Moving Traditions

ABOUT

Moving Traditions is the parent organization of Rosh Hodesh: It’s a Girl Thing! and Shevet Achim: The Brotherhood. These complimentary programs are facilitated by local organizations for girls and boys respectively, to openly explore fundamental questions of identity and society.

Moving Traditions emboldens teens by fostering self-discovery, challenging sexism, and inspiring a commitment to Jewish life and learning.

Moving Traditions believes it is critically important for the Jewish community at this time of cultural upheaval and polarization to help teens navigate the world so they will thrive as healthy, ethical, and Jewishly connected people.

However, while a majority of Jewish teens will become b’nai mitzvah, most drop out of Jewish life soon after, leaving the Jewish community at a critical stage, just when they are figuring out who they are and how to behave in a society that often dictates narrow and unhealthy gender roles and ways of dealing with differences.

Moving Traditions connects the issues preteens and teens care about most—such as body image, social and academic pressure, friendship, romance, and sexuality—to enduring Jewish values, fosters positive peer-to-peer relationships through our trained educators and mentors, and inspires participants to develop an ongoing connection to Jewish community. By promoting a more inclusive and expansive view of gender for Jewish girls, boys, and transgender and nonbinary teens, we create a more vibrant, engaging Judaism that helps all teens to flourish.