At the very moment that Jewish young people approach adolescence, we ask them to take on an enormous experience of planning a bar or bat mitzvah ceremony to mark their spiritual, physical and emotional coming of age. How can parents and educators shepherd bnei mitzvah through this process without overwhelming them, maintaining even tempers, thoughtful decision-making, and room for negotiation?
Goldie Milgram springs to help students and their parents to prepare thoughtfully for their “B‑Mitzvah,” as she refers to it. With charts, journaling exercises, lots of how-to guidance, and thoughtful explanations and rich anecdotes, Reclaiming Bar/Bat Mitzvah guides students and their parents to establish a timetable leading up to the ceremony, aided by the book’s guidance on the rituals and prayers they may be leading.
The book is especially useful as a supplement to guidance from a rabbi or educational leader. Readers will learn how to give a d’var Torah or sermon, how to match the right mitzvah project for the student, and how to celebrate after the religious services with an appropriate Jewish spirit.
This is an outstanding and useful book for anyone who works with “pre-B-Mitzvah” students from rabbis, teachers, educational directors, and students ages 10 – 13.
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