Phyllis O. Berman

Celebrating menopause breaks the silences of a lifetime and forges a future of openness and sharing.

This ceremony uses elements of Jewish and other traditions to share a sense of possibility and openness with a newly menstruant girl.

The struggle to find personal meaning in words of Torah and to share that message with the community is the essence of Jewish spiritual maturation.

For a traditional family, the appropriate date for a bar/bat mitzvah is the Shabbat on or following the child's birthday, but for a liberal family, selecting a date can be more complicated.