Choose one or more of the following poems to read or listen to together and discuss. As you will see these poems are intended to make space for emotions and empathy, not to spur a political discussion. Then, consider inviting participants to write a poem or prayer in…
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With the pandemic, many Jewish families are having to let go of long-held expectations about the b’nai mitzvah they imagined for their child to embrace the unique possibilities of the moment—and Moving Traditions has a new guide to…
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If one were to survey Jewish parents about what they think the most pivotal moment is in their child’s Jewish journey, chances are a majority would answer the B’nai Mitzvah. But whereas the ritual is meant to symbolize a moment when a young person stands at the dawn of a rich Jewish life to come, more often than not these days, the B’nai Mitzvah represents the opposite: an ending of sorts.
Often, with the B’nai Mitzvah, comes a slowing down of a young person’s time in synagogue, less frequent attendance in religious school, and for many families, the culmination of a journey that was just starting to rev up.
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By Daniel Brenner, Jewish Educational Leadership Journal
November 2, 2020
With an understanding that there have been both seen and unseen generational shifts in parent-teen relationships, five years ago my colleagues and I at Moving Traditions began piloting a new model of interactive family education for 6th and 7th graders in Jewish schools and synagogues that imagined the benai mitzvah as not about “becoming an adult” or “becoming a man” or “becoming a woman” but about “becoming a teen.”
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Here is an activity you can use with teens to consider the life and legacy of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, z”l. The full session can be found in the Current Events section of our password protected curriculum. If…
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By Danielle Gruber, Kol Koleinu Fellow Personal values play a large role in deciding which issues are meaningful to you as a voter and which decisions you make on election day. The purpose of this workshop is to…
Continue Reading →by Jen Anolik I invite you all to close your eyes if you’re comfortable. Take a deep breath in through your nose and out through your mouth. Give your mind permission to think whatever it wants to think. We…
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By Rabbi Daniel Brenner, eJewish Philanthropy
March 18, 2019
Today, as we face a generational “Crisis of Connection,” Jewish educators are beginning to expand the scope of that dialogue to address the social and emotional needs of both parents and pre-teens.
Moving Traditions’ new b’nai mitzvah program is one example of this emerging approach to family education and two defining characteristics set it apart. First, the program encourages educators to view the b’nai mitzvah as not only a life-cycle event for the child, but as a significant rite of passage for the parent.
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This presentation looks at teen development as it relates to their behavior, by examining their physical and neurological profile as well as the hallmarks of adolescence. These perspectives will help you build stronger relationships with teens.
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For years we have blamed teens’ behavior on their “raging hormones”– which do in fact affect teens. With more sophisticated brain imaging, researchers now understand that underlying many notorious teen behaviors is the pace of brain development. Knowledge…
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