

Some students will arrive at the B’nai Mitzvah year with a strong foundation in Hebrew; others will be complete beginners. This is totally fine. However, if Hebrew is likely to be a featured component of the B’nai Mitzvah ceremony, we recommend enrollment in our yearlong Hebrew language course, which can be taken in conjunction with the B’nai Mitzvah Program. (Families with students entering 5th or 6th grade may want to consider enrolling in Hebrew language before the B'nai Mitzvah year.)