Youth in canoes

● Programs

Yesod B’nei Mitzvah Journey

A different kind of B’nei Mitzvah experience.

● Program Overview

What It’s All About

Yesod, Hebrew for foundation, is a year-long, nature-based B’nei Mitzvah experience for youth in Grades 7 and 8 seeking a meaningful rite of passage that weaves Jewish wisdom and ritual, nature connection, and wilderness skills with community and identity building. 

Register Now

Registration for 2027-2028 is coming soon.

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Program Structure

Running from September to June, Yesod offers an environmentally conscious, non-denominational Jewish rite-of-passage that leads to long-term nature connection and engagement in Jewish community, by building: 

  • Familiarity with Jewish tradition, stories, and teachings;

  • Environmental values, ecological knowledge, and naturalist skills;

  • Maturity, responsibility, and activism.

Yamim (Days) B’Nature
1 Sunday per month
Outdoor gatherings in Ontario’s natural spaces, where participants build their wilderness skills and awareness while engaging in experiential learning about Jewish cycles, wisdom, and history.

Evenings B’Yachad (Together)
1 Wednesday evening per month
Involves community sharing circles, storytelling, and wild crafting to create unique Jewish ritual objects using natural materials. Caregivers will be invited to join the program for specific evenings several times throughout the year.

Shabbaton Canoe Trip and Graduation
An annual canoe trip focused on unearthing the awe of Creation through the practice of Shabbat, as well as a gathering of the wider community, including Yesod families, to celebrate this milestone.

Locations

Yesod programs and activities take place at various parks, ravines, and urban wild spaces in the GTA, including near the Don and Humber Rivers. As well, some Yom B’Nature Sunday programs will take place at Bela Farm (Erin) and Har Sheleg (King City). Our Evening B’Yachad will take place at a community member’s backyard or at the Shoresh office. The closing Shabbaton will take place further afield, within three hours of Toronto. Participants are responsible for travel to and from program locations.

Age Group

Yesod is for Jewish youth in Grades 7 and 8 (bar / bat / b. mitzvah age) who are seeking a hands-on, meaningful rite-of-passage experience that brings Jewish values, rituals, and teachings to life through deep connection with the natural world.

Yesod might be the right fit for someone:

  • wondering how Judaism applies to their life or where they fit within Jewish tradition; 

  • looking for an alternative to the traditional b’nei mitzvah experience; and/or

  • looking to ground and guide their b’nei mitzvah preparations and celebrations in Jewish wisdom, the outdoors and intentional community.  

No prior Jewish knowledge/experience is expected.

Is your teen past B'nei Mitzvah age? They'd probably love Kehilat Yesod, a teen leadership program for youth in grades 8-12.

Pricing and Subsidies

The fee for the year-long program is $3300. Sliding scale pricing ($3000-$3600) and generous subsidies are available to help ensure the program is accessible to all families.

Needs-Based Subsidies
We are grateful to be able to provide financial scholarships through the Howard Malach Legacy Fund For Jewish Nature Connection. To apply, please register for the program and select the Howard Malach Legacy Fund option. You will pay an $18 deposit and then asked what amount your family is able to afford.

To contribute to the fund and support community members in accessing Jewish learning outdoors, please donate.

Jewish Learning in Yesod

Throughout the entirety of the Yesod program, participants will be invited to explore, question, and envision their relationship to Jewish cycles of time, ritual, communication with Creator/Divine, texts, and ethics. Yesod takes a pluralistic approach to cultivating Jewish identity for its participants. Participants’ unique Jewish (and other) backgrounds will be respected and welcomed when openly discussing Jewish observance and values, and grappling with the complexities of Jewish tradition. By amplifying diverse voices, Yesod aims to create a supportive environment to foster individual and collective growth.

Jewish Pluralism at Shoresh

Shoresh welcomes Jews of all different backgrounds and affiliations. While learning about Jewish values and teachings, holiday celebrations, rituals, and prayer, we will be open to the many different ways that our community members interpret these traditions and how they choose to live and learn Jewishly.  As well, we create space for honouring the other cultural, religious, and spiritual identities that participants may be bringing to our programs.

