Leader's Discussion Guide for A Spiritual Journey

Overview
These chapters in the handbook deal with the preparations that take place before the B'nai Mitzvah ceremony as the family arranges the celebration and attempts to bring their lives closer to Judaism through education and personal practice.

Experiential Activities
Play the "Prepare for Your Bar or Bat Mitzvah Game." Give each family Monopoly money (or other play money) in the amount that is spent on the average Bar/Bat Mitzvah in your community. Brainstorm with the group: list all the items on which money is usually spent (clothing, food, tzedakah, photographer, etc.). Make the list as complete as possible. Then give each family a set amount of time to "spend" their money, dividing it up among the different items. They might choose to eliminate some and to be extravagant with others. Share the results with the group and discuss what can be learned from the experience.

Values Formation
List and discuss various charities. Offer a wide variety of choices, being sure to explain the kind of work that each one does. Some can provide local services; others can be national in scope. Then offer each family play money to distribute among the charities of their choice. They will have to decide what percent should go to specifically Jewish causes and how much to meet universal needs (e.g. cancer research, United Way, etc.). Share the results with the group. Experiences like this usually lead to the conclusion that there are endless needs to be met with insufficient resources.

Discuss a mitzvah learned during this course which participants might continue to perform.

Spiritual Development
Discuss the role of tzedakah in Jewish life. You might wish to present a chart of Maimonides' "Eight Levels of Charity" to spark the discussion. Maimonides classified people who perform acts of tzedakah into eight groups. The eighth level is, according to Maimonides, the highest level of giving. Do the participants agree?

1. One who is asked and gives unwillingly.
2. One who gives less than is appropriate, but gives cheerfully.
3. One who gives a proper amount after being asked.
4. One who gives before being asked.
5. One who gives and does not know the receiver.
6. One who gives and does know the receiver but remains anonymous.
7. Both giver and receiver are unknown to each other.
8. One who helps people to provide for themselves, so they will not require help in the future.

Discussion Points
Discuss how the months of preparation can be a time for Jewish families to become closer to one another and to the synagogue family. Define ways to accomplish this.

What is meant by the phrase "lifelong learning?" Examine the on-going Jewish educational opportunities available in your synagogue and community.

Discuss the history, purpose and meaning of the confirmation ceremony. How does it relate to "lifelong learning"?

Explain the importance of the festive meal and the concept of the table as a replacement for the sacred altar in the ancient Temple. Discuss kashrut and the role it might play in planning the celebration.

Explain the Jewish custom of performing special acts of tzedakah at important moments in one's life. Discuss possible charities. If it is customary in your community, discuss the possibility of each family giving a gift to your synagogue in honor of their simhah.