How to Navigate Massuot For Year 7 (2024/5)
CLaL
This part of the programme is all about learning what it means to be part of a community. The core element of your programme in Year 7 are CLaL (Community Life and Learning) sessions on a Shabbat morning.
CLaL sessions happen weekly on Saturday mornings during term time from 10.30am-12.30pm. These are taught by our education team and are a place to think together about what it means to be a Reform Jew in the 21st Century. Sessions will include topics such as God and Prayer, what people wear to synagogue, Shabbat, Israel, and other topics that may be useful on your journey.
It is important for CLaL sessions in year 7 that each B’nei Mitzvah student is accompanied by an adult. This could be a parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, or trusted family friend. We truly believe that the journey to becoming B’nei Mitzvah is more meaningful and fun when actively supported by your family. For this reason, we look forward to welcoming children and adults together to sessions and services.
Each morning will be split between time to learn together, and time to join the Shabbat morning service together so we can increase our experience of Shacharit services, get really familiar and comfortable with what happens in them and see other B’nei Mitzvah, so that you have a strong understanding of what your own role will be when it comes to your own B’nei Mitzvah.
In previous years, Massuot has given you the opportunity to ‘catch up’ on any sessions missed in Year 7 when you are in Year 8. From 2024/5 onwards, Shabbat morning CLaL will be just for Year 7, so make sure you note down the dates of the sessions so that you can attend them throughout the year, as you won’t have the chance to catch up.
Friday Group
At some point during Year 7, roughly 9 months before your B’nei Mitzvah, you will begin Friday Group. This is weekly, during term time, on a Friday night from 5.10pm to 6.25pm so that we can then go into the Kabbalat Shabbat service that starts at 6.30pm. For more information on Friday Group, click here.
Nitzotzot
A big change for your programme is that, from now on, you will only collect Nitzotzot for the Shabbat services you attend. When you receive your Nitzotzot passport, the services you have logged already will be noted on there. Please collect your passport from the reception desk in the Atrium, and bring it to Rhiannon, Ayal, or a member of Clergy at the end of the service you have attended to collect your Nitzotz sticker!
Your Year 8 Programme
You will continue to collect Nitzotzot for attending services, however when you are in Year 8, your programme will revolve around outings and trips that will be roughly ½ termly. More information about these will be shared soon!
After your B’nei Mitzvah
Once you have celebrated your own B’nei Mitzvah, you might be wondering what’s next! We encourage all Year 8s to come to the trips and outings throughout the year, regardless of whether you have had your B’nei Mitzvah yet or not. Additionally, once you have finished at Friday Group as a pupil, you will be invited to Helper Training where you can learn all you’ll need to take on a pupil of your own.
There will be a celebration towards the end of the year of all the Mitzvah Projects, with a Chavurah dinner afterwards. We use this opportunity to celebrate everything that everyone has achieved throughout Massuot.
In Year 9, you’ll also be invited to Hadracha training, where you’ll get to learn how to be one of our famously beloved madrichimot, helping out on Schemes, Kochavim, and other youth activities!
