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.
Many of the parents of today’s b’nai mitzvah students are in their 40s and 50s, and reflecting for the first time on questions of professional fulfillment and legacy. They are becoming parents of teens during a time of rapid technological change that has impacted many of the expectations between parents and children around communication.