What Families Are Saying

“Without exaggeration, Julius had a life changing experience at Yesod. The leaders invested in his growth so carefully and intentionally that he understood for the first time what a rite of passage means in practice. He knew he was being given skills and responsibilities that were not to be taken lightly. On another level, he relished the fun, adventure and camaraderie that can only be gotten through Shoresh programs.”

— sebastian, Yesod parent

“We spent months looking for a B'nei Mitzvah program that matched our family's values and our kid's unique self. Yesod was the one that felt best, and thanks to Shoresh's scholarship fund, we were able to provide our kid with an incredibly positive experience at a crucial time in their life.”

— Yesod Parent

“Thank you for the wonderful experience that Ronan had this past year in the Yesod group. It really meant so much to him, and to all of us. Your care and integrity and interest came through in all of the activities and communication, and it was an experience that I know will leave an indelible mark in Ronan's coming of age experience.”

— Dara, yesod parent

● Staff

Meet the Educators

Paul

Coordinator

Paul finds joy, connection and purpose spending time with young people. He is a Child and Youth Care Practitioner that has worked with individuals and groups from family homes to summer camps, ballet schools to hospices. He is blessed to work in a mentorship role with people of all ages in the context of nature, and is excited to support B’nei Mitzvahs living into their own big questions at such a potent time in their lives.

Tamar

mentor

Tamar is a teacher, student, and doer in the world of Jewish outdoor education, specializing in trees. Her work in trees in Toronto’s public and private sector and her years of experience leading canoe trips for Camp Ramah in Canada led her to the inevitable conclusion that the best place to be is outside. Tamar has studied in many institutions of Jewish learning, including TanenbaumCHAT, Associated Hebrew Schools, Pardes, and Urban Adamah. Tamar is a coordinator at heart, always looking for efficiencies in service of facilitating Jewish community gatherings focused on ritual, song, and nature connection.

Daniel

mentor

Daniel holds a Master of Environment & Sustainability from the University of Toronto, where his research explored how Jewish communities engage in environmental action. He has worked in plant conservation and nature education, and is passionate about connecting ecological sustainability with community life. Daniel’s Jewish education and personal passion for sustainability fuel his excitement about weaving together Jewish tradition and environmental values. In his free time, he can be found playing music with friends, hiking, or reading science fiction and fantasy novels.

● Program Overview

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Shoresh welcomes Jews and interfaith families of all different backgrounds and affiliations. We are open to the many different ways that our community members interpret Jewish traditions and how they choose to live and learn Jewishly. We also create space for honouring the other cultural, religious, and spiritual identities that participants may be bringing to our programs.

  • Yes! Sliding-scale pricing and scholarships are available to help ensure the program is accessible to all families.

  • Once you register and submit your deposit on Campbrain, we will contact you to set up a 30 minute phone/video interview to ensure that Yesod is a good fit for your family. Following the interview, you will be asked to pay the remainder of tuition.

  • A full refund (less non-refundable deposit) will be issued for any cancellation made at least 28 calendar days prior to the start date of the program. There will be no refunds issued for cancellations after 28 days prior to the program start date.

    In-person programs run in all weather. In the event of extreme weather, a program may need to be rescheduled. No refunds will be issued for programs rescheduled due to extreme weather.

    If a participant is unable to attend a session of Yesod due to illness, no refund will be issued.

    Shoresh reserves the right to cancel a program or change a program’s duration, price, or location.

    The above cancellation policy is not applicable during a time of force majeure or circumstances beyond our control (e.g. pandemic, quarantine, natural disaster, etc.).

  • To discuss any accessibility needs your child has, please contact our Program Coordinator at yesod@shoresh.ca

● Contact

Request Information

Thinking about registering? Curious whether this program would be a good fit for your family? Whatever you’re looking for, we’re here to help.