Adult B'nai Mitzvah

Adult B’nai Mitzvah at Beth Shalom

A Two-Year Journey of Jewish Learning, Community, and Celebration

Program Details                     How to Join & Registration 

Want to deepen your Jewish knowledge? Be part of a warm and thoughtful cohort? Improve your Hebrew, learn Torah trope, write a dvar Torah or simply indulge your love of Jewish learning?

Join Beth Shalom’s new Adult B’nai Mitzvah cohort!

We welcome:

• Those who never had a chance to publicly celebrate becoming a b’nai mitzvah in community.

• Those who previously celebrated but want to learn new skills or be part of this unique experience.

Classes will take place on Wednesday evenings starting October 22, 2025. Offerings include Hebrew at multiple levels, and study of the siddur in the fall and the Tanakh in the winter/spring. Courses led by Beth Huppin, Rabbi Borodin, Rabbi Rose, and special guests. Participants will also take part in cohort gatherings, shared learning, and opportunities for social action. Participation in the full two-year program is available exclusively to Beth Shalom members.

The celebration will take place over Shavuot 5787 (June 10–12, 2027). This marks the first time in decades that Beth Shalom is offering an adult b’nai mitzvah cohort, and it is not expected to be offered regularly.

 Program Details: Semester-long classes are open to all adult learners, including those who do not plan to complete the full program. Additional gatherings and learning opportunities will be available only to those fully enrolled, beginning with a group kickoff in Rabbi Borodin’s sukkah this October. Full program runs October 2025–Shavuot 2027, with a summer break from formal classes.

Dates: Wednesdays, 7:00–9:15 pm, with two classes each evening. October 22, 2025, through May 13, 2026, with breaks for Jewish and civic holidays. The program will continue on a similar schedule in 2026–27.

Cost: B’nai Mitzvah cohort is $635 for the Judaics and Hebrew each year, $180 each semester for those who just want to participate in the Judaics class and not pursue B’nai Mitzvah. Tuition options are available for the full program or by semester. Please reach out if costs are a barrier.

Teachers: Beth Huppin, Rabbi Borodin, Rabbi Rose, Shira Orzech, and additional guest instructors. 

What We’ll Study Over Two Years

• Hebrew (offered at multiple levels)

• Torah Trope

• Synagogue skills

• The meaning and structure of prayer

• Tanakh

• Rabbinic literature & Jewish thought

• Mitzvot & Jewish law

Celebration: 

During Shavuot 5787 (June 10-12, 2027), participants will have opportunities to:

• Have an aliyah

• Read Torah or haftorah

• Deliver a dvar Torah

• Teach Torah or lead services
  (each person can personalize how they participate).

The cohort will also engage in acts of gemilut chasadim tovim (loving-kindness), share meals, and build community.

How to Join:

You may begin learning without committing. A decision to formally join the cohort is needed by September 2026 for participation in the Shavuot celebration. Sign up for the full program here. 

If you are only interested in taking the courses and do not want to participate in the full program, please register for each course separately. 

Expectations

• Must be Jewish and a member of Congregation Beth Shalom.

• Regular Shabbat morning attendance (recommended twice a month) and some weekday yom tov services (like Sukkot, Pesach, Shavuot).

• Consistent attendance is required for cohort members.

• The group will organize or sponsor lunch over Shavuot and find ways to volunteer within Beth Shalom.

• Minimum of 8 participants needed to run the program.

Curriculum Overview

Year 1:

• 7–8 pm: 
  • Fall & Spring: Hebrew (three levels offered)
• 8:05–9:15 pm:

  • Fall: Deep Dive into Jewish Prayer
    (studying the structure, theology, and meaning of many parts of the service).

  • Spring: Deep Dive into Tanakh (Hebrew Bible)
    (close study of individual passages, texts on creation, revelation, morality, messianic vision; exposure to rabbinic and modern approaches, and exploring multiple biblical versions of stories).

Year 2:

• 7–8 pm:

  • Fall: Torah Trope

  • Spring: Synagogue Skills

• 8:05–9:15 pm:

  • Fall: Jewish Law & Mitzvot
    (topics like death and mourning, visiting the sick, honoring parents, Shabbat, kashrut, plus selected responsa of the Committee on Jewish Law and Standards).

  • Spring: Divrei Torah Writing, Rabbinics & Jewish Thought.

Adult Education Classes: These classes are part of the Beth Shalom B'nai Mitzvah program curriculum, and also are open to all who wish to participate.

Deep Dive into Jewish Prayer (12 sessions) with Beth Huppin, Rabbi Borodin & Rabbi Rose:

Register

Dates: Wednesdays, 8:05–9:15 pm, Oct 22–Jan 28 (no class Nov 26, Dec 24, Dec 31)

Join us for a rich exploration of Jewish prayer, its structure, theology, and the meaning behind individual prayers. Topics will include: Why pray, keva and kavannah (form and intention), the structure of services, birchot hashachar (morning blessings), the Shma and its blessings, the weekday and Shabbat/festival Amidah, Torah service, concluding prayers, and afternoon/evening services including Kabbalat Shabbat. Students will receive a siddur for this class.

Deep Dive into Tanakh (Hebrew Bible) with Beth Huppin, Rabbi Borodin & Rabbi Rose:

Dates: Wednesdays, 8:05–9:15 pm, Feb 4–May 13 (no class Feb 18, Apr 1, Apr 8)

This course offers both an overview and close study of important sections of Tanakh. We will examine classic stories, wrestle with challenging texts, and explore rabbinic and modern approaches to studying the Hebrew Bible. The course also includes special sessions on biblical readings relevant to Purim, Pesach, and Shavuot.