Jewish Education Requirement

The Narayever places great importance on Jewish education for members of all ages. For Bar/Bat Mitzvah students, it is critical that they enter the year of preparation for their celebration having learned to read Hebrew and having attained basic knowledge of Jewish customs and traditions. We strongly urge families to begin their child’s Jewish education sufficiently in advance of their bar/bat mitzvah year. Starting this training only in the year before the celebration places considerable stress on the student and unnecessarily places the focus on the one day of the celebration instead of the wider context of Jewish community which the young person is joining. 

For these reasons, our shul has established minimum Jewish education requirements for Bat/Bar Mitzvah.

The Bar/Bat Mitzvah student must have completed a minimum of four years of a formal programme of Jewish education, either day school or supplementary school, within the six years preceding the event. The family will be asked to provide their child’s Jewish education background at the time the event is booked. While it is possible to meet this requirement by engaging a private tutor, we strongly recommend that children be enrolled in a formal program so that they may experience socialization with peers in a Jewish setting in addition to mastering the material. Narayever itself does not have a school. Families who are unsure about where to send their child to Jewish school are welcome to consult with Rabbi Elkin or our Director of Family and Youth Engagement Carly Prusky.

If you have special circumstances regarding the completion of our Jewish Education requirement, or if you have any questions, please contact Rabbi Elkin.