Classes Start September 18, 2022
My Mitzvah at B'nai Havurah
First Class:
Sunday, September 18, 2022
My Mitzvah is a one-year B’nai (Bar/Bat) Mitzvah program open to all Jewish youth and their families, providing them with the identity and skills they need to be Jewish in today’s world.
Students from diverse backgrounds and levels of knowledge train together toward individual and shared goals, while families find a welcoming, non-judgmental place in which to grow Jewishly in community with others.
My Mitzvah is a program of B'nai Havurah and welcomes members and non-members alike. My Mitzvah participants may choose to hold their celebration in our building.
Register Now!
Registration is open for our 2022-2023 Mitzvah program. Classes start September 18, 2022. We look forward to having you join us.
CLICK HERE to register.
Tuition is reasonably priced
My Mitzvah is...
- Rooted in the words, melodies and culture of Jewish traditions. Reading Hebrew is not required.
- Personally relevant: Each student will connect to and engage with today’s Judaism in their own way and at their own pace.
- Family-involving: We will come together, to celebrate Shabbat or just to get to know each other, a few times during the year.
- Fresh: Our thoughtful, modern take on prayer language reflects an emphasis on tikkun olam -- our responsibility to humanity and the planet.
- Inclusive of different learning styles, backgrounds, all gender identities, all family constellations and all types of families: traditionally Jewish, questioning, interfaith, those identifying with any or no denomination within Judaism.
Two Monthly Classes for Students
- Shira Classes focus on practicing songs and prayers, with students reading transliteration or Hebrew, or progressing from one to the other.
- Mitzvah Labs focus on Torah, responsibility, leadership, and Jewish identity.
Family Gatherings
- Periodic opportunities for connecting, sharing experiences, and learning by doing.
- Occasional celebrations for families built around Shabbat or holidays.
Individual Meetings with Rabbi or Mitzvah Mavens
- 2 - 3 meetings with student to prepare for D’var Torah speech or presentation.
- Two meetings with family to choose a date; start planning; and individualize the service/program and siddur/booklet.
- Additional check-ins as needed.
- Dress rehearsal before your big event.
Interactive Siddur
Each student has their own digital siddur that serves as study text, holds student’s writings and questions, and provides a template for the final service/program and siddur/booklet.
Who is B'nai Havurah?
B'nai Havurah (in Hebrew, "Bunch of Friends") has been a Denver Jewish community for 60 years. We were formed by young Jews from observant backgrounds who wanted to revitalize Judaism for a modern Western world. We were the first in Denver to have women read from the Torah, the first to have instrumental music at our services, the first to reconstruct our prayers to be non-gendered and non-patriarchal. We are an inclusive, caring, thinking community based on social action, rich cultural heritage, and joyous practice. We are affiliated with the "Reconstructing Judaism" movement and we are empowered by Mordecai Kaplan's teaching that, in Judaism, "belonging and behaving come before believing." These tenets shape the My Mitzvah program.
Belonging: My Mitzvah participants will experience what it means to "do Jewish" in the context of a havurah -- a Jewish group of friends. We'll also gather together periodically, as families, to eat, drink, learn and do.
Behaving: What does it mean to "do Jewish?" How might ritual and Jewish culture enrich our lives? Are there any rituals our family might want to add to our repertoire? What does Judaism have to teach us about righteousness and justice? We'll explore these questions, but, more importantly, we will actively experience Jewishness in all its richness.
Believing: What we believe as Jews is a tapestry of traditional ideas, lived experiences and personal convictions. What kind of world do we believe in, and how does that influence our actions in the world?
My Mitzvah tuition also gets you a seat at our acclaimed, thoughtful, musical services -- at High Holy Days or any time of year -- as well as opportunities to do social action, celebrate, learn and socialize with the greater B'nai Havurah community...should you so choose.
Your joyfully relevant B’nai Mitzvah is just one year away.
Let’s get started!
If you have questions about My Mitzvah, please contact Risa at risaaqua25@
Co-Directors/Mitzvah Mavens
Risa Aqua
Risa Aqua has been teaching Hebrew for over 30 years, preparing children for B’nai Mitzvah for the past 17, and co-led dozens of B'nai Mitzvah with Hal Aqua. Risa has developed effective strategies for teaching prayer, Hebrew and Torah chanting to people of all abilities, aiming for challenge and growth without stress or embarrassment.
Risa also has a parallel career as a watercolor artist, designer and calligrapher.
Hal Aqua
Hal Aqua has been B'nai Havurah's Music Director for 15 years and currently serves as B'nai's Cantorial Ritual Director. Hal has provided musical leadership for hundreds of services, working with rabbis throughout Colorado and in neighboring states. He has also (with Risa Aqua) co-led dozens of B'nai Mitzvah, working closely with families to craft services that are warm, personal, and fulfilling. Hal has been a familiar presence in the wider Denver Jewish community, leading klezmer fusion band Hal Aqua and The Lost Tribe and organizing popular community events like the Jews Do Jews concert series and the annual KlezFest.
