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Cheers! - A contemporary look at the rituals that shape our lives

Birth, relationships, breakups... What can rituals tell us about the major transitions in our lives?

How many times have you attended a circumcision ceremony, wedding, bar mitzvah, or funeral and felt that there was something powerful there—but you couldn't quite connect with it? This series was created just for you.
 
We encounter Jewish rituals at the most significant moments in life: when we are moved by the wonder of birth, when we pause our automatic rush to notice our children growing up, when we choose a life partner, when we say goodbye to loved ones... We stand, listen, participate, but are not always sure what exactly is happening there, and what it does to us.
 
You are invited to participate in a series of experiential meetings in which we will take a fresh look at the Jewish rituals that accompany the cycle of life:
circumcision
Bar/Bat Mitzvah
Wedding canopy and marriage
divorce
burial
 
The series “L'Chaim” invites us to pause for a moment and take a fresh look at Jewish life rituals—not as commandments to be performed, but as spaces of meaning, identity, and human inquiry.
 
In each session, we will delve into one ritual: we will learn about its origins, structure, blessings, and texts, as well as the values and human meanings it conveys, and we will discuss our personal experiences with these rituals. The series will open with an introductory session dealing with the essence of the ceremony: its characteristics, its components, and its role in moments of transition and change in a person's life. 

Why does this concern me?

We live between worlds:

  • Connected to tradition – but not always to its language

  • Participating in ceremonies – but sometimes feeling like an outsider.

  • Seeking meaning in tradition—but not coercion.

Ceremonies are part of our lives. The question is: In what way Are they relevant to us?

What will I take away from the series?

  • A deeper understanding of the rituals we already encounter
  • I will know how to turn moments of transition into moments of personal meaning.

  • The opportunity to feel connected during the ceremonies in our lives.

  • Connecting ancient traditions with life in the here and now

Who is it suitable for?

  • For those who feel that rituals are meaningful but not always understood

  • For those who are at a crossroads in life

  • For those seeking open, intellectual, and emotional Jewish learning

  • For those who are not looking for definitive answers, but rather meaningful conversation

     

Lecturers of the series

Picture of הרב ד"ר רני יגר

Rabbi Dr. Rani Jaeger

11.2 - Opening: What is a ceremony?.

Picture of הרבה תמר גור קראוזה

Many Tamar Gur Krause

25.2 On the Wedding Ceremony

Picture of הרב אסטבן גוטפריד

Rabbi Esteban Gottfried

11.3 - Bar/Bat Mitzvah Ceremony

Picture of הרבה ד"ר רננה רביצקי פילזר

Dr. Renana Ravitzky-Piler

25.3 - On the Circumcision Ceremony

Picture of הרב שלמה זכרוב

Rabbi Shlomo Zakrov

15.4 On the divorce ceremony

Picture of הרב לוי ויימן קלמן

Rabbi Levi Weiman Kelman

29.4 - On funerals and burials

  • Practical details

    📅 Wednesdays
    🕖 7:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m.
    📍 “In Ponocho,” Itamar Ben Avi 9, Tel Aviv
    📆 11.2 | 25.2 | 11.3 | 25.3 | 15.4 | 29.4

    🔸 The number of places is limited.
    🔸 You can join the entire series or a single session.

11.2 – Opening: What is a ceremony: with Rabbi Dr. Rani Yeger
25.2 – – The Wedding Ceremony: With Tamar Gur Krause
11.3 – Bar/Bat Mitzvah Ceremony: With Rabbi Esteban Gottfried
25.3 – Circumcision ceremony: with Dr. Renana Rabitzky-Piler
15.4 – Divorce ceremony: with Rabbi Shlomo Zakrov
29.4 – Funeral ceremony: with Rabbi Levi Weiman-Kelman
 

when?

Wednesdays, once every two weeks, 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

where?

"Bafnucho" Space - 9 Itamar Ben-Avi Street, Tel Aviv

Who is this for?

To anyone seeking meaning in traditional ceremonies

costs

For the entire series 6 sessions

for the meeting isolated

For members of an Israeli house of prayer

₪ 180
For the entire series
  • For all 6 sessions
  • 30 NIS per session
Yes, I want to join the series.

For the general public

₪ 250
For the entire series
  • For all 6 sessions
  • 41 NIS per session
Yes, I want to join the series.

For members of an Israeli house of prayer

₪ 40
For a single meeting
  • For one meeting
Yes, I want to join the series.

For the general public

₪ 50
For the entire series
  • For a single meeting
Yes, I want to join the series.