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Becoming a Jewish Adult

A young person reads from a Torah scroll with two adults by their side, in a ceremonial setting.

The path to adulthood is full of twists and turns. From celebrating a bar/bat mitzvah to leaving home for the first time, this is a journey fraught with new freedom, new responsibilities, and an abundance of complex emotions. We offer blessings, prayers, and rituals that help parents and children use a Jewish vocabulary to describe this journey—and to experience it as richly as possible.

 

Latest Rituals

Original blessing for children in Hebrew and English

Three people walking through autumn leaves; a child holding hands with two adults.

Watch this video to learn some traditional steps for this joyous circle dance!

how to dance the horah

Creating separation and offering blessings moves from their family home to their new college home

A group of people hugging outside a building, with cardboard boxes nearby.

This blessing includes options for crafting the blessing to suit various family configurations

Silhouette of a family holding hands and walking at sunset near the ocean.
“May you soak up every drop of deep nourishment your family provides, seeing yet avoiding bitter waters, choosing and strengthening that which is sweet in your inheritance.”
teenaged girl in sweats sitting on a pier staring at the ocean

A midrash and personal story about how our children teach us the lessons that we refuse to learn as adults

man putting a box of clothes on top of a bed with striped sheets

Blessings and meditations for the new driver and his/her teacher

teenager in driver seat and adult in passenger seat reaching for steering wheel

A mother’s blessing for her daughter’s journey into adulthood

Person in religious attire holding a Torah scroll in a synagogue with decorative walls and green plants.

A blessing for a son, drawing inspiration from our forefathers

teenaged boy in cardigan, dress shirt, and tie

Modern blessings for a daughter or son

father daughter hug

The Reconstructionist Network

Serving as central organization of the Reconstructionist movement

Training the next generation of groundbreaking rabbis

Modeling respectful conversations on pressing Jewish issues

Curating original, Jewish rituals, and convening Jewish creatives

Now more than ever, we need the guidance of our ancestors, and creative expression provides a wonderful path for connection.

Express your love and gratitude for those who have profoundly shaped your journey and  summon their wisdom into your own life.

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The Reconstructionist Network