Seudat Mitzvah, the Festive Meal bring the spiritual weave of the service to the planning of your celebration.

Transcription

1 As we shape a warm and caring Kerem Shalom community, guided by Jewish values and traditional practice, the following are communal expectations for Bar and Bat Mitzvah students and families: As a Family: Tefillah, Prayer attend 6 services, Friday or Saturday, at Kerem Shalom during the year before your Bar or Bat Mitzvah. The more services you can attend prior to your own child s Bat or Bar Mitzvah the more familiar you will be B nei Mitzvah. Limmud, Learning as a family, participate in both sessions of the Bar/Bat Mitzvah Preparation Family Education Program (optional third session for interfaith families). Middot, Jewish Values after attending the Bar/Bat Mitzvah Preparation Family Education Program, choose up to 4 of the middot that were discussed. Practice these mitzvot as a family and check in regularly with each other about what you found challenging or rewarding. Tikkun Olam, Repairing the World make the world a better place by completing at least three Tikkun Olam projects or by doing 18 hours of Tikkun Olam on a single project. A list of suggestions is available online under Lifecycle Events: Bat/Bar Mitzvah. You may also choose from some of the ongoing activities presented at Mitzvah Day. During the 7 th grade year, there will be an opportunity to complete one project with your classmates. Seudat Mitzvah, the Festive Meal bring the spiritual weave of the service to the planning of your celebration. As an emerging Jewish adult: Talmud Torah, Study enroll in and complete 7 th grade at Kerem Shalom. Plan to continue your studies through Kerem Shalom s High School offerings in partnership with Congregation Beth Elohim in Acton. Service to your Kerem Shalom Community donate three or more hours of your time to Kerem Shalom, helping with babysitting, mailings, yard work or library work. One of these hours must be when school is not in session. Chevrah, Fellowship participate in KS s high school Just For Teens offerings for service, learning and fun. Continue and deepen your relationships with your community of peers at KS. Tzedakah, Righteous Giving parents should make a tzedakah donation in honor of their child. The Bar/Bat Mitzvah should donate a portion of his/her gifts to tzedakah. As a member of the Kerem Shalom Kehillah Kedoshah (community): Send a Bar/Bat Mitzvah invitation (or copy of an invitation) to your Hebrew school classmates. You may wish to invite them to the service and kiddush only and specify no gifts. Send a Bar/Bat Mitzvah invitation (or copy of an invitation) to members of the KS adult community. You may wish to invite them to the service and kiddush only and specify no gifts. Support your fellow B nai Mitzvah students by participating as a Helper Family at another s Bar/Bat Mitzvah. (You will be contacted to choose a date.)

2 Tefillah, Prayer Attend 6 services, Friday or Saturday, at Kerem Shalom during the year before your Bar or Bat Mitzvah. The more services you can attend prior to your own child s Bar or Bat Mitzvah the more familiar you will be with B nei Mitzvah. Use the space provided to record your experiences (your comfort level, what really resonated with you and what concerned or confused you?, similarities and differences, and any questions you may have for Rabbi Darby and/or other KS staff & educators Support fellow B nei Mitzvah families by serving twice as a Helper Family at another s Bat or Bar Mitzvah service and Kiddush at Kerem Shalom. You will partner with another helper family. Record your reflections in the spaces provided. 1) During 6 th grade our family and the 7 th grade family helped on. 2) During 7 th grade our family and the 6 th grade family helped on.

3 Limud, Learning As a family, attend both sessions of the Bar/Bat Mitzvah Preparation Family Education Program (optional third session for interfaith families) In this space write your thoughts about each workshop. What did you learn at these workshops? How did it change how you think about Bar/Bat Mitzvah?

