A Program for Bar and Bat Mitzvah-age children to connect and commemorate.
Educators, families, and students can add a deep layer of significance to this Jewish milestone. This unique initiative allows children to connect with their heritage by honoring a child from Oświęcim (the town the Germans called Auschwitz) who perished during the Holocaust or couldn’t celebrate this crucial rite of passage due to the war.
Participants receive a curriculum kit containing background information about a child’s life before the war, thoughtful questions, and activities. These resources help students reflect on Jewish life, the devastating impact of the Holocaust, and the personal significance of their own coming-of-age milestones.
We also host Bar or Bat Mitzvah ceremonies in the historically restored Chevra Lomdei Mishnayot Synagogue. Built around 1913, this synagogue is the sole Jewish Synagogue near Auschwitz that survived the Holocaust—a place where the spirit and traditions of the Jewish community continue to endure.
The B’nai Mitzvah program deepened the meaning of my Bat Mitzvah, connecting me to a child who never had my chances. Sharing their story made a huge impact on my class.
Emma, 12, Nebraska, USA
For more information, including application questions