While teaching in a Providence, RI, middle school enrichment program, I led a class called “Who am I? Who am I Becoming?” exploring developmental shifts during these years. While middle schoolers are an apt audience for these questions, they are ones we can revisit throughout all stages of life. Now, at Lab/Shul it’s my distinct privilege to bear witness to these questions in action by facilitating in each of our rite of passage programs.

Rites of passage are assuming greater significance amid growing societal divisions and intergenerational tensions both within and beyond the Jewish community. At Lab/Shul, we are responding to this moment by launching BECOMING. BECOMING reimagines Jewish traditional coming-of-age journeys as sacred tools for better living creating intentional space for individuals at pivotal milestones in their personal and Jewish journeys — look for new updates to our website soon! Our recently completed business plan outlines the steps we will take to bring this vision to life, offering opportunities for reflection, communal connection, spiritual guidance, and the pursuit of purpose including enhanced versions of the following initiatives:

  • Raising the Bar – our re-imagined and highly-personalized B Mitzvah program
  • Pass/Age – our Rite of Passage program for Jewish adults in their 20s through 50s who are exploring their personal and collective identity, and their transitions and trajectory of life, as inspired by Jewish wisdom.
  • GENerate – our year-long Rite of Passage experience for a small cohort of seekers, 60ish and above, exploring different ways to age wisely, generatively, and soulfully together.

Back in December, we read a Torah portion where our Biblical ancestor Jacob lies down and dreams of angels moving up and down ladders between the heavens and earth. When he wakes, Jacob proclaims: 

וַיִּיקַ֣ץ יַעֲקֹב֮ מִשְּׁנָתוֹ֒ וַיֹּ֕אמֶר אָכֵן֙ יֵ֣שׁ יְהֹוָ֔ה בַּמָּק֖וֹם הַזֶּ֑ה וְאָנֹכִ֖י לֹ֥א יָדָֽעְתִּי׃

Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely יהוה is present in this place, and I did not know it!”
~Genesis 28:16, JPS 2006 translation

When the current cohort of GENerate, Lab/Shul’s rite of passage program for older adults exploring wise and soulful aging, gathered in December for our in-person Storahtelling retreat, we translated this section of text in multiple, and multi-sensory, ways, in order to understand what it has to offer us in terms of our real lives, right here and right now. Each time I have the privilege of facilitating in one of our rite of passage programs I am amazed by all the ways the divine is present in this place — and what a gift it is to offer compassionate and curious witness to each other, face to face.

ADULTS OF ALL AGES: If you are ready to embark on a unique spiritual journey with us, SAVE THE DATE – April 4-6, 2025 – for the first of two Pass/Age retreat weekends. On this retreat you will seek to define Judaism on your own terms. For more info, email: Ben@labshul.org.

BMITZVAH-AGED TWEENS AND TEENS: Explore your Jewish identity, make meaning from our collective heritage and commit to communal responsibility through Raising the Bar’s tried and true, artist-driven curriculum. For more info, email Stephanie@labshul.org.

Looking for other small group experiences at Lab/Shul?

  • SOUL:
    Join us for our weekly Virtual Mourner’s Kaddish Call, every Thursday at 12pm EST.
  • WISDOM:
    Join Rabbi Amichai’s Alef/Bet course on Tuesday evenings or his daily Below the Bible Belt journey
  • TOGETHER:
    • Join READ, Lab/Shul’s Racial Equity and Action Delegation
    • Join Lab/Shul’s MLK weekend of service with Repair the World + UJA Federation of new york
      • Jan 16-20 – Volunteer with other Lab/Shulers and community members in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day with MLK days of Service 2025
      • Jan 18 – Join the feminist-led weekend of action in DC & EVERYWHERE with The People’s March

Who are you? Who are you Becoming? Some of the journey of answering those questions you have to take on your own. But we hope very much to accompany you on the path toward your best self this year, and always.

With love,
Ben Freeman
Associate Clergy