Moving Traditions uses the term b-mitzvah based on an emerging understanding of gender fluidity and our respect for the need to continually refine our offerings so that all people feel seen and embraced by Jewish life. Moving Traditions was created with the understanding that Jewish people and practice will thrive as Judaism continues to evolve—as…
Objectives: By the end of the session, participants will be able to: Expand their idea of what prayer looks like. Consider the various reasons that people pray. Consider the idea that spirituality could be experienced through various activities or actions. Experiment with activities that could be expressions of prayer and spirituality.
Planning for Success: Inviting Grandparents: Provide families with advance notice so they can arrange for a grandparent to join the student at this session. Grandparents may participate in person or from a distance. Long-Distance Grandparent Participation: In advance, parents (yes, parents need to be involved with this step), along with their child can plan the…
Grandparent Participation: In this session, we invite each student to attend with a grandparent. Grandparents may join in person or from a distance (see below, Planning for Success: Inviting Grandparents). Facilitator’s Tip: If a student does not have a grandparent, they should invite an older relative or mentor to participate with them.
Updated 2025. Objectives: By the end of the session, participants will be able to: Discover that prayer is different things for different people. Identify reasons they might find prayer personally meaningful. Engage with others' ideas about prayer through dialogue, writing, movement, and/or art
Objectives: By the end of this session, the student will be able to. Explore the personal experiences and emotions that are connected to Jewish identity; Think critically about how antisemitism affects one’s Jewish identity and how it manifests in the wider world and in the Jewish world; Help preteens and teens to talk openly and…
Objectives: By the end of the session, the student will be able to. Reflect on the past year(s) including what they’ve learned and how they’ve changed; Consider the challenges they have faced over the past year of Study; Explore the concept of liminal spaces using the Israelites as an example
Objectives: By the end of this session, student will be able to: Consider that any story can be seen from various perspectives. Read Jewish texts. Understand that there is more than one way to understand a Jewish text. See that some voices are missing from Jewish texts. Express opinions and ask questions about various Jewish…
Objectives: By the end of this session, the student will: Learn about the history of b-mitzvah; Explore why someone would want to have a b-mitzvah; Explore what it means to ‘identify as Jewish’ Explore why they want to have a b-mitzvah and share those thoughts (with tutor and possibly with their parents as well)
A session for b-mitzvah students about the challenges of dressing up, performing, and being true to yourself. In this session, we ask the questions: What does it mean to be the center of attention? Why do some people like it and dislike it? Why do some people treat people of different genders differently in terms…
