| Bar
and Bat Mitvah Class Retreats |
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(Looking
for a trip for your family? See our annual Adventure Rabbi trip for
families>>)
- Imagine
your students praying the morning service in an alpine meadow,
while watching elk feed in the distance.
- Imagine
your class working together as a team to reach the summit of a
peak and then shouting Shecheyanu from the mountain-top.
- Imagine
watching a student who does not excel in the classroom become
the class leader because she thrives in experiential education
setting.
- Imagine
your students having casual time to get to know each other, to
talk to classmates who they have known for years but really never
said much to.
- Imagine
a weekend adventure that can bridge the expanse between cliques,
and give every student a chance to be part of the "inner"
group.
- Imagine
your students having the opportunity to get to know their teacher
or rabbi outside the classroom or synagogue, and have time to
talk about matters of the heart and soul.
 In
2002, we took our first group of b'nai mitzvah students, from Congregation
B'nai Havurah in Denver, to Rocky Mountain National Park, for a
2-day retreat.
These
retreats, have became a staple of the B'nai Havurah curriculum and
their success had convinced me that this powerful experience should
be part of every Bar and Bat Mitzvah student's experience.
Bar
and Bat Mitzvah Class outdoor adventures provide a chance for students
to learn about responsibility for self and community in a setting
where failing to be responsible for either has real consequences
and being responsible has palpable rewards.
The
students learn to work together so that even the slowest hikers
can make it to the top of the peak with the group. They experience
the feeling of achievement that comes from looking
out for each other, encouraging each other, and working as a team.
All these skills transfer perfectly back into the classroom where
the students will work together to master the intricacies of Torah
and Haftatarh and conquer their fear of standing up in front of
the community to deliver a D'var Torah.
This
unique weekend adventure provides opportunities for students to
deepen their relationship with themselves, their community, and
the Creator.
This
program works best as 2-day, 1 night retreat. Inexpensive cabins
are available at the YMCA of the Rockies in Estes Park, adjacent
to Rocky Mountain National Park. To help in team building, the students
do the cooking and cleaning. (We can help you with menus.) To keep
cost low we encourage you to staff the trip with a few teachers
and parents to take care of the "counselor" duties while
Adventure Rabbi staff lead the guiding components.
Click here to have the rabbi
contact you about leading your group on a journey of prayer, study
and song, while exploring the wilderness.
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|
B'nai Mitzvah Class from Congregation B'nai Havurah on a
peak with Rabbi Korngold |
Come, let the wilderness awaken
your Judaism!
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