B' Mitzvah

We are so excited to have you!

The Or Shalom B' Mitzvah Program is designed for students in 7th grade and/or pursuing a B’ Mitzvah in the 2025-2026 academic year.

Our program includes:

• A twice-monthly B’ Mitzvah class with the B’ Mitzvah Educator, running from September 2025 to May 2026

• Three Havdalah Family Education sessions with Rabbi Faryn

• Three one-on-one student sessions with Rabbi Faryn

• Up to three family meetings with Rabbi Faryn to vision, plan, and rehearse the service

• Family attendance at a minimum of three Friday evening Shabbat Services and five Saturday Morning Learning Services prior to your ceremony

In the B' Mitzvah class, students will be:

• Engaging in general Jewish education focusing on Jewish identity formation during this rite of passage
• Planning and executing a collective Mitzvah Project

One-on-One with R’ Faryn, students will be:

• Studying their Torah portion and mining it for meaning
• Writing and editing their d’var Torah
• Writing and editing different smaller drashot that students will give throughout their ceremony

In Family Education, families will be:

• Eating the third meal of Shabbat (Seudah Shlishit) together and marking Havdalah (the end of Shabbat ritual) together
• Learning about relevant Jewish topics to prepare the family for this rite-of-passage ceremony

In Family Meetings with R’ Faryn, families will be:

• Meeting 1: Discussing an overview of the whole learning process and ceremony, beginning discussions about the Torah portion

• Meeting 2: Designing and planning the service to meet both the student’s and family’s specific needs

• Meeting 3: B’ Mitzvah Rehearsal/B’ Mitzvah Runthrough

The cost for the program is $3300 for current members and $3800 for new members in their first year (membership is included for the year). This tuition includes enrollment in the B' Mitzvah Program and all of the special services provided to b’ mitzvah students and families listed above. It does not include tutoring costs. 

Natalie Boskin (they/them) is a Torah enthusiast who learns in both the academic world and in Jewish community. They hold an MA in Jewish Studies from the Graduate Theological Union, are an incoming faculty fellow for SVARA: A Traditionally Radical Yeshiva, and have over a decade of experience as a Jewish educator for folks of all ages. Natalie is particularly passionate about guiding young people through transformative B' Mitzvah experiences, and they are thrilled to join the team that guides Or Shalom's class through these powerful rites of passage! Natalie was born and bred in Oakland, where they continue to live today with their cat, Rosemary.