Timeline
At Rodeph Sholom, our B’nai Mitzvah experience is a multi-year process of growth and leadership. It is important to us that our students and families feel connected to the CRS community and are involved in the experience at every step of their B’nai Mitzvah journey. We instituted single-family B’nai Mitzvah services, giving every student a personalized process and an opportunity to express their learning and leadership according to their own strengths and passions.
3–4 YEARS PRIOR
The sacred journey begins with other parents and clergy with a series of study sessions and inspirational experiences.
2 YEARS PRIOR
Continue your sacred journey as a family in your child’s age cohort, exploring themes of community and narrative.
1 YEAR PRIOR
You and your child learn to apply techniques to ensure spiritual and personal growth and impact the world through social justice experiences.
8 MONTHS PRIOR
Families have an Initial Meeting with one of the cantors to outline the B’nai Mitzvah service training process, and then student begins twenty-minute weekly lessons with a tutor.
3 MONTHS PRIOR
You and your child now are guided through the next steps to take to reach your milestone through an individual study session with a clergy member to begin their D’var Torah (speech).
2 MONTHS PRIOR
The student transitions to twenty-minute weekly lessons with the cantor.
1 MONTH PRIOR
As you near your simcha (celebration), families meet with officiating clergy, so your child can feel confident on the bimah.
THE WEEK OF
Students have the chance to rehearse for their service on the bimah with the support of family and officiating clergy.
BEYOND B'NAI MITZVAH ›
We envision that all our B’nai Mitzvah continue their learning and growth through CRS Teen Programming which has something interesting for every teen.
