PJS has for many years had its own b’mitzvah training. During 2020, we started a completely new b’mitzvah program with a curriculum developed in the USA. It involves both a challenging and engaging exploration of the values that Progressive Judaism stands for. Ten b’mitzvah students (may eventually be more) meet once a week for two hours to learn Hebrew (Mitkadem curriculum) to develop their vocabulary and ability to read and understand the Hebrew words. In their Jewish studies program (the Chai curriculum), they will learn about the basic values and principles of the Torah, in prayers and traditional blessings, and Gemilut chasadim (acts of loving kindness) to build a strong Jewish identity and community on this basis. Each student will carry out a project on the theme of Tikkun olam, how we can make the world a better place, and participate in a service.
The children themselves have given the program the name Mitzvah Power.
Since many of the students’ families have family members or close family friends that are not Jewish, the program also includes a project that deals with the student’s Jewish identity in a culturally and religiously diverse context.
All instruction is in Swedish.
Some activities are planned as joint activities together with the Jewish Community’s own b’mitzvah program.
For more info write to: utbildning@progjud.se
Read more about Mitkadem and Chai on the Behrman House site: https://store.behrmanhouse.com/
