Backstory

Some 80 percent of Jewish children who complete their Bar or Bat Mitzvah don't continue to practice Judaism, or even go to synagogue, after the ceremony.

In 2014 some educators in the Jewish "Reform Movement" hoped to stop the attrition by reducing fanfare and enhancing meaning.

Listen to the story on NPR’s Here and Now HERE

Aired on April 29th, 2014

Photo courtesy of Temple Beth Elohim, Wellesley MA