B'nei Mitzvah Prep Workshop #1

We took a break from our Edot studies (as did Shira and Y'tzira tracks), to come together for a fun and information-packed meeting in the Social Hall yesterday morning. Fifth grade families came first session; sixth grade families came second session. During each session, important information relating to preparing for upcoming Bar and Bat Mitzvah ceremonies was shared and, very importantly, families in each grade level had a chance to get to know each other better.

The focus of the fifth grade session was on the Torah, as well as on introducing the checklist and timeline for preparing each student for their Bar/Bat Mitzvah, and getting information about choosing a date for the special event. While Cantor Korn met with the parents in the Social Hall, all the students and teachers followed Rabbi Miller into the Oneg Room for a very special event we call "Torah Olympics." All the games in these "Olympics" were related to people and events in the Books of Genesis and Exodus, and proved to be a fun way to review what the children had learned in their 3rd and 4th grade Torah studies.

Rabbi Miller introducing the Torah Olympics to the fifth graders, and the purpose behind the games

Students were divided into four groups

Abraham journeyed from Ur to Haran and then to Canaan. So, of course, the first event was the "Lech Lecha" race (that's the portion of the Torah where God tells Abraham to follow Him to a Land that He would show him. I suspect Abraham never moved as fast as our fifth graders did!).

Sarah was the only Matriarch to have a portion of the Torah named after her. She lived to be 127 years old. The second event asked the teams to perform 127 jumping jacks - first team to finish would win the event. (It was a draw - the teams completed the event in just 12 seconds!)

When Abraham's servant, Eliezer, was sent to find a wife for his son Isaac, Eliezer chose Rebecca because she took the time to carry water to his thirsty camels. So naturally, our third event was a wheelbarrow race (though I doubt Rebecca carried the water in a wheelbarrow!).

A final race related to the dream Jacob had as he slept in Bethel. He saw angels climbing up and down a ladder, so we held a "Ladder Relay" race. A ball was passed in each group over the head of one student, under the legs of the next, etc. to the end of the line. The ball was passed so quickly that I couldn't get a good shot of it. Needless to say, the students had a lot of fun with that event!

The final event of the Torah Olympics related to the Book of Exodus. Rabbi Miller asked a series of multiple choice questions about events and personalities in the Book, and each group wrote down its answer. I'm happy to report that every group answered all the questions correctly!

After the Torah Olympics were over, it was time to rejoin the parents in the Social Hall for an informative and fun activity called "The World's Shortest Torah Scavenger Hunt." Each year, the Women of Isaiah gift an abridged version of the Torah (in book form) to each fifth grader; the books are distributed at this point in the workshop. Unfortunately, the books didn't arrive in time, so we handed out copies we had left over from last year, as well as other print versions of the Torah to the families, to use for the scavenger hunt. It's a fun activity to help parents and students learn to find Torah references using the book:chapter:verse tool. Below are some shots I took during this activity.

Rabbi Greninger introducing the scavenger hunt activity and showing the book version of the Torah which each fifth grader will receive as soon as the books arrive.

Taking a first look at the book which will be used (hopefully) to prepare for the Bar Mitzvah ceremony

Josh handing out Torah books for the activity

Very quickly, the workshop was over, and it was time for the families to join us in tefillah in the Sanctuary. Sixth graders joined us in tefillah, while their parents joined Rabbi Miller in the Social Hall. It was during this half hour that sixth grade parents had a chance to get to know each other as they schmoozed over bagels and coffee, and participated in "mixer" activities under Rabbi Miller's direction, to help them learn about each other's backgrounds and interests.

After tefillah, the teachers and sixth graders joined the parents in the Social Hall. This first sixth grade workshop focused on the meaning and significance of the Bar/Bat Mitzvah ritual in our 21st century lives. First, Rabbi Miller conducted a poll, asking parents and students to text answers to a number she gave them, to three questions she asked: (1) What characteristics do you look for in adults you respect?  (2) How is being a teenager different from being an adult? and (3) Why is it important to mark Bar/Bat Mitzvah at age 13? The answers were projected onto a screen as they popped up on her cellphone.

Parents and children were then asked to interview each other, and then to interview one other parent and student, writing answers to the interview questions on worksheets. Student questions asked the parents to recall their own coming of age ceremonies (if any) and how they felt when they were 13 years old. They were also asked why the ceremony is so important to them and why they feel that belonging to Temple Isaiah is important. Parent questions to the students asked how being in middle school is different from elementary school, and why they feel it's important to have the coming of age ceremony at Temple Isaiah during a prayer service. Answers to both interviews were shared with the whole group, after which the history and meaning of the ceremony in traditional Judaism were shared.

Morrie interviewing his Dad

Jenna and her Dad catching me photographing them

Lauren with her Mom and Dad

Jennifer and her Mom

Ethan and his parents

Zoe and Camille with their Dad

Sydney and her parents, with Mackenzie and her Mom (not in the photo)

We then broke into groups - parents stayed in the Social Hall to learn about the importance of community building and how to become more involved with our Isaiah community, as well as how to prepare for "creative B'nai Mitzvah" by attending lessons about the content and structure of the prayer service, and by  attending prayer services. They were also informed about specific administrative details relating to preparing for the special day.

Meanwhile, students and teachers moved to the Oneg Room, to play games that would help them get to know each other better, as well as to review material we had discussed during the first part of the workshop.
Students divided into groups of varying numbers, depending upon the question posed to them by Erin, our Shira teacher. For example, God created the world in six days, and on the seventh day God rested. On which of these days will you be celebrating your Bar/Bat Mitzvah?  The answer is "on the seventh day." So students were asked to divide into groups of seven. They were then asked to form the three Hebrew letters in the word "Shabbat," using their bodies. It was a fun way to end the workshop!

That's a pretty good SHIN!

And a very impressive BET (notice Jason rolled up as a dagesh - the dot inside of the vet letter)!

OK - I'm not quite sure which letter this is or is in the process of becoming, but they're having a lot of fun forming it!

I HOPE I'LL SEE YOU AT OUR SECOND B'NAI MITZVAH PREP WORKSHOP ON SATURDAY, DECEMBER 6th FOR SIXTH GRADE FAMILIES, AND SUNDAY, DECEMBER 7th FOR FIFTH GRADE FAMILIES. STAY TUNED FOR DETAILS CLOSER TO THOSE DATES.