Women's Tefillah to import bat mitzvah curriculum

By Deborah Moon Seldner

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Portland's Women's Tefillah is working to bring a mother-daughter bat mitzvah program to Portland beginning this fall.
Founded in 1988 by the Sadie Rennert Women's Institute for Torah Studies, MaTaN is a nine-week course on great women in Jewish history designed to inspire and connect mothers and daughters during the year before the daughter becomes a bat mitzvah.
"For moms and daughters to have a Jewish study and spiritual experience together in a year when so much time is spent on organizing and planning is wonderful," said Bonni Goldberg, who chairs the fund-raising committee to bring the program to Portland. "It connects the woman-to-be with the woman who raised her to segue into a new relationship together."
Goldberg said the non-denominational program is text-based and has been used in schools, synagogues and Jewish community centers across the country. Women from all congregations, as well as unaffiliated families, are welcome to participate in the program, she said, noting the intention to have a bat mitzvah ceremony is not a requirement to participate.
Erica Goldman, co-founder and coordinator of the Women's Tefillah said the program was a natural for the women's group, which meets once a month for women-led services.

"It's probably is the best venue in the community," said Goldman. "There are a lot of mother-daughter pairs who come. ? And most of the Jewish women educators in the community have come through at some point."
"The MaTaN Bat Mitzvah Program enables mothers to help prepare their daughters for entry into Jewish adulthood by exploring together what it has meant to be a Jewish woman in generations past and what it means to each of them today," according to program literature.
MaTaN combines havruta-style text study with experiential activities to connect mothers and daughters. Program literature lists guided imagery, theater, art, music and other creative activities as methods used to enrich and deepen the shared experience.
Goldberg's fund-raising committee is trying to raise $3,000 to train teachers and buy the curriculum and the rights to reproduce it for participants.
A trainer from the Institute in Jerusalem is scheduled to come to Portland on Sept. 3 to train local teachers. Goldberg said she hopes to have 10 local educators participate in the training to create a cadre of program leaders who can lead the program for years to come.
Goldberg said the nine-week program will be offered once a year. She said the educators who go through the training will decide whether to take turns leading classes or whether to have one teacher lead a class each year.
Goldman said several educators in the Women's Tefillah have expressed an interest in the training.
"I hope mothers and daughters will take advantage of this program," she added.
Educators interested in participating in the training or those wishing to support bringing the program to the community should contact Goldberg at 503-892-6478.