How We Built This

by Audrey Lichter, originally published in Kenissa Konnections, the monthly newsletter of Kenissa: Communities of Meaning Network

How did Chai Mitzvah come about? We believe that there are incredibly skilled and passionate Jewish professional and lay leaders in our communities. We also believe that there are a plethora of opportunities for Jewish engagement and growth, if only more people would participate.

Chai Mitzvah was launched in 2009 to encourage personal and communal
Jewish growth by partnering with existing organizations and programs
to help increase such engagement.

We created a program that incorporates both a communal and an individual component. Individuals come together in small groups and commit to 9-12 monthly meetings, using beautifully illustrated text-based source books, designed to stimulate interesting and important discussions. Since our materials are especially designed to be very user friendly, these groups can be run by either laypeople or professionals.  In addition to monthly study, individuals make a personal commitment to what, we call, their POP- the Power of Passion. Individuals identify something Jewish they want to learn, a ritual to take on or deepen, or a social action project to engage in.  We encourage participants to look at the community that is sponsoring the program to find things that are personally meaningful to them, perhaps in a Synagogue, JCC, Federation, school, youth group, or with friendship or affinity groups.

The small group learning circles allow for intimate conversations and personal connections. We like to say: “A more engaged community member is a successful Chai Mitzvah experience.” Chai Mitzvah groups can be found throughout North America, in almost every state in the Union and in Canada, and across all denominational lines.

We have worked with people and groups that cross the life span, from teens to seniors and throughout the spectrum of the Jewish community. To date, over 9,000 people have become a Chai Mitzvah. We work on an individual level and with national organizations. For example, the Women of Reform Judaism brought Chai Mitzvah to hundreds of Reform sisterhoods.  Our Ingite Program seeks to create Chai Mitzvah circles all across a given community, from condos and friendship groups, to congregations, schools, and JCC’s. One large Reform congregation in Dallas, TX established 20 groups just within their own congregation. During Covid we also created robust, virtual communities, with monthly online meetings which Chai Mitzvah facilitates.

Each year we administer a pre and post survey to our participants. Overwhelmingly, our participants feel more engaged and focused in their Jewish journeys and most want to continue meeting in their groups beyond the life of the program. Many of these groups stay together and continue growing Jewishly.

While staying true to our core mission, Chai Mitzvah has grown in scope over the years. We have a robust teen program that combines study with scholarships for travel to Israel. We have also partnered with our founder and Board Chair, Scott Shay, in promoting and writing curriculum around two of his books, In Good Faith: Questioning Religion and Atheism, and Conspiracy U: A Case Study.

Recently, we have been working with college students on campus regarding anti-Zionist conspiracy theories, a theme of Scott’s recent book, and providing stipends for study and Israel travel. Educators also appreciate the robust and diversified curriculum that we have created for a nominal fee.

The biggest blessing we have had over the years is an involved fundraising board that has allowed our small staff to focus on building a strong program. Chai Mitzvah sees itself as much as an engagement vehicle as it is a learning program. Our biggest challenge is getting the word out about how we can be of use to the Jewish community. There is no magic bullet, and COVID has changed the way people learn and interact. There are certainly many opportunities for study online, but few that offer the possibility of feeling part of a community. We continue to reach out for partnerships and to tell our story.