B’nai Mitzvah Family Adventure August 20, 2007

For children (and their families) having their bar/bat mitzvah between September 2007 and June 2009.

The B’nai Mitzvah Family Adventure (BMFA) seeks to rekindle the potency of the bar/bat mitzvah ritual as a rite of passage for adolescent Jews and their families. The program is not a practical Bar/Bat Mitzvah preparatory course but a spiritual journey for the entire family to develop a deeper, more personal relationship to Judaism. Through an intensive week of programs for both teens and parents, BMFA will foster a child’s spiritual maturation during a critical time of development while helping families grow together through the shared experience of Judaism.

Teens will have the opportunity to:
- Deepen their understanding of bar/bat mitzvah as a rite of passage and many of the traditional components of the ritual.
- Explore their changing role(s) as they enter adolescence.
- Challenge themselves to push beyond their comfort zones physically and emotionally, socially and spiritually as individuals and as a group.
- Complete one or two creative projects that reflect their values through a Jewish lens.

Adults will have the opportunity to:
- Become familiar with the options available to them in designing the form and content of the ritual (when applicable).
- Receive practical support in planning their ritual (where applicable).
- Clarify their feelings around this developmental stage and explore how to best support their teen while making the experience meaningful for them (parents).
- Have the opportunity to explore their changing role(s) as their children enter adolescence.

Official Website: http://isabellafreedman.org/bnaimitzvah/