The leading thinkers in Jewish education today analyze current practices, reflect on the social and psychological aspects of Bar/Bat Mitzvah, provide examples of programs to replicate, address concerns of those with special needs, outline creative family education opportunities and successful mitzvah programs, and provide strategies for teaching trope. Fifty chapters written by cantors, rabbis, directors of education, and scholars. Results of a survey of Bar/Bat Mitzvah educators included.
How to manage the process with grace, joy and good sense. A practical guide that gives parents and teens the "how-to" information they need to navigate the bar/bat mitzvah process and grow as a family through this experience. For the first time in one book, everyone directly involved offers practical insights into how the process can be made easier and more enjoyable for all. Rabbis, cantors and Jewish educators from the Reform, Conservative and Reconstructionist movements, parents, and even teens speak from their own experience. - What's it all about? - Preparation for Parent and Child - Tutoring, stress, expectations, enjoyment, planning for children with special needs - Negotiating the ceremony and celebration - Designing a creative service, heightening the spiritual exercise, special issues related to divorced and interfaith families, planning a party that neither breaks the bank nor detracts from the inherent spirituality of the event.
This is the sourcebook for families of any Jewish denomination who are interested in celebrating a bar or bat mitzvah in Israel. It provides a good picture of the sites available and the options at each location.
A practical and friendly guide for students and parents -- a guide that focuses on both the service and the reception, incorporating the experiences and rituals of families from all traditions.
With diverse and robust voices, women are reclaiming their place at the seder table. This complete sourcebook and guide shows you how to do it, too. For the first time, contemporary Jewish women's writings on the Passover seder are gathered in one comprehensive and compelling sourcebook—an unprecedented and powerful resource for those planning a women’s seder and those seeking to infuse their Passover celebration with the creative and courageous voices of Jewish women. Arranged according to the order of the seder, this practical guide gathers the voices of more than one hundred women in readings, personal and creative reflections, commentaries, blessings and ritual suggestions that can be incorporated into your Passover celebration as supplements to or substitutes for traditional passages of the haggadah. It also includes a detailed guide to planning a women’s seder, based on information from successful seder organizers around the world. Whether you are organizing a women’s seder in your community or planning a family seder in your home, this inspiring and accessible resource will help you take an active role in re-creating the educational and spiritual experience of Passover—and in shaping Judaism’s future. Contributors include: Dr. Rachel Adler • Dr. Rebecca T. Alpert • Rabbi Renni S. Altman • Zoe Baird Dr. Evelyn Torton Beck • Susan Berrin • Senator Barbara Boxer • Dr. Esther Broner Rabbi Nina Beth Cardin • Tamara Cohen • Anita Diamant • Dr. Carol Diament Rabbi Sue Levi Elwell, PhD • Eve Ensler • Dr. Marcia Falk • Merle Feld Rabbi Susan P. Fendrick • Rabbi Tirzah Firestone • Dr. Ellen Frankel • Nan Fink Gefen Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg • Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb • Dr. Susannah Heschel Rabbi Karyn D. Kedar • Rabbi Naamah Kelman • Naomi Klein • Irena Klepfisz Maxine Kumin • Rabbi Noa Rachel Kushner • Rabbi Joy Levitt • Hadassah Lieberman Ruth W. Messinger • Dr. Faye Moskowitz • Joan Nathan • Dr. Alicia Suskin Ostriker Dr. Judith Plaskow • Marge Piercy • Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen • Anne Roiphe Danya Ruttenberg • Rabbi Sandy Eisenberg Sasso • The Honorable Jan Schakowsky Rabbi Susan Schnur • Rabbi Susan Silverman • Dr. Ellen M. Umansky Rabbi Sheila Peltz Weinberg • Dr. Chava Weissler • Cantor Lorel Zar-Kessler
How to manage the process with grace, joy and good sense. A practical guide that gives parents and teens the "how-to" information they need to navigate the bar/bat mitzvah process and grow as a family through this experience. For the first time in one book, everyone directly involved offers practical insights into how the process can be made easier and more enjoyable for all. Rabbis, cantors and Jewish educators from the Reform, Conservative and Reconstructionist movements, parents, and even teens speak from their own experience. • What's it all about? • Preparation for Parent and Child • Tutoring, stress, expectations, enjoyment, planning for children with special needs • Negotiating the ceremony and celebration • Designing a creative service, heightening the spiritual exercise, special issues related to divorced and interfaith families, planning a party that neither breaks the bank nor detracts from the inherent spirituality of the event.
If your marriage must come to an end, do it the right way--with wisdom, practicality and understanding. What does Judaism tell you about divorce? What guidance, strength and insight can Judaism provide? In this first-of-its-kind handbook, Perry Netter--divorcé, father, congregational rabbi and pastoral counselor--shows how wholeness can be found in the midst of separation and divorce. With a title drawn from the words of the eleventh-century biblical commentator known as Rashi, Divorce Is a Mitzvah provides practical wisdom, information and strength from a Jewish perspective for those experiencing the challenging life-transition of divorce. Drawing on wisdom from centuries of biblical and rabbinic teachings, as well as modern psychological research, Netter offers suggestions for transitioning through the stages of separation and building a new life. This indispensable guide for people in crisis--and the family members, friends and counselors who interact with them--shows us how to transform a traumatic time of life into one of growth, right behavior and greater spiritual understanding.
Background information on every stage of life; covers every Jewish life cycle event from birth to death; insights from Jewish tradition; hundreds of creative activities for all ages.
How can my congregation become more vital? How can we both honor the past and embrace the future? "[The Self-Renewing Congregation] calls for 'renewal'...from within, not without--a renewal that begins with institutional self-reflection, proceeds through a process of self-engagement, and ends with self-generated innovations that can deepen the synagogue congregation as a sacred community. The core of this book offers any congregation seeking this path a compelling and realistic roadmap, a vision, and a process that is rooted in applied research and practical experience." --from the Foreword by Dr. Ron Wolfson, codeveloper, Synagogue 2000; author of Shabbat: The Family Guide to Preparing for and Celebrating the Sabbath Revitalizing and re-imagining the organization of our synagogues takes work! Combining expert advice and experience garnered from congregations throughout North America, The Self-Renewing Congregation shows us how transformative change is possible. A complete resource full of ideas, information, and support, this is a guide for those of us involved in, or interested in, energizing our spiritual communities. Isa Aron, founding director of Hebrew Union College's Experiment in Congregational Education (ECE), offers concrete, practical information on how to bring about change through collaborative leadership, and helps us grow dynamic, successful congregations.
