The Morris Winchevsky School’s (MWS) Secular B’nai Mitzvah Program is committed to enriching students’ understanding of their Jewish heritage and identity. We define our Jewish identity as cultural, ethnic and historical, rather than religious. Our goal is to foster a strong sense of social responsibility based on historical and contemporary Jewish values.

The MWS program culminates in a ceremony that showcases the individual talents and group achievements of our students. This unique coming-of-age event produces a joyous and meaningful experience, both for students and their families.

What Makes Our Ceremony Unique?

We provide a rare opportunity for graduating students, parents and educators to collectively shape their secular B’nai Mitzvah ceremony, custom-tailoring it to highlight the specific interests and talents of the graduates.

With staff guidance, students select a Jewish topic of their choice, research it, and present their papers as part of a community ceremony. Former research topics have included: The Kindertransport; The Jewish Road to Hollywood; Kensington Market; Marc Chagall; The Pale of Settlement; Art in the Holocaust, and None is Too Many.

The presentation of the research projects are woven together throughout the ceremony with thematically appropriate musical, artistic and theatrical components and candle lighting dedications as well as the reading of the MWS Credo. To add an extra level of depth, students may also participate in The Holocaust Centre of Toronto’s “Bar/Bat Mitzvah of Remembrance Twinning Project”.

Curriculum Goals

Our curriculum provides the resources to answer four key questions:

• What does it mean to be Jewish?
• What makes me define myself as Jewish?
• How can I make the world a better place?
• What does it mean to be a Bar/Bat Mitzvah?

Our students are provided with the basic knowledge to discuss issues and develop their own opinions about a variety of themes. Students are also expected to participate in volunteer programs as part of their learning about our collective responsibility to make the world a better place.