A Message for B’nai/B’rit Mitzvah Students

Shalom and mazel tov!

The essence of the B’nai/B’rit Mitzvah experience is sacred responsibility. As children begin this passage into Jewish adulthood, they officially accept responsibility for the mitzvot, or Jewish commandments. As your Jewish community, we are responsible for making sure that our newest adult members are welcomed with a sense of joy and seriousness, of deep meaning and holiness.

At JRC it is our goal to ensure that the B’nai/B’rit Mitzvah process is a meaningful one and that your entire family will be nourished by this sacred journey. In our Reconstructionist community, we feel strongly that each family participates actively in a ritual experience that is personally meaningful and grounded in our ancient tradition.

We know that there will be many details for you to consider during the coming months. We hope that you will regard the preparation as an integral part of this sacred rite of passage. A Bar, Bat, or B’rit Mitzvah is nothing without a Jewish communal context, and, as your community, we all want to help and support you any way we can. Please do not hesitate to call us at any time with questions or comments.

We wish you a sincere and heartfelt mazel tov, and look forward to working together with you during this very special time.

B’Shalom,

Rabbi Rachel Weiss

Cantor Howard Friedland