Welcome to the Or Shalom B’Mitzvah Program!
We are so excited to have you!
This program is designed for students in 7th grade and/or pursuing a b’ mitzvah in the 2024-2025 academic year.
This program includes:
-
The twice-monthly B’ Mitzvah class with the B’ Mitzvah Educator, running September 2024 – May 2025
-
Three Havdalah Family Education sessions with Rabbi Faryn (5:30 - 8:00 pm)
-
3 student one-on-one sessions with Rabbi Faryn
-
Up to 3 family meetings with Rabbi Faryn to vision, plan, and rehearse the service
- Family attendance at at least 3 Friday evening Shabbat Services and 5 Saturday Morning Learning Service prior to your ceremony
Enrollment for 2024-2025 is now open!
The B'Mitzvah program is for 7th graders. You don’t need to be a member to have your child join this program.
For any programmatic questions, please contact Rabbi Faryn at rabbifaryn@orshalomsf.org. Please complete the enrollment form first before requesting financial aid.
In the B'Mitzvah Class, students will be:
- Engaging in general Jewish education focusing on Jewish identity formation during this rite of passage
- Studying each other’s Torah portions and helping to develop each others’ critical thinking
- Planning and executing a collective 7th grade Mitzvah Project
One-on-One with R’ Faryn, students will be:
- Studying their Torah portion and mining it for meaning
- Writing and editing their d’var Torah
- Writing and editing different mini-drashes students can give throughout their ceremony
In Family Education, families will be:
- Learn collectively about relevant Jewish topics to prepare the family for this rite-of-passage ceremony
In Family Meetings, families will be:
- Eating the third meal of Shabbat (Seudah Shlishit) together and marking havdalah (the end of Shabbat ritual) together
- Learning collectively about relevant Jewish topics to prepare the family for this rite of passage ceremony
In Family Meetings with R’ Faryn, families will be:
-
Meeting 1: Discussing an overview of the whole learning process and ceremony, beginning discussions about the Torah portion
-
Meeting 2: Designing and planning the service to meet both the student’s and family’s specific needs
-
Meeting 3: B’ Mitzvah Rehearsal/Run-Through
Tutoring
In addition to what is offered through our program, families are expected to find a tutor with whom your student can learn prayers and learn to read and chant their Torah portion (including how to decode the Torah’s musical system, called trope). Please reach out to R'Faryn for a list of recommended tutors. You are welcome to find your own tutor, as long as they are willing to work in collaboration with the Rabbi on your learning goals. Tutors set their own rates, and families pay the tutors directly.
At Or Shalom, we believe 16 1-hour sessions with a tutor is the appropriate length and number of sessions for students to feel prepared for their ceremonies, but we will allow the family and tutors collectively to determine the appropriate length and number of sessions for each student.
Cost of B’Mitzvah Program
The cost for the program is $3200 for members and $3700 for non-members, which includes both enrollment in the B'Mitzvah Program and all the special services provided to b’mitzvah students and families.
B'Mitzvah Program Calendar 5785 (2024-2025)
The B’ Mitzvah Class meets twice a month, September 2024 – May 2025, from 4:30 – 6:00 pm in Bernal Heights. Exact dates to be released soon!
