Welcome to Areyvut

	BNAI MITZVAH RESOURCE CENTER
		From donating your dress to organizing annual community wide food drives, there are countless ways to enhance a family's Bar/Bat Mitzvah experience through social action. Below is a list of programs that Areyvut can implement to help students and families infuse their Bar/Bat Mitzvah celebrations with the Jewish values of chesed (kindness), tzedakah (charity) and tikkun olam (social justice) by engaging in community service projects. Bnai Mitzvah Consultations: Areyvut works one-on-one with Bnai Mitzvah students to design and implement personalized mitzvah projects that cater to their interests and needs. To arrange a consultation, please complete our Bnai Mitzvah Intake Form. Bnai Mitzvah Essay Contest: Students are invited to share their Bnai Mitzvah project experiences with the entire Jewish community by participating in Areyvut's Annual Bnai Mitzvah Essay Contest. We recognize students who have made unique contributions to their communities. Areyvut will award winners with exciting prizes, invite winners to participate in the Bnai Mitzvah Panel Program and post winning essays on our website to serve as models for students who are just beginning to plan their Bnai Mitzvah projects. The deadline for all essay entries is December 1st. For more information, please click here. "A Kindness a Day" Desk Calendar: The “A Kindness a Day” Calendar contains 365 suggested activities that exemplify the Jewish values of chesed, tzedakah, tikkun olam and character improvement. The calendar is a great resource for everyone, both as a guide to help inculcate Jewish values into one's life and as a springboard for discussion and study. The calendar can be purchased from Amazon.com, JudaicaPress.com or by calling us directly at 201-244-6702. "Make a Difference" Day: We invite schools, synagogues, families and community organizations to dedicate their day to helping others. On "Make a Difference" Day thousands of families will turn the "A Kindness a Day" calendar's suggestions into action with the help of the educational resources that Areyvut will provide. Save the date, "Make a Difference" Day 2008 will take place on April 4-6. To pre-register your project, please e-mail projects@areyvut.org. Bnai Mitzvah Fair: Areyvut works with schools, synagogues, and community organizations to arrange a personalized Bnai Mitzvah Fair for their students. This exposition is a wonderful opportunity for students to begin the process of choosing meaningful Bar/Bat Mitzvah projects. There are two models to the Bnai Mitzvah Fair and Areyvut can cater a Bnai Mitzvah Fair to the interests of a specific school or organization or to service the broader Jewish community. Both models can also be combined into one fair. Volunteer Organization Fair: Representatives from various community organizations introduce students and their families to a variety of hands on mitzvah projects and Areyvut offers guidance on how to plan and execute mitzvah projects that best meet each students needs. Hands-On Fair: Students are introduced to a variety of mitzvah projects through participating in hands on activities that will help them decide what project best fits their needs and interests. *The Meaning Behind Bnai Mitzvah: 3 Part Series:* An expansion of the Bnai Mitzvah Fair that promises to be more effective in inspiring students to find meaning in their Bar/Bat Mitzvah. Session 1: A lesson that emphasizes the connection between a Bar/Bat Mitzvah celebration and active participation in a mitzvah project Session 2: Students attend a Bnai Mitzvah Fair with their parents Session 3: Discussion, reflection and initial stages of each student’s project Bnai Mitzvah Panel Program: Areyvut will organize an informative group of experts to share ideas of how to incorporate mitzvot into a Bar/Bat Mitzvah celebration. Panelists, who may include representatives from local volunteer programs, educators, parents and students who have done innovative projects, will share stories and suggestions based on their own involvement in mitzvah projects and Areyvut will provide additional resources to help families plan a community service component for their celebrations. We invite you to explore the Areyvut web site to learn more about programs we have already implemented and additional resources we have available. We would also appreciate learning more about some of the innovative ideas you have developed to get children more involved in community service. Please contact us at 201-244-6702. We look forward to working with you to adapt our programs to fit your needs. To arrange a program in your community, please contact Areyvut at info@areyvut.org or 201-244-6702.