Setting the BAR Mitzvah MEN

The need for the chat recognized the fact that while so many students wanted to be doing more, the reality was that they sometimes forgot and could always use a friendly reminder—from their own friends.

Middle

School bar and bat mitzvah programs give students the tools to comprehend this exciting time in their lives.

The Middle School bar and bat mitzvah programs inspire our students to take on the responsibilities of Jewish men and women. Led by Rabbi Avraham Benhamu and Ms. Evelyn Benhamu respectively, both programs feature events throughout the year that focus on different aspects of becoming an adult in the Jewish community and prepare the students with the right tools and a positive perspective. In the spring, the 7th grade boys will begin their program with a visit to Yeshiva University's annual Sefarim Sale. They will take a tour of the Boys campus, meet some of the university’s rabbis and professors as well as YOF alumni. After lunch, they will go to the Sefarim Sale and be introduced to many of the newest Jewish books being published. The program will continue later in the spring with a visit to a tefillin factory where they will take a tour explaining the process of making tefillin. The culminating event will be a father/son tefillah learning breakfast in March.

The bat mitzvah program was revamped this year by Ms. Benhamu, Ms. Naomi Hamui and Ms.

Rachelle Tawil in order to create an immersive experience based on the theme of the Six Days of Creation. In October, for Day 1 (creation of light), the girls participated in an escape-the-room activity that challenged them to escape the darkness to find the light. In November, for Day 2 (separation of sky and ocean), the students did a science experiment to create smoke with ice and hairspray, painted a beracha for Shabbat candle-lighting, and enjoyed cotton candy “clouds.” In December, for Day 3 (creation of trees and grass), the students completed their own family trees and played “See-Run-Build” as they communicated instructions to each other on how to build a mystery object that most of them could not see. The game gave insight into the idea of “mesorah,” or the transmission of our Torah and traditions from generation to generation. In the coming months, the bat mitzvah program will cover Day 4 (creation of sun, moon, and stars), Day 5 (creation of birds and sea creatures), and Day 6 (creation of animals and humans), for a mother/ daughter interactive culminating event.

8th grade boys’ “Religion Reminders”

WhatsApp chat takes off.

Student empowerment is always a key goal at Flatbush. When 8th graders Teddy Frastai and Charles Levy approached Middle School

Principal Rabbi Dr. David Hertzberg with their idea to start an 8th grade boys “Religion Reminders” WhatsApp chat, no one realized how popular- and useful - their chat would become.

The “Religion Reminders” chat quickly “became part of the culture,” said Rabbi Hertzberg, who is thrilled that students took on the responsibility themselves to contact one another and send important reminders ranging from a nightly heads up to remember to pray Arvit, to an early morning notification to put on tzitzit. They also send out pre-Shabbat reminders to shut off cell phones “a little earlier than they need to in order to bring in the kedusha of Shabbat with a little more time,” shared Head of Elementary School Rabbi Yahel Tsaidi.

“It is definitely having an impact, and the students appreciate the reminders coming from other students,” expressed Rabbi Hertzberg. While the Middle School has provided our student body with opportunities for religious growth, “the goal is always to see what our students think of and enact of their own accord,” explained Rabbi Tsaidi. There were logistics to work out regarding timing of the texts that needed some careful consideration. “It took some time to figure out the best times to send the reminders in order to help the most kids. We needed to find a time that was not too early and not too late,” said Teddy and Charles.

Recently, Teddy and Charles met with Rabbi Tsaidi to discuss more ideas that they have to further promote more religious involvement. “The group is now embarking upon new initiatives, including bringing in impactful and relevant inspirational leaders and speakers to bring home the message of how taking ownership of their religious growth changed their lives,” said Rabbi Tsaidi. “I was both blown away and inspired by their enthusiasm and how that enthusiasm spread to their peers.”