The Mitzvah Program Description

The Mitzvah Program 

The intent of the Mitzvah Program is to create opportunities to enhance prayer and Torah literacy, create a supportive learning community during the preparation period before  the mitzvah ceremony, enhance the students’ engagement with the JCOGS community, deepen their Jewish connections and identities, and form a cohort of Jewish teens.

The Mitzvah program design is based on the belief that during the mitzvah preparation year students should have the opportunity to pray, study, and play together.  To that end the Mitzvah program meets on Saturday mornings twice a month from 10-12.  One of these mornings each month is a Community Shabbat service with the whole congregation so that the students get to experience the very service that they will be leading for their mitzvah ceremony.

By early spring, Mitzvah students will be ready to take an active role in leading the monthly Shabbat services along with the Rabbi and be fully prepared to lead the service during their own Mitzvah ceremonies- as well as be teed up to write their divrei Torah/sermons.  

Throughout the program the class will engage in 

• Torah discussion and question-asking sessions which will prepare them for writing their divrei Torah later on
• cultural activity that has its roots in Judaism, such as cooking, art project, or even music/dance/theater
• Mitzvah projects and a personal challenge of mitzvot/good deeds
• meeting members of the JCOGS board, chairs of JCOGS committees, and other members of the community who will talk to the students about how they live their Jewish lives and how their participation impacts the JCOGS community and beyond