B’Nei Mitzvah: Grades 6-8

Details about B’nei Mitzvah coming soon!

Locations in Dunwoody and Old Fourth Ward

A two year program for Middle Schoolers at JKG Sunday

To give you a little background… A Bar/Bat Mitzvah is what every Jewish child becomes when they turn 13. The modern Jewish tradition of being called to read Torah is just that: a modern tradition, not rooted in ancient Jewish history. So, this wonderful milestone should be celebrated in a way that is meaningful for your family.

We did tons of research and learned that JKG families want:

• to celebrate their child becoming a Bar or Bat Mitzvah

• a customized and personalized experience

• a curriculum rich with Hebrew learning, Jewish values, and community service

• a once-a-week program that works with their busy schedules

• Jewish friends and social networks for their children

So we designed a two-year program of learning and exploration that culminates in a collaborative coming-of-age experience – a group B’nei Mitzvah event. This will be a chance for our students to share their learning, and their joyful, tightly-knit community, with friends and family at the end of their 7th/8th grade year. It won’t be a synagogue service with Torah-reading, but it will be a totally unique and highly personalized experience.

At JKG, your child will enjoy the benefits of both being part of a close-knit cohort of peers, and learning in a way that’s tailored to his/her interests. Students will learn the JKG way: experientially and with his/her peers. They will get out of their seats, move around, and get their hands dirty.  They will learn through art, cooking, collaborative projects, and community service experiences. And yes, they will have a ton of fun!

Our experiential approach makes this learning appealing and applicable to their lives. The curriculum includes:

• Learning about Jewish values and ethics

• Loads of community service opportunities (details below)

• Completing a personal interest project (details below)

• Celebrating Jewish holidays, traditions and history

• Improving Hebrew reading proficiency

• Reciting select core prayers and blessings in a meaningful way

In partnership with JKG staff, students will also identify a personal interest project that connects with a Jewish theme, create a project timeline, and develop a way to share their learning. For example, a student might choose to:

• Explore a specific time period in Jewish history

• Discover and unpack their own family ancestry

• Engage with Jewish organizations that speak to them

• Analyze a Torah story and examine its commentary

For instance, if your child chooses to discover and unpack their own family ancestry, they may conduct interviews with family members, read a specific book, and  research the geographic region of their ancestors. This learning will culminate in a personal presentation: perhaps a homemade video, or a photo-album/timeline, or a family website. The possibilities are endless (which is perfect because we want each student to find a topic and presentation mode that will be meaningful to them)!

Each year, we will help our students and families build Jewish friendships both inside and outside of the classroom, including:

• Shabbat potluck dinners, hosted by JKG families, to build community and connect middle school families to one another

• Community service opportunities that explore the Jewish community during JKG Sunday hours. For example, students may:

  • Learn about and engage with one of Atlanta’s cool Jewish start-ups; for example, go behind the scenes at the Atlanta Jewish Music Festival and volunteer at their annual spring festival

  • Volunteer at an animal shelter and connect the experience and learning to Tza’ar Ba’alei Chayim, or the ethical treatment of animals in Judaism

  • Take care of other Jews in our community. For example, spend the day with residents at the Jewish elderly home. You never knew how fun Mah Jongg could be!

We know how busy your life is! JKG meets on 26 Sunday mornings during the 6th and 7th grade school years. We do ask that 2nd year students commit 1-2 hours per week outside of JKG to work on their Personal Interest Projects.

Pre-Register (NO FEE)

Complete this form to be the first to know when B’nei Mitzvah registration opens for the 2020-21 school year.

Tuition

The JKG B’nei Mitzvah program costs $235 per month over 10 months, which includes the entire cost of the program plus the B’nei Mitzvah ceremony at the end of the second year.

Registration Fee

Upon enrollment, families will pay a non-refundable registration fee for each student. Sign up early to save!

• July 1-July 31: $100/child

• August 1 onward: $125/child

No. JKG is designed for families that do not belong to synagogues as well as families who do.

We do not teach our students to read from the Torah. However, students can choose to focus on Torah learning for their Personal Interest Project and present their learning at the B'nei Mitzvah celebration.

If you envision an individual Bar/Bat Mitzvah where your child reads from the Torah in front of a congregation, we can help you find the right synagogue for your family. The JKG Group B'nei Mitzvah can also be a unique addition to a traditional Bar or Bat Mitzvah.

Send them our way by e-mailing sunday@jewishkidsgroups.com.