Should a Mitzvah Project End?

After reading an article in the Jewish Journal about a young woman who is continuing her mitzvah project 15 years later, it dawned on me, if we are in the business of helping kids find mitzvah projects, we should also talk about a mitzvah project’s timeline. When does it start and when does it end? Thousands of bar and bat mitzvah students have used themitzvahbowl.com as a search tool to help them find meaningful mitzvah projects. Many begin their projects up to a year or more in advance, while others start their project in the months leading up to their […]

Mitzvah Project Timeline 101

Frequently, The Mitzvah Bowl website receives the same inquiry asking “How far in advance should my son (or daughter) begin working on their mitzvah project?” We turned to local rabbis for their professional advice to validate what we thought was an appropriate timeframe. The consensus among the clergy is that a student should initiate their project at least six months prior to their simcha. Rabbi Cynthia Kravitz of Kesher Israel Congregation, West Chester, PA agrees, “Our students begin their 20 hour Tikkun Olam/Social Action Project in the year prior to their becoming a bar/ bat mitzvah.” Rabbi Eliot Holin, Kol […]