It’s not often that a child who hasn’t grown up going to temple or religious school decides that they want to become a bar or bat mitzvah. Sylvie celebrated Passover and Chanukah and talked about the religion a bit because her mom is half-Jewish, but she never felt totally Jewish. 

Last year, when Sylvie was 12, she decided it would help her feel more a part of the Jewish community if she became a bat mitzvah. But where to start? They didn’t belong to a synagogue.

Searching for a Synagogue

“My parents were open to the idea, but they wanted me to find a temple where I’d feel comfortable and that would be open to my background, so I Googled ‘Jewish temples near me,’” Sylvie explains. “I looked at a few websites and Micah seemed to be very welcoming and personal.” The family talked to Rabbi Mo and felt good about the decision to join Temple Micah.

“It turns out all our Jewish friends belong to Temple Micah, but we had never talked about it before,” says Sylvie’s mom, Anna. “Also, both Sylvie and I went to Montview Preschool, so Micah felt very homelike.”

Three I would use to describe Temple Micah are: welcoming, open-minded, and warm. – Sylvie

Starting Religious School and the B’nai Mitzvah Program

Sylvie signed up for the B’nai Mitzvah program, which included weekly religious school classes, Hebrew tutoring with Risa Aqua, and weekly meetings with Rabbi Mo. Before last year, the only Hebrew Sylvie knew was the blessing for lighting the candles. She worked hard, attended services and classes, did a mitzvah project, and became a bat mitzvah in May 2025! 

Sylvie says about the religious school experience, “I liked the teachers. One was a cultural Jewish teacher who covered history and traditions, which was very interesting, especially since I hadn’t learned much of this growing up. The Hebrew teacher helped me read and recognize Hebrew more easily. I also liked being around people my age studying the same thing, and having friends who understood what I was going through.”

Including the Family

Three words Sylvie would use to describe Temple Micah are: welcoming, open-minded, and warm. Anna echoes that sentiment. “My husband isn’t Jewish, and his family felt really comfortable during the bat mitzvah. Many of our non-Jewish friends commented that it was the best they felt in a spiritual space in a long time; Micah was so welcoming. We’re grateful that Sylvie got to have that positive experience…without making our extended family unwelcome.”

Now the family attends High Holyday services, occasional Shabbat services, and the Spring Fling, and Sylvie gets together with her b’nai mitzvah classmates. Her 10-year-old brother is considering starting religious school and becoming a bar mitzvah.

Anna comments, “Through our involvement with Temple Micah, I’ve realized that my upbringing was more Jewish than I thought. The philosophical approach I was raised with is similar to many Jewish values. Initially I was opposed to going to a temple, but Micah is so welcoming. Rabbi Mo and the congregation do a great job of setting parameters for exploring questions without abandoning the text, bringing an intellectually-engaging approach that is traditional but not inflexible” Anna also notes that they know a lot of families with kids who were raised more secularly who are interested in exploring becoming a bar or bat mitzvah. “Micah made that so accessible for Sylvie, more people may be coming to Micah for the b’nai mitzvah program!”

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