Thursday, / March 28, 2024
Home / news

Bar Mitzvah Lessons, 21st-Century Edition

Studying for a bar mitzvah is often daunting, or worse yet — boring. Rabbi Aryeh Weinstein has seen the damage left in the wake of careless bar and bat mitzvah lessons. “One mother told me all she took from her bat mitzvah lessons were her doodling skills,” he says. Although he’s the rabbi at Lubavitch of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, Rabbi Weinstein is now teaching bar mitzvah lessons to kids as far away as Venice, Florida, and Wilmington, Delaware. 

“By the time a child sits down for bar mitzvah class, they’re bursting with energy,” says Rabbi Sholom Schmerling of Chabad of Venice, Florida. “But Rabbi Weinstein’s short meaningful lessons keep them engaged, like when he explains the soul using a Lamborghini engine — that’s brilliant!” 

The website has been live for just a few months, but the impact is already considerable. “It’s a special time in their lives,” Rabbi Weinstein says. “We need to help them experience the relevance of Yiddishkeit, so they’ll remain connected as they grow.”

Comment

Be the first to write a comment.

Add

Related Articles
Ep. 43: A Sub-Saharan Brit Milah
The 43rd episode in its series about the personal struggles and achievements of Chabad representatives
Against All Odds, Kharkiv Jewish Community Welcomes a New Member
The war-weary city fell silent for a moment as the Jewish community gathered to welcome their newest member.
Good Deeds for Daniel Perelman
After a young man passed away in an airplane crash, his Wisconsin community is coming together to do mitzvot in his memory
A Funeral & a Bar Mitzvah
After Naomi Rosenberg’s funeral, Rabbi Alter Korf brought her dream true by celebrating a bittersweet Bar Mitzvah with her two sons
Newsletter
Donate
Find Your Local Chabad Center
Magazine