Youth & Families

We invite you to explore three areas of interest within our youth and family experiences:


Jewish Explorations School

So Much More Than Prayer!

We focus on the joy in Judaism!

Why do we call our children’s education program Jewish Explorations, and not Religious School? It’s simple…because we know that Jewish life offers so much more than religion. There’s language, music, food, literature, and most importantly…friends! And we don’t call it Hebrew School because we learn more than Hebrew. In fact, we don’t even call it school. For one thing, school is work for the kids, and we don’t want them working on Shabbat…we go for a different vibe…We explore! We explore how Judaism can help them grow into the amazing people they are already becoming. And along the way, we make connections that last a lifetime!

And those connections are one of the things we’re most proud of.  Over the years, so many of our kids have built friendships based on a common Jewish bond that have lasted into their adult lives!  And we don’t just mean one or two; our past students have lots of stories to share!  Sure, we’re going to teach your kids to read Hebrew, learn what they need to as they get ready to become a Bnai Mitzvah…but we also teach them why it all matters and how to build a connection between a Jewish education and today’s modern world.

So, if you’ve got children who are ready to explore, let’s talk about Jewish Explorations.  Note that our Jewish Explorations always offers learning for 3rd-7th grade. When we have a sufficient cohort of younger students, we also offer K-2. We cooperate with the Jewish Federation of Eastern Connecticut to offer programming for youth younger or older than Jewish Explorations: PJ Library for birth to 8 years and, for teens, a weekly Jewish Community High School and BBYO. Please contact us here for additional information or to register!

Camp Havaya

Camp Havaya is the summer camp run by the Reconstructionist movement. It is all about the joy of summer camp…with the freedom to be who you truly are.

In our incredibly diverse and accepting community, all kids—no matter their race, sexual orientation, gender identity, family structure, or Jewish background—are more than welcomed. They’re celebrated!

With so many activities—from the high-ropes challenge course to learning a new song, from the trampoline in our lake to any number of sports—the biggest challenge at Camp Havaya is figuring out what’s the most fun!

How We Be

We’re serious about being our best selves—it’s How We Be! We stand up for ourselves and our friends, take responsibility for our actions, and understand the part each of us plays in creating a joyful and welcoming community.

Howie Bee

Bnai Mitzvah

Congratulations! Mazel Tov!

If you’re on this page, someone in your life is probably on their way to becoming a Bnai Mitzvah. That’s a big deal!  Bnai Mitzvah marks a real transition in a young person’s life. As they enter adolescence at age 13, they are becoming more responsible for themselves, and in fact, bnai mitzvah can be translated as “responsible for fulfilling one’s obligations.”

Life transitions are both wonderful and hard. So we gather as a community to make the transition both joyful and real. That’s the bat/bar/kabbalat mitzvah ceremony!

At Temple Bnai Israel, we tailor the day to the individual.  But most of the time, the Bnai Mitzvah will…

  • Help lead services

  • Chant their Haftarah and a Torah reading along with the blessings

  • Give a talk (D’var Torah) sharing their own thoughts on the meaning of the day

In the year leading up to their ceremony, the Bnai Mitzvah will work with Rav Jeremy on all those skills and also on the meaning of this important transition.  What really is a “mitzvah?” What are our Jewish and human obligations? Where do they come from? What do the different denominations of Judaism say about that? And what does the student think about it?

They will also work on a project. This project is another exercise in Jewish responsibility, where the young person takes responsibility and puts in extra effort into the process of growing as a Jew in some way that’s meaningful for them. They might want to learn something beyond what they’ve learned in our Jewish Explorations program. They might want to raise money for a cause that’s important to them, do some kind deeds, or work on something related to social justice. These are all examples of potential projects.

We hope that whomever you know on the way to becoming a Bnai Mitzvah, has a joyful and meaningful journey!

If you’re planning a bat/bar/kabbalat mitzvah, please be in touch as early as possible to learn about our policies, offer and receive suggestions, or to answer any questions.

Call Us: 860-423-3743

Email Us: office@templebnaiisrael.org