We are proud of our Shul’s Bnei Mitzvah programme and of the achievements of all our participants. This year has been the largest group yet, with about 25 participants taking part in our monthly workshops and learning sessions.
Here is a little preview from the current year:
We began the year with a twinning project with Yad Vashem, and were privileged to hear from Mala Tribich MBE as she spoke about her experiences reaching adolescence during the holocaust. Each of our Bnei Mitzvah participants had the opportunity to ‘twin’ with a child who never made it to their Bar or Bat Mitzvah, and to become a guardian of that child’s memory. This was an incredibly powerful workshop.
October’s session saw a mental health and wellbeing workshop, partnered with the JAMI charity, and November saw us creating Chanukah cards for elderly members of our community. Each participant and a parent were also given the option of becoming a phone pal with an older community member.
December saw a Sofer – a Jewish scribe – come and show us his trade. We had a close look at Tefillin, Mezuzot and a Sefer Torah, and learned about these mitzvot and how each one is made.
January and February saw us team up with the charity GIFT -first in a wildly fun Supermarket Challenge at Tesco, and then at the warehouse in Hendon making up packages to be sent out to families in needs. The team packed 300 bags in total to be sent around London. March’s workshop is a visit to our local mikvah in Southgate to learn about this mitzvah that has been a bastion of the Jewish community through the ages.
Still to come is an Israel workshop, a challah-making event and a Friday Night Dinner cooked and enjoyed by the group. Barnet’s Bnei Mitzvah programme is definitely a resounding success and a great way to prime for a simcha. Our shul can be really proud of the year 7’s and 8’s who have been taking part – Mazeltov!
To find out about joining please contact the office