“Rites of Passage are a birthright at all ages and stages. These moments – powered by Jewish tradition – deserve celebration, amplification and transformation.”
~ Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie

What makes a milestone truly meaningful? Is it the ritual, the learning, the community? Or the way all of it comes together in one powerful, personal moment?

This weekend, we will launch our first ever BECOMING Training Lab – a 4-day intensive weekend of training exceptional educators and artists to help facilitate rites of passage programs – reimagined for all ages. This is where our BECOMING programs step in…

Raising the Bar – one of Lab/Shul’s signature BECOMING Programs – opens the 2025-2026 cohort this fall. Here at Lab/Shul, the RTB journey is not about just preparing for a day, but stepping into a year-long journey of self-discovery, resilience, and joy, guided by Jewish tradition and supported by community.

Spots for the 2025–26 RTB cohort are limited and filling up quickly! If your family is ready to embrace this transformative journey, now is the moment to say yes. Let’s Talk! The RTB team is here to make your journey meaningful and as stress-free as possible, spiritually, emotionally or financially. Contact me with questions or interest today!  

Interested in RTB?

While my own B Mitzvah was many years ago now, I have had the honor of journeying with Raising the Bar (RTB) students here at Lab/Shul for the past four years, and can attest that their words speak to the power of the full experience. I want to share a special quote from one of our RTB students – a 13-year-old speaking at her B Mitzvah. In this moment, standing before friends and family, she marked a milestone not just for herself, but for her parents, grandparents, and the entire community who witnessed it:

“…I have been thinking a lot about the journey we are about to take as a country, and how no matter what you believe, it is true that things are bound to transform. With that, I see that our planet is transforming. Because of AI, I see that our ways of working and thinking are transforming. And of course today, on my bat mitzvah, I am transforming.
What I can say today, with the very little I know about the future, is that I am eternally grateful to Judaism for showing me what I need to transform in a way that ensures I never lose sight of my values, my community, and my sense of self. I need to stay curious, stay open minded. I need to stay trusting of myself and the universe. I need to fight closed minds with the power of my intuition. This doesn’t mean that I’m not gonna be scared sometimes, because already this year I’ve had moments where I’ve been very afraid. It also doesn’t mean I won’t hope that in the end our stories will all conclude as blissfully as our favorite rom coms, it just means I have a better idea now of where to turn in the face of the unknown…”

Being part of this community means so much to me, as both a community member and staffer. I’d love for you to join me in some of the meaningful ways Lab/Shul is coming together in the days and weeks ahead:

We look forward to connecting with you more deeply this season!

With love,
Stephanie Kane & The RTB Team
Manager, Youth & Family Programming