The B'nai Mitzvah Journey at Nevei Kodesh: Crossing the River (CTR)
We have created an in-depth two-year B'nai Mitzvah program called "Crossing the River", a name inspired by Rabbi Burt Jacobson's curriculum. This two-year CTR program is designed for students ages 11 through 15.
We approach the B'nai Mitzvah learning as a process of discovery and transformation. Students are encouraged to explore their sense of themselves and their core values, as well as to deepen their Jewish knowledge and experience in all Four Worlds (Assiyah/physical; Yetzirah/emotional; Briyah/intellectual; Atzilut/spiritual).
Our program empowers Bar/Bet/Bat-Mitzvah students to voice what they want their 'Jewishness' to mean. We help them uncover how to authentically manifest traditions and spirituality in their lives.
We are here to serve as teachers and guides, as we accompany families through this new terrain. Sometimes we find calm waters, and other times things can get choppy, as we cross the river into adulthood.
Students of all genders, sexualities, and backgrounds are welcome to join us, regardless of where they are on their journey discovering Judaism.
Sundays: 3:00-5:00pm
We will be exploring and deepening our relationship to Torah and Mitzvot, as well as completing our learning about the Jewish Holiday Cycle, the Jewish Life Cycle, and an overview of Jewish History.
Tuesdays for 4th - 7th Grades: 4:30pm-6:00pm
In addition to Sundays on site at Nevei Kodesh, the 4th-7th graders meet on Tuesday afternoons from 4:30pm to 6pm for additional enrichment. The students are assigned their Hebrew study groups according to their level of Hebrew knowledge.
The class begins with all grades together for community connection, followed by breakout rooms with their teachers for Hebrew literacy and comprehension, and then grade specific learning.
Tuesday Hebrew is taught by Lael Har with an elective class by Aviva Grossberg.
Lead Teacher Aviva Grossberg
I am excited to be joining the Nevei Kodesh teaching team this year. Jewish Renewal has brought much joy and connection into my life, and I hope to bring that heartfelt love for Judaism into the classroom. I am passionate about supporting our young ones as they find a unique expression of Judaism that lights them up, too. We will enrich our learning with earth-based practices, rituals, and embodied wisdom that are inherent in our tradition.
I have a background in theatre and have also facilitated yoga, wilderness quests, and movement mediation in the past. I am a Hakomi trained coach, and I work with people to help them find a more whole and integrated way of being the world.
I have two young children who keep me very busy and who continue to teach me how to be a more patient, present, and loving human. Some of my favorite activities include: singing, dancing, swimming in natural bodies of water, cooking, and spending time with family and friends.
I am grateful for the opportunity to come together—to learn, pray, and be renewed in community.
