So, it’s finally over. After months, or even years, of preparation, your teen’s B Mitzvah weekend has come to a close. After the swirl of speeches, praying, dancing, and joy, you finally have a moment to stop and catch your breath. After all the chaos and hard work comes to an abrupt end, you may be thinking to yourself, what now?
Just because the celebration is over doesn’t mean there’s no work left to be done. Below are three actions for you and your teen to take post- B Mitzvah that will build upon all of your hard work in the journey towards becoming a Jewish adult.
- Thank You Notes
While teens certainly love receiving gifts on their big day, they often dread the follow-up: writing thank you notes. To individually write a card to every person who gave a gift at your B Mitzvah can feel like an incredibly daunting task. Though it can be time consuming, taking the time to let each guest know how grateful you are is an important way of building and maintaining community, and also teaches responsibility and gratitude to young adults. To help mitigate the stress that writing dozens of notes can cause, check out our 6 tips for writing B Mitzvah thank you notes, including a flow chart that will make sure you write the perfect note every time.
- Mitzvah Project
A Mitzvah project is the social justice cause that most students are expected to take on when preparing for their Bar or Bat Mitzvah. Mitzvah projects can take many different forms, from volunteerism, to fundraising, or otherwise raising awareness for an issue important to the Mitzvah teen. For those who have long-term or multi-part Mitzvah projects, the work may not be done by the date of the ceremony, so they’ll want to continue that work until they’ve met their goal. Even if the official part of your Mitzvah project is complete, encouraging your teen to stay involved in community and charity work, either in their chosen cause or in something completely new, is a great way to instill important values in them in the long-term. As they are now considered adults by Jewish law, participating in volunteer work will continue to further the lessons learned when preparing for their B Mitzvah!
Check out our guide on how to choose the perfect Mitzvah project!
- Advancing Community
Your teen’s B Mitzvah should be the beginning of their involvement in the Jewish community both locally and around the world. While some Hebrew schools end their programs after 8th grade, the typical year a student has a B Mitzvah, many extend into high school or offer classroom aide opportunities for older teens. Continuing to attend synagogue, joining a youth group, and enrolling in Jewish summer camp, are all ways to foster meaningful relationships in your community and further your teen’s Jewish education and growth.
By Vered Ornstein
