Tzedek B’Mitzvah Fellowship

Overview

Organizing a bar/bat mitzvah is always exciting, sometimes stressful, and usually a ton of work.

An important component of your teen’s journey to Jewish adulthood is a mitzvah project to connect their emerging Jewish identity to Judaism’s call to serve others. The EDCJCC’s Tzedek B’Mitzvah Fellowship is here to facilitate that process for you in a fun, engaging, and stress-free way!

Through this 5-month fellowship, teens will engage in hands-on volunteering at organizations around the DC area, learn about systems of inequality and avenues for advocacy, and build friendships with their cohort. They will finish the fellowship with a greater understanding of equity issues in our community, Jewish teachings around service and social justice, and how they can use their own personal strengths and passions to engage in changemaking beyond their bar/bat mitzvahs. Participants can receive SSL hours for each volunteer project.

The fellowship experience also includes 2 optional personal mentorship sessions with a staff member from the EDCJCC’s Center for Social Responsibility for teens who wish to construct mitzvah projects beyond the fellowship experience and/or to connect the fellowship to their specific bar/bat mitzvah learning.

The cost of the fellowship, which includes transportation from the EDCJCC to some of the volunteer sites, is $320/person.

If the cost of this program presents a barrier to participation, if your child needs accommodations that you would like to discuss prior to registering, or if you have any additional questions, please email Lyssa at ajellenik@edcjcc.org.