4 Middot, Jewish Values After attending the first Bar/Bat Mitzvah Preparation Family Education Program, choose one or more of the middot (Jewish values) that you identified with your child as a value you already embrace as a family. We encourage you to carry in your consciousness the Jewish wisdom behind the value(s) you hold dear, as they manifest, and use the space below for your reflections. Having learned that ancient Jewish sources prescribe these values for ethical living, check in regularly as a family about whether, or how, seeing this value through a Jewish lens impacts your perspective. Does it change the way you feel about your practice? In what ways is it more challenging? In what ways is it more rewarding? Middot/Value What we do How it feels

5 Tikun Olam, Repairing the World Combine WHAT YOU LOVE + WHAT YOU RE GOOD AT with MAKING THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE. Complete at least three small community service projects, or spend 18 hours (recommended) on one big project. Serving the community can mean improving the life of even ONE person or animal. Here are some suggestions: Pet-sit or foster a pet for the Nature Connection, clear nature trails with Concord s DNR. Teach an adult or senior how to program cell phones or use computers, , or help them with chores or gardening. Help a younger child or peer with academics or athletic skills. Run a sports clinic to teach others a skill or have a kick-a-thon to raise awareness and funds for a cause. Visit weekly with someone who is in the hospital, home-bound or someone who you sense is lonely. Babysit or do yard work and donate some / all of your pay to a cause or to purchase goods to donate to a cause. Collect goods for organizations that distribute the food/ equipment/ books/ money etc. Make or bake anything you enjoy creating, and sell the items here at KS, at school or in your neighborhood to raise money for a cause you are passionate about. Serve dinner or stock the food pantry at Open Table or JF&CS, volunteer at HGRM, give recitals at local assisted living facilities. My project(s) and reflections: We ll brainstorm at the Bar/Bat Mitzvah Preparation programs. More ideas are listed at under worship/lifecycle events/ Bat/Bar mitzvah. You may also choose from some of the ongoing activities presented at Mitzvah Day.

6 Seudat Mitzvah, the Festive Meal In addition to the party or celebration, what are some ways you and your family can make your Bar or Bat Mitzvah special and spiritually meaningful? Kerem Shalom offers beautiful, Fair Trade kippot for the Shabbat service, an environmentally friendly silk flower arrangement for your simcha that you may use with a donation to JF&CS. If you are hosting a seated party, we have table numbers for a donation to tzedakah of your choice. We are eager to brainstorm with you about creative centerpieces for Tikkun Olam and ideas for party favors that support a myriad of causes. OR As a Bat or Bar Mitzvah what does it mean for you to take your place in Jewish history, joining those who have been called to the Torah in years past, and who will be called as B'nai Mitzvah in the future? My reflections:

7 Service to your Kerem Shalom Community קהלה השׁקד Kehillah Kedoshah Donate three or more hours of time to Kerem Shalom, helping with babysitting, mailings, yard work or library work Chevrah, circle of friends Participate in Kerem Shalom s high school offerings. I participated on: (include your reflections if you wish)

8 Tzedakah, righteous giving My parents made a tzedakah donation in my honor. My family donated to one or more of KS s funds (i.e., Rabbi s Discretionary Fund, Education, Adult Ed, Family Ed, Social Action, Children s or Adult Library, Music, Yad B Yad [care and support committee]) I donated a portion of my gifts to tzedakah. I sent a Bar/Bat Mitzvah invitation (or copy of an invitation) to my classmates. (I may wish to invite them to the service and kiddush only and specify no gifts.) I sent a Bar/Bat Mitzvah invitation (or copy of an invitation) to members of the Kerem Shalom adult community. (I may wish to invite them to the service and kiddush only and specify no gifts) Talmud Torah, study I m enrolled in and will complete 7 th grade at Kerem Shalom. I plan to continue my studies and involvement through Kerem Shalom s high school offerings and youth programming after 7 th grade.

9 Holocaust Remember, Reflect and be an Upstander. We encourage you and your family to participate in Remember-Us.org. This organization enables B nei Mitzvah students to twin with children of the Shoah. Your participation honors the memory of a child who perished before arriving at the age of Bat or Bar Mitzvah, while enfolding his/her story into your own family s story. Some families have purchased Yahrtzeit (memorial) plaques to honor the memory of these children. To purchase a plaque go to under Remembrance. Here is the link for an order form: In the space below record your reflections on class sessions at KS about the Holocaust: films, testimonies, discussions, journaling and poetry readings and group assignments. We encourage you to process your feelings with your parents.