By Nina Fondiller Woldin
This morning began as many mornings do, speaking with my eldest daughter while she is in transit – the only time she can talk without interruption – after dropping off her sons at school, or driving to work.
But today is also a little bit different. She is a history professor, and off to her first day of school for this year. I thought about all the first days of school I have experienced with her in the past 37 years, from preschool, through PhD, through teaching, each a milestone.
All of us travel along the path of our own lives, marking milestones and hopefully gaining wisdom as we do. At Chai Mitzvah we have a new program, Marking Milestones, for participants aged 70 – 83. I am looking forward to the conversations this group will have!
Here’s some background: Chai Mitzvah was originally designed to be a milestone for life’s passages. Our Founder and Board President, Scott Shay, wrote a book in 2006, Getting Our Groove Back: How to Energize American Jewry. In it, he examined the state of American Jewry and found it to be dangerously adrift and on an overall downward trajectory, due to a community-wide lack of shared purpose, focus, and mutual concern. To counter this downward spiral, he came up with a platform of practical and achievable ideas to reinvigorate American Jewry as a whole.
Based on the book, Chai Mitzvah was originally created as a life-passage milestone. Just as one becomes a bar/bat mitzvah, one would become a Chai Mitzvah. The idea was that many American Jews stop studying exactly when they should be starting – at B’nai Mitzvah age. The name Chai Mitzvah was chosen because the idea was to participate in this program every 18 years after B’nai Mitzvah. The age thing was not practical, and after a year or two was dropped.
But we have decided to revisit our original intent to make Chai Mitzvah a milestone for life’s passages. Since in our tradition 70 is considered a full life, and 83 an opportunity to have a second Bar/Bat Mitzvah, we are piloting a Marking Milestones group for people aged 70-83 to with a specially designed Chai Mitzvah curriculum.
There are other components to becoming a Chai Mitzvah, and they will be part of Marking Milestones. They are:
If you are interested in joining this new group, please respond below, or email me, nina@chaimitzvah.org. It promises to be a wonderful experience!
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I am. interested. Is there a,cost involved
No, there is no cost involved. Reb Deb will share the materials, and there is no cost for registration.
No, there is no cost involved with the virtual group. Reb Deb will share the materials, and there is no cost for registration.
When are you planning to start the group “Marking Milestones”?
Great question! The group will begin on September 28. (We made sure to work around the holidays.)
We will meet 12 times on Wednesdays, bi-weekly, for an hour and 1/2 each time– 12:00 to 1:30 ET.
I am so glad I can attend this group and continue and deepen my studies with Chai Mitzvah. Thank you, Laurie
We are so happy that you will join us!
I am looking forward to joining the Marking Milestones group.
We’re also looking forward! Thank you for being part of the group.
We are looking forward to our second Marking Milestones cohort!