Celebrating a Shared Journey
Jewish Journeys, the innovative Jewish education program that started at the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan in 2012, focuses on helping young learners discover Judaism through music, art, literature, cooking, film, and more. For many, that learning culminates in a group celebration at the JCC, with a ceremony called Off-the- Bimah, where the impact of that innovative approach—and the importance of community—takes center stage.
Like the Jewish Journeys program itself, the ceremonies (held several times over the year, with six to eight kids in each) combine traditional and "out-of-the-box" elements. As in a traditional b'nai mitzvah service, each child gives a d'var Torah (a speech relating to their Torah portion); blessings are recited; Torah portions are chanted (either in Hebrew or English); and family and friends attend, dance, and eat.
The out-of-the-box part starts with the group experience, featuring presentations, many of them interactive. Each child's speech introduces a piece of the child's artwork or a video, musical performance, or research project. These projects are based on the child's study of their Torah portion and how they make sense of it for themselves.
One student in last year's program focused on Shavuot, creating his own Tikkun schedule (based on the one the JCC creates for its annual night of study), linking subjects in which he was interested to the Torah. Another took her parsha, or Torah portion, and turned it into a make-your-own-adventure game, with guests invited to play. Then there was a video in which one child took on the roles of the major figures in his parsha, who "interviewed" each other. Presentations are broadcast on a screen behind the speaker.
"We know that there are many families that want to celebrate this event, but not in a traditional liturgical setting," explains Rabbi Lori Forman-Jacobi, who has directed Jewish Journeys since its inception. "They have told us that they're not synagogue-goers and they don't see themselves becoming synagogue-goers, but it's still important to them to mark this kind of ritual moment in their child's—and family's—life." A total of 58 children will have participated in the Off-the-Bimah group ceremonies as of Spring 2020.
Making "My Day" Into "Our Day"
The Jewish Journeys program began just as Farrah Zabar's family was thinking about Jewish education for their children. Her daughter, Avery, now 16, was part of the 2016 program; her son, Harrison, participated in a 2019 ceremony. "It seemed like a great option," she says, "because we wanted our children to have exposure to Jewish culture."
"The synagogue has traditionally served as the center of the bar or bat mitzvah because that was the center of Jewish life, and still is for many families," Forman-Jacobi says, "but today, some families are looking for a different center and a different way." She adds that families have varied reasons for participating in the group ceremony: some are of mixed faith, some have no synagogue affiliation, some are Israelis not interested in the American synagogue-based ceremony, and some children feel more comfortable in the group setting.
Nora Auburn and her older sister, Rebecca, both of whom began in Jewish Journeys in third grade, opted for a traditional synagogue service as well as the JCC ceremony. "We knew that this would be a different kind of experience," explains their mother, Fran Rosenfeld. "It seemed like the natural conclusion of the program." Following the presentations, a Torah is unscrolled around the room, with friends and family positioned at the place where the child's parsha is located. All of the students say the Torah blessings together, then chant or read a few lines in their choice of Hebrew or English. At the end, the group recites closing blessings together. Traditional dancing and a celebratory meal follow.
Nora took part in the 2019 ceremony. Her project, connecting environmental policy and activism to Jewish traditions, particularly her parsha topic of Sukkot, led to her being asked to speak at the JCC's pre-rally for the Global Climate Strike this past September. As a result, says her mother, "she now sees herself as someone who can speak about these issues. Her participation in the ceremony at the JCC was a step in that direction." For Harrison, sharing the occasion as a group made it "more like our day, not my day. It was a very big moment for all of us."
"We are blessed to be living in a time when there are so many choices for families seeking a Jewish journey," says JCC Executive Director Rabbi Joy Levitt. "With synagogues and the JCC offering multiple pathways, we hope every family looking for engagement with Jewish life will be able to find creative and dynamic options."
Sherri Lerner is the former editorial director at the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan. She has written and edited for numerous publications and is currently on the staff of the Wechsler Center.