Kabbalat Torah, confirmation, usually takes place after Bar or Bat Mitzvah at the age of fifteen or sixteen. Liberal Judaism has long regarded Kabbalat Torah as the most important ceremony because it prolongs the period of formal religious education.
The confirmees benefit from studying as a mature group with Rabbi Frank Dabba Smith and Rabbi Kathleen de Magtige-Middleton. In addition to studying Hebrew and Jewish texts, in Kabbalat Torah particular emphasis is placed on study of the Holocaust, in particular altruism and resistance.
Every year, the class go on a 4-day trip abroad to bring these studies to life and complete a project reflecting what they’ve experienced. This forms a key element of the annual Kabbalat Torah service, itself a highlight of the congregation’s calendar. Previous destinations have included Berlin and Amsterdam. In 2015 the class will visit Warsaw and Lodz.
Though a tradition emanating from Liberal Judaism, Kabbalat Torah is offered to all young people in HaMakom, our religion school, following their Bar or Bat Mitzvah, and is open to all young people within the Mosaic community.
For more information on Kabbalat Torah, contact us .
