Yes, you can. Please keep in mind the different schedules for the Bar and the Bat mitzvah programs when you register. Please register and pay for each child separately to avoid confusion.

As long as the time works for you and your child, we are happy to have you! Choose the class that works best for your schedule and join through the link that will be provided to you before the beginning of the course.

YES! The Worldwide Bar and Bat Mitzvah Program is for anyone who wants to take part in a Jewish learning experience in an inclusive and safe space. We have families who identify as Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, Reconstructionist or unaffiliated. We focus on skills for Jewish teens and learning about Jewish History and our heritage. We welcome you all and look forward to meeting you!

The Worldwide Bar & Bat Mitzvah is THE gift you give your child and yourself to build that special bond between the two of you, and help guide you both through your child’s journey on becoming a successful, contributing member of society.

When your child has completed the classes, expect them to come out: 

• Feeling more prepared for the real world
• Invigorated and excited about their Jewish roots
• Confident in who they are 
• Aware of their strengths and abilities
• More connected to their Parents and siblings 
• Enthusiastic about their new outlook on life
• Eager to use the skills they learned with the program

Yes! In order to include families from around the globe, we are proud to have created the Worldwide Bar and Bat Mitzvah Program! Learning online allows us to connect to Jewish teens from all over the world one hour a week.

Bar Mitzvah Classes

Every session begins with an exciting lightning  round review of what we learned in all the previous sessions, followed by a lightning round of general Jewish knowledge called, “Stuff All BM Boys Need to Know” and a competitive online “Kahoot” game show, where the winners take home prizes and amazon gift cards. This is an exciting way to keep the kids engaged and focused on the material we cover each class.

Session 1: The Father Son Bond & Making Decisions Based on Thought, Not Impulse: This session opens with a letter writing activity between fathers and sons, where the fathers and sons each write a letter to each other expressing all the heartfelt things they want to say but  don’t often  express. They  seal the envelopes and  exchange  them, to be opened just before their actual Bar Mitzvah. (or wedding  day!). We then cover the definition of what it means to be “Bar Mitzvah”, and explain  the importance of beginning to take responsibility for our actions. This is followed by the first of the 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens: Learning to be proactive and not reactive in life, where we teach the boys the skill of how to make decisions based on thought and not impulse.

Session 2: Learning to Be Goal Oriented & Thinking Ahead Before Acting: In session 2 the boys learn the skill of how to begin with the end in mind. Meaning, know your end goals in life. Know where you want to end up before you start; whether you’re choosing friends, choosing schools, or playing sports, we need to know what the goal is. We repeat the mantra, “if you don’t know where you’re going, any road will get you there! People often live life with regrets at the end, because they didn’t think things through at the beginning. We transition from knowing your goals to knowing yourself and your strengths. We go through a beautiful exercise called the “3 Circles”, where each boy lists his strengths to the best of his ability, while Dad has to remain silent. After the boys complete their exercise Dad now reviews the list and adds all the strengths that their boys weren’t aware of.

Session 3: Time Management and Learning to Prioritize: We open session 3 with a discussion about “What is the most important thing in your life?” And the final answer is???? Your Time! In this session the boys learn the important skill of time management, and how to use their time wisely. They learn how to get the most important things done first. Based on the time management book “Eat That Frog” the boys learn  to prioritize their tasks by the most difficult one’s first. They get a chance to practice re-ordering their homework, fortnite, hockey, studying for tests in the most  effective order. We also learn that part of time management is the important skill of learning to ‘just say NO’ to things we shouldn’t be doing. We practice exercising self-control. The boys make a list of all the things that are important in life to use their time for, including health, school, family, and friends. But, we always add  “Judaism” to the list. We explain how for thousands of  generations our ancestors were willing to fight for their lives to  stand up for  what it means to be a Jew. We read a story about the world renowned psychologist and author Elie Wisel who risked his life to wear tefillin in Auschwitz, and we end with the question of why he would do this? (to  be  continued next session).

Session 4: What’s the Deal With the Black Boxes and Leather?? Session 4 picks up with the question  we left off with in session 3, why would the world renowned psychologist and author Elie Wisel, risk his life in Auschwitz to put black boxes on his head? We delve into the importance of what it means to be a Jew, why we cover our eyes when we say  Shema, and what role Tefillin plays in our lives. In this session we present the world renowned 40-Day Tefillin challenge.

Session 5: Effective Communication & Listening Skills: In session 5 the boys (and dads!) learn the most important skill of communication: Good Listening! We ask the boys which part of our body we listen with? And of course, everyone says “ears!”.  But in session 5 we learn all about active listening skills and the boys learn that effective listening includes  eye contact, body language, and verbal mirroring. The dads and their boys do a fun activity where they all practice taking turns being the speakers and listeners for each other.

Session 6: Kindness, Empathy & Homelessness: In sessions 6 the boys gain an awareness on poverty in our communities, and learn the important skill of developing empathy. We have an introduction to the importance of kindness followed by a special guest speaker from Ve’Ahavta: the Jewish mobile response to homelessness. Our guest speaker is a person with lived experience, who was homeless herself for years before rebuilding her life. She shares her experience and the group shares in a hands on activity of making blankets. 

Session 7: Conflict Resolution & Synergy: In session 7 we tackle Habit 7, where the boys learn the important skill of conflict resolution. The boys learn skills on how to work better  with other people, and how to work in a team. We focus on the challenge of how to resolve the issue when someone’s opinion is different than yours (eg. Parents say bedtime is 10PM, and you say 1AM). In this session we also explore what it means to be a Jew, and how as Jews we are really one family, and by knowing someone is on your team, even if they have a different opinion helps to reconcile conflict.

Session 8: Sharpen The Saw: In Session 8 we cover the last of the 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens, and the boys learn the importance and skills of self-care. In this session we start off discussing the idea  of looking good vs. feeling good, and the general importance of taking care of ourselves. We talk  about how we are only productive when we  are healthy. We then discuss more sensitive issues that boys will come across as they become teens (including, smoking, drugs, pornography) and their dangers to our health. Most importantly, to talk to your parents when these issues arise.

Session 9: Israel: Session 9 is all about our homeland and holyland: Israel! What makes this tiny land in the middle-east one of the most talked about places on earth? What’s our history and connection to this land? And what important role does it play in our lives today?

Session 10: Graduation, But Not Goodbye

Yes! Our program invites all young adults Bar or Bat Mitzvah age to participate. Please choose the program based on your child’s gender. Sons should choose the Bar Mitzvah Program, while daughters choose the Bat Mitzvah Program, and make sure that whomever will accompany your child can be there consistently through the entire 10 week program. For any other more specific questions regarding which of the two programs to choose, please contact us at info@worldwidebarbat.com