Have your child’s B’nai Mitzvah in Israel!
Participating in our JCP B’nai Mitzvah in Israel Program allows you to have the engaging, moving, and seamless JCP B’nai Mitzvah experience . . . in Israel!
While participating in our B’nai Mitzvah in Israel Program, families will work with both Rabbi Deena and JCP’s Israel-based partner, Rabbi Galit Cohen-Kedem of Congregation Kodesh v’Chol, in Holon, Israel. Interested families can reach out to Daphne Logan to start scheduling. Here is what you can expect from our JCP B’nai Mitzvah in Israel Program:
JCP Downtown will:
• Train your child for their ceremony in the same way we would if the ceremony were taking place in New York. This includes: enrollment in the Hebrew School Project and one-on-one tutoring, Torah verse selection, D’var Torah (speech) preparation with JCP’s rabbi, and a rehearsal
• Update Rabbi Galit with your child’s progress to create a smooth and seamless experience in Israel
• Send you to Israel with everything you need for the ceremony, including JCP prayer books, printouts with your child’s Torah reading, and gifts
Rabbi Galit (of Congregation Kodesh v’Chol) will:
• Hold an introductory meeting with your family (along with JCP’s rabbi) via Zoom
• Hold two additional meetings to get to know your child via Zoom
• Join a rehearsal with your family and JCP’s rabbi via Zoom
• Lead the ceremony at a location of your choosing in the Jerusalem or Tel Aviv area (she can help recommend a site, and will let you know if she believes a given site to be too logistically challenging for the ceremony)
• Help enhance your experience in Israel by pairing you with a family in her community for a Shabbat meal, helping to create a Mitzvah Project in Israel, and helping coordinate some “off the beaten path” activities according to your interests
A travel agent/tour company* will:
• Arrange all of the logistics for the ceremony, including: booking the ceremony location and arranging for transportation for your family to that location (Rabbi Galit can provide a Torah Scroll if necessary)
• Confirm the final schedule for the ceremony with Rabbi Galit
*These tasks can be done by the B’nai Mitzvah family instead!
About Rabbi Galit Cohen-Kedem
Rabbi Galit Cohen-Kedem is the founder and Rabbi of Congregation Kodesh V’Chol [Holy & ordinary] in Holon, Israel. For the past twelve years, this congregation has grown from 5 individuals in a living room to a community of more than 150 families. Galit holds a Bachelor of Arts in Hebrew Literature & Hebrew Language from the Hebrew University and a Master of Arts in Gender Studies from Bar Ilan University. She was ordained in 2014 at Hebrew Union College in Jerusalem. Galit is married to Dr. Adar Cohen, PhD, chair of The Teacher Education Department at the Seymour Fox School of Education at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Together they have three children: Hodaya, Uri & Ivri.
Registration, Fees, & Cancellation Policy
To work with our Israel-based partner, all dates must be confirmed with the JCP and Kodesh v’Chol calendars. The total B’nai Mitzvah fee will be $5,000 due in two installments ($2,500 to secure the date, and $2,500 ceremony logistics fee due six months in advance). Please see the B’nai Mitzvah cancellation policy, as the same policy applies to the JCP B’nai Mitzvah in Israel Program.
With two years advance notice, JCP’s rabbi can plan to be in Israel to officiate a B’nai Mitzvah ceremony. If there are multiple ceremonies within the same year, it is likely we will coordinate dates so more than one ceremony happens in a single trip for the rabbi. In addition to the $5,000 B’nai Mitzvah fee, additional fees will apply. In the past, when JCP’s rabbi has traveled to Israel to officiate a B’nai Mitzvah, it has taken place at the egalitarian section of the Western Wall or at a hotel.
If you choose not to participate in our JCP B’nai Mitzvah in Israel Program, you will need to find your own rabbi to officiate the ceremony in Israel. If you choose to work with your own rabbi in Israel, the B’nai Mitzvah fee will be $3,000 due in two installments ($2,500 to secure the date, $500 ceremony logistics fee). Please note, this is in addition to the payment that you agree upon with the officiating rabbi.
Interested? Reach out!
To participate in our JCP B’nai Mitzvah in Israel Program, please contact Daphne Logan.