How do we make a child’s Bar or Bat Mitzvah the life-changing, meaningful experience that we know it should be? What can families do to make this important rite of passage an introduction to life as a responsible Jew and human being?

This youth philanthropy program of the Jewish Foundation of Greater Toronto offers an engaging solution. By giving youth the opportunity to be philanthropists, we place in their hands one of the most valuable Bar or Bat Mitzvah gifts we can – the gift of giving.

As Jews, we want our children to care about the world they live in. But the truth is – they already do. They just need a way to express how much they care. Their Bar or Bat Mitzvah is the perfect time to empower them to allow them to begin making their voices heard.

Our youth philanthropists get to hear presentations about projects that need funding and then decide how they want to distribute the money generated by their funds. By exposing teens to this outstanding learning process, they become actively involved in the business end of philanthropy and feel really good about their role in improving the world.