A 13 year old marks his or her B’nei Mitzvah—our tradition’s beautiful and meaningful coming of age—through a process of Jewish learning, volunteer action, and religious service. We are eager to speak to you about how children prepare for this milestone in their Jewish development.
Cantor Amanda Kleinman supervises B’nei Mitzvah at WRT and will be your first point of contact. She, along with clergy assistant Suzanne Saperstein, WRT’s B’nei Mitzvah Coordinator, will walk you through the process of enrollment in the Jewish Learning Lab, where Jewish and Hebrew studies combine in an innovative and engaging format. They will also share how each student is paired with a B’nei Mitzvah tutor in preparation for the big day, and how dates and WRT clergy officiants for the celebration are selected.
We want to make the process as smooth as possible, and, above all, one in which the lives of your child and loved ones are enriched and blessed.
The Jewish Learning Lab (JLL) is a comprehensive program that begins in Kindergarten and ends in 12th Grade. The curriculum provides the skills and tools to live a meaningful Jewish life and supports the mission of the JLL, “to kindle a lifelong love of Jewish learning and living in children and youth in the WRT community.”
Students must be enrolled by 3rd Grade to receive a preferred bar or bat mitzvah date, and to benefit from the core educational elements needed to have a successful and positive experience leading up to their bar or bat mitzvah. Students who do not attend the JLL before 3rd Grade will miss the opportunity for vital learning and community-building experiences that provide the foundation of Jewish learning in the upper grades.
Those who wish to join the JLL after 3rd Grade must first speak to the Director of the JLL to discuss any previous Jewish education their child may have. In such situations, the child may be required to take on additional learning elements, at the parent’s cost, in order to participate successfully in the JLL program.
For more information, please contact Cantor Amanda Kleinman and Suzanne Saperstein at (914) 723-7727 or suzanne.saperstein@wrtemple.org.