A recent study by CKids International at Merkos 302 revealed a concerning trend: a significant number of Jewish boys are not celebrating their Bar Mitzvahs. A new program is helping shluchim close this “Bar Mitzvah gap.”
Shluchim worldwide are at the forefront of an important initiative to ensure every Jewish boy experiences the transformative milestone of a Bar Mitzvah. This effort comes in response to a recent study by CKids International at Merkos 302 that revealed a concerning trend: a significant number of Jewish boys are not celebrating their Bar Mitzvahs.
The study, which surveyed Chabad Houses globally, found that in an average Chabad House’s vicinity of about 105 children aged 12 or 13, a staggering 44 do not have any Bar Mitzvah experience. Recognizing the critical nature of this issue, Shluchim are mobilizing to bridge this gap.
To support these efforts, CKids, in partnership with Tzivos Hashem, has developed a program called BAM (Bar/Bat Mitzvah). This initiative offers Shluchim a comprehensive curriculum, ceremony planning resources, and mitzvah project opportunities to enhance their existing Bar Mitzvah programs.
The implications of this “Bar Mitzvah gap” extend far beyond missed parties. Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky, executive director of Merkos 302, the organization behind CKids, emphasizes the critical nature of this issue.
“The Bar Mitzvah age is crucial,” Kotlarsky explains. “As Jewish teens enter today’s high school environment and a social media landscape filled with anti-Jewish rhetoric. We need to give them the tools and Jewish pride to withstand these challenges and become confident leaders.”
The BAM program is designed to transform the perception of Bar Mitzvah from a single event to the beginning of a lifelong Jewish journey. As the Rebbe wrote to a Bar Mitzvah boy in 1958, “To become Bar Mitzvah does not mean a graduation or completion, G-d forbid. On the contrary, it is the beginning of a full life as a fully qualified Jew, all your studies up to the Bar Mitzvah were only a preparation for it.”
“The Rebbe taught us how to look at every child,” said Rabbi Yerachmiel Benjaminson, Executive Director of Tzivos Hashem. “The Rebbe spent countless hours talking directly to them, letting them know they matter and Hashem is relying on them. This is the core message we impart to every Bar Mitzvah boy, emphasizing their essential role in the story of the Jewish people.”
Rabbi Zalmy Loewenthal, Director of CKids at Merkos 302, outlined the vision for the program: “BAM aims to bridge the gap and provide an engaging Jewish experience for Bar Mitzvah boys and their families. As well as helping boys prepare for the ceremony itself, it leads towards a lifetime of Jewish communal involvement and leadership.”
The findings of the CKids study are further corroborated by broader trends in the Jewish community. According to Pew Research data, only about six in ten U.S. Jews say they held or participated in a Seder in the year prior to the survey, and a similar share say they attended a ritual to mark a lifecycle passage or milestone, such as a bar mitzvah or bat mitzvah. This data underscores the importance of the Shluchim’s efforts to address the “Bar Mitzvah gap.”
As the BAM initiative gains momentum, Shluchim are energetically reaching out to more families, igniting a renewed interest in this timeless tradition. Their efforts are creating opportunities for countless young Jews to connect deeply with their heritage, fostering a sense of belonging and pride to last a lifetime.
Shluchim interested in enhancing their Bar Mitzvah programs with the BAM resources can find more information and register at CKids.org/bamshluchim.
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