39 Steps

B’nai Mitzvah

Noah Pensak (left) and Jacob Meyer donate books to the Ocotillo Learning Center library. (Courtesy Ocotillo Learning Center)
Noah Pensak (left) and Jacob Meyer donate books to the Ocotillo Learning Center library. (Courtesy Ocotillo Learning Center)

From hunger to bullying, local teens tackle social issues with hands-on mitzvah projects

Posted under B’nai Mitzvah, Local on September 1st, 2011. Leave a Comment »

It started as a novel way to teach Jewish children about philanthropy, social justice and tikkun olam (repairing the world). Today, the mitzvah project has become a cherished part of the Bar and Bat Mitzvah scene. Yet for each child who chooses to take part in this burgeoning tradition, the mitzvah project is a fresh [...]

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Koby Shochat wears the tallit his father wore at his Bar Mitzvah. Koby’s mitzvah project involved donations of used tallitot.
Koby Shochat wears the tallit his father wore at his Bar Mitzvah. Koby’s mitzvah project involved donations of used tallitot.

Mitzvah projects empower teens — and provide food, enrichment for others

Posted under B’nai Mitzvah, Local on August 20th, 2010. Leave a Comment »

One of the explicit and implicit tenets of Judaism is that we are supposed to live our lives doing mitzvot, literally translated as “commandments” but informally known as “good deeds.” In addition to the usual whirlwind of activity associated with B’nai Mitzvah preparation, such as learning Torah, attending services, and party planning, many B’nai Mitzvah [...]

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