Shnat Mitzvah

The Israeli Bar/Bat Mitzvah Year Program – A Once-in-a-Lifetime Journey

A unique educational and community experience for children and parents.

The Bar/Bat Mitzvah year is much more than a birthday or a celebration – it is a meaningful opportunity to pause and ask:
Who am I? Where do I belong? And what truly matters to me?

We are excited to launch a new cohort of the “Israeli Bar/Bat Mitzvah Year Program” – a unique educational and community-based journey that will accompany children and their parents over several months through meaningful, experiential, and engaging sessions.

Each session focuses on a different “circle of identity,” offering a structured space to explore various aspects of personal, family, and community identity.

The program addresses key themes in the lives of pre-teens, including growing up and values, body and mind, Jewish tradition and Israeli culture, as well as questions of belonging and identity between Israel and the U.S., and between home and community.

What to Expect:

• Personal and identity-based exploration: “Who am I as an individual, within my family and community?” 
• Open conversations about topics relevant to pre-teens: growing up, values, body and mind 
• A meaningful encounter with Jewish tradition and Israeli culture in a relevant and connected way 
• Exploration of belonging and identity between Israel and the U.S., and between home and community 
• A community project with added value 
• At the end of the program, children and parents will choose together what the final session will look like and co-create it as a shared celebration of their journey

Why Join?

This program was designed specifically for Israeli families living abroad by the Department for Organization and Connection with Israelis at the World Zionist Organization.
It is tailored to the world of 12-13 year olds, as well as to parents who want to be actively involved in this meaningful journey.
It also resonates with Jewish families in the diaspora who feel a strong connection to Israel and are looking for a unique Bar/Bat Mitzvah year experience.

The program is led by an experienced and sensitive facilitator who specializes in working with youth.

Program Schedule

Tuesdays (Hebrew) | 6:30–8:00 PM

• Session 1 – October 13, 2026 
• Session 2 – October 27, 2026 
• Session 3 – November 10, 2026 
• Session 4 – November 24, 2026 
• Session 5 – December 8, 2026 
• Session 6 – December 22, 2026 
• Session 7 – January 5, 2027 
• Session 8 – January 19, 2027 
• Session 9 – February 2, 2027 
• Session 10 (Experiential closing session) – February 9, 2027

The closing session (Session 10) is not included in the program fee. It will be planned and designed independently by each group according to its own preferences.

Wednesdays (English) | 6:30–8:00 PM

• Session 1 – October 21, 2026 
• Session 2 – November 4, 2026 
• Session 3 – November 18, 2026 
• Session 4 – December 2, 2026 
• Session 5 – December 16, 2026 
• Session 6 – January 6, 2027 
• Session 7 – January 13, 2027 
• Session 8 – January 27, 2027 
• Session 9 – February 10, 2027 
• Session 10 (Experiential closing session) – February 24, 2027

The closing session (Session 10) is not included in the program fee. It will be planned and designed independently by each group according to its own preferences.