This is a survey about what is out there for learning programs for Bnei Mitzvah. Most of the learning programs are geared towards bat mitzvah but some of the programs below are also for bar mitzvah. Do you have a program that isn't there? Please share in the comments below. Matan Bat Mitzvah Program This is probably the oldest of the programs. Matan h ...
Kesher Tefillin Creating Hands on Holiness in Daily Life
We are grateful to Rabbi Noah Greenberg for his guest post about Kesher Tefillin as part of this years Mitzvot Unplugged. Educators and parents are constantly striving to energize the bar/bat mitzvah experience. To give the budding Jew a Jewish purpose. Participating in Kesher Tefillin is transformative for its participants. It is a rich and powerfu ...
What do you do at a Bat Mitzvah Anyway?
This years Mitzvot Unplugged relates to Bar and Bat Mitzvah. I am taking the opportunity to discuss more general issues as well. “What do you do at a Bat Mitzvah anyway?” That is the question that my daughter asked me recently. We had been invited to two Bat Mitzvah celebrations that day. As my daughter is approaching the traditional age of accepting ...
Comics to Teach Jewish Values
We have touched on the use of comics to teach Jewish values in Mitzvot Unplugged posts in the past. Aartist Isaac Brynjegard-Bialik uses comic books in his papercuts and in his workshops. Flora Rosefsky’s mentoree, Adam, created a Purim costume for a super hero, and we talked about one of my favorite comic books about Rabbi Arye Levin in another post. ...
A Letter to A Soldier
For Mitzvot Unplugged I wanted to include this letter to a soldier activity I put together for my daughter's English class. We have been blessed to have family come over the years to Israel for a “gap year”. In the last year or two we had a cousin learning in Kerem B’Yavneh and were lucky enough to have him and his friends as visitors. First I have ...
Kriyat HaTorah Course
To kick off the Mitzvot Unplugged Series, I wanted to share news about Web Yeshiva's Kriyat HaTorah course. Online learning is still a creative way of teaching our children Jewish values. We have written about other online courses before with JConnect, and this course from Web Yeshiva is useful for preteens and teens. Course: Kriyat HaTorah Technique – ...
Seeking Submissions For Our Annual Mitzvot Unplugged
We are seeking submissions for our annual Mitzvot Unplugged Series. The Mitzvot Unplugged series came about as a way to think about inspiring my own kids in doing mitzvot. Besides role modeling and focusing on learning and doing, I wanted to share creative ways of inspiring towards Jewish values. I wanted a way to think about my own parenting and l ...
Jewish Youth Group as a Mitzvot Builder
As part of this years Mitzvot Unplugged, I wanted to talk about a classic method of teaching kids mitzvot creatively, the Jewish youth group. As you may know, Birkat Chaverim was started to support Bnei Akiva of North America through the sale of birkonim for family celebrations. I grew up in Bnei Akiva and was also a madricha or counsellor. I also atte ...
Bat Mitzvah Project Idea: Lego Museum
I love this contribution by Yonit Rothner, about the Lego Museum she created for her Bat Mitzvah, for Mitzvot Unplugged. Yonit's father, Daniel is the director of Areyvut, which he contributed a piece about Areyvut's Mitzvah Clowning Program for Mitzvot Unplugged two years ago. Daniel wrote the following: "The Lego Museum was the vision of my daughte ...
The Mitzvah in Bar and Bat Mitzvah
We are happy to have a guest post by Marcia Goldlist as part of Mitzvot Unplugged, discussing using her Bible in Rhyme series as a way of teaching Bar and Bat Mitzvah. A common question asked of b’nai mitzva is, “What are you doing for your bar/bat mitzva?” Everyone knows that what people really mean is “What kind of party are you having?”. But, ...