On 19 March 2022 Beth Shalom will be celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the first American girl to have a Bat Mitzvah. It was the Bat Mitzvah of Judith Kaplan in 1922.
All our Beth Shalom daughters have the opportunity to become Bat Mitzvah. We simply take this for granted. Let’s now support the Bat Mitzvah Programme to see the same opportunities exist for our fellow sisters and daughters in Israel. To show your support please donate through Beth Shalom. Contact the office if you don’t have the bank account number, then please mark your donation as “Bat Mitzvah”. Beth Shalom will forward on your behalf what we collect and will even top it up a little.
For the first time, Progressive Jewish women across Australia and New Zealand are joining together to donate to a unique project in support of our sisters and daughters in Israel. We believe girls should have the same rights and opportunities as their brothers: to feel important; to feel they matter.
A cornerstone of the Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism’s Bat Mitzvah program is participation in a mother and daughter course. Together with a Rabbi, the program teaches Jewish education and thought, prepares girls to read Torah, and explores the importance of the Jewish coming of age.
It empowers young girls to develop their own Jewish identify, be inspired by Progressive values and key female figures in Judaism, and fosters youth leadership. Girls are encouraged to use their newly acquired skills through participation in local Tikkun Olam community projects.
The annual cost of this program in Israel is $100,000. It costs $300 to support one girl to complete her Bat Mitzvah
Please give generously to this worthy programme. Our collection will close on 31 March 2022.
