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Youth | Shule / Sunday School Bar/Bat Mitzvah
| The Graduation for the Zayin (7th grade) Class of 2010 took place on Saturday, June 5. Selected photos here. |
Our educational program culminates in a collective bar/bas mitzvah ceremony for the 7th grade class. Students spend the year exploring their own Jewish identity through class readings and discussion, field trips, social justice activities, and an individual research project. The moving ceremony is attended by extended family and friends, and is an important event in the fabric of our community.
The unique Workmen’s Circle Shule bar/bas mitzvah is a meaningful alternative to a more traditional approach. The focus of the year is on giving our 7th graders a chance to explore the many faces of Jewish identity and to deepen their understanding of the ethical foundation that is tied to Jewish history and progressive values.
Rather than individual ceremonies and parties, the children prepare a collective ceremony. Parents also engage as a shared effort, planning the communal celebration together. Each child selects a research project on a topic of his or her choice, producing a written, oral, and visual component. Projects are presented to the community in May, and the bar/bas mitzvah follows in June. The centerpiece of the ceremony is a personal statement that each child delivers about what it means to be Jewish. In a profound and moving coming-of-age ritual, each 13-year old articulates what it means to him/her to embrace this identity. It is a special day for the children, as well as for the many hundreds of family, friends, and members of the Workmen’s Circle community who attend.
Titles of projects from past years available here.
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