Shahak Global
An international Bar/Bat Mitzvah program that makes the Bar/Bat Mitzvah year meaningful for boys and girls, groups, and families from Israel and around the world.
Families
Schools
Groups
The Bar/Bat Mitzvah year is a unique and significant time in the cycle of life, marking the beginning of a period in which young people shape their personal, social, and national identities. It is a special opportunity to strengthen the sense of belonging and responsibility of boys and girls to their families, community, heritage, and chain of generations.
The ‘Shahak’ program was founded by the Western Wall Heritage Foundation in 2014 in memory of Lt. Amnon Lipkin-Shahak. For the past decade, it has accompanied thousands of boys, girls, and families in Israel and around the world during the Bar/Bat Mitzvah year, aiming to instill educational and moral values that will provide a joyful, defining, and meaningful experience for the young person and their family that will deepen their connection to their identity
Empowerment ◦ Experience ◦ Identity ◦ Belonging ◦ Meaning ◦ Family ◦ Chain of Generations ◦ Connection ◦ The Jewish Nation ◦ Games ◦ Israeli “Hasbara” ◦ Responsibility ◦ Heritage ◦ Group Dynamics ◦ Films ◦ Escape Boxes vActivities ◦Empowerment ◦ Experience ◦ Identity ◦ Belonging ◦ Meaning ◦ Family ◦ Chain of Generations ◦ Connection ◦ The Jewish Nation ◦ Games ◦ Israeli “Hasbara” ◦ Responsibility ◦ Heritage ◦ Group Dynamics ◦ Films ◦ Escape Boxes vActivities ◦
A journey of
content and meaning
The program is suitable for families, groups, and individuals and includes 8 sessions with a variety of options to choose from:
Family Track
Online sessions on Zoom with a guide and a special activity package delivered personally
Group Track
Sessions at schools, youth movements, and organizations
Individual Track
Face-to-face sessions and an activity package with a guide at home (where possible)
Content of the Sessions
The Shahak Global program, in collaboration with the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs, United Jewish Communities, and Mosaic, produces a unique and tailored program for Jews and Israelis worldwide. In the program, we embark together on a journey of belonging, meaning, and responsibility in the Bar/Bat Mitzvah year.
A festive introductory meeting with the whole family, including an interactive game and activity. We’ll explore what makes the Bar/Bat Mitzvah year unique and ask: What is all the celebration about? We’ll embark on a shared journey filled with games and experiences, starting down the path to maturity and responsibility.
In this session, the boy or girl will discover their inner powers, strengths, and unique qualities through games and activities. We’ll explore how their strengths come with great responsibility for the world around them.
A touching and unique session. Together with the parents, we’ll explore the core values passed down through generations. We’ll focus on the family’s unique fingerprint, strengthen the family’s goodness through shared games, learning, and meaningful challenges.
Mutual responsibility, the spirit of volunteering, and unity – in this session, we’ll reach outward to the broader community circle. We’ll explore personal and communal responsibility, giving, and solidarity. We’ll understand how the Bar/Bat Mitzvah year is an opportunity to take responsibility, do good, and spread light – values that define the Jewish nation.
Taking Responsibility – Young Diplomats (Optional Session)
We’ll expand our sense of responsibility and sensitivity to the Jewish people. We’ll dive into the world of diplomacy through an engaging and interactive escape-room-style experience that strengthens identity and equips families to face global public opinion in an era of rising antisemitism. This is a family activity.
A moving and unique encounter with the heart of Jerusalem – the Western Wall. Together with the family, we’ll take a virtual tour of the Western Wall Tunnels and of excavations not yet open to the general public.
This session explores the symbols and treasures of the Bar/Bat Mitzvah year passed down through generations of the Jewish people.
We’ll uncover the secret of tefillin and the Torah scroll, participate in a hands-on parchment writing workshop, and with the girls, we’ll light Shabbat candles – connecting past and present in a way that builds and strengthens us.
The Chain of Generations – in this session, we’ll broaden our perspective and reflect on the chain of past, present, and future generations. We’ll encounter pivotal events and influential figures in Jewish history and explore how the Bar/Bat Mitzvah is a key link in the ongoing chain of the Jewish people.
A moving final session summarizes our journey. Together we’ll refine our dreams and grow wings. We’ll create a personal-family wall of values – looking to the past, standing in the present, and hoping for the future.
Join an empowering global experience for the bar/bat mitzvah year.
Jewish youth around the world celebrate the year of bar/bat mitzvah in connection and values.
Turn the Bar/Bat Mitzvah Year into the Beginning of a Significant and Valuable Chapter
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The program was founded by the Western Wall Heritage Foundation in 2014 in memory of Lt. Amnon Lipkin-Shahak
