B’naiture Frequently Asked Questions
FAQ
A: B’naiture is an experiential mentorship program that focuses on embodied, nature-based learning — we weave Jewish teachings, story, and song with wilderness skills, nature awareness, challenges, and community-building experiences. There are no walls, no desks, and usually no paper. The outdoors is our gathering space.
Wilderness Torah youth programs do not replace synagogue Hebrew school education, where students formally learn skills such as Hebrew, Torah, and liturgy.
Rather, Wilderness Torah’s programs engage youth in the natural world through Jewish stories, teachings, songs, and prayers to help youth learn about themselves, become more self-reliant, and deepen their relationship to nature and Jewish tradition.
For many families, our programs are their stand-alone source of Jewish education, while roughly ⅓ additionally enroll their children at Hebrew schools or Jewish day schools.
Young people who come with very little background in Jewish learning often reflect feeling a newfound sense of Jewish identity through learning prayers, songs, and understanding the Hebrew calendar.
A: Traditional B’Mitzvah ceremonies are not a part of the B’naiture program goals or curriculum itself. We celebrate the coming-of-age process with a strong focus on the culminating fire solo, and explore becoming an adult within a Jewish context.
Wilderness Torah also has a B’mitzvah tutoring and ceremony track that can supplement B’naiture, or stand on its own.
B’naiture can enrich traditional B’Mitzvah education and can also serve families who do not choose to undertake traditional B’Mitzvah ceremony and training.
A: B’naiture is a two-year journey.
In the first year, youth develop basic skills and build relationships with their peers and mentors.
The second year cohort builds upon the skills from the first year, allowing them to take on greater challenge, adventure, independence, and advanced skills.
Second year youth are guided into deeper introspection regarding their coming-of-age from child to teenager, take on more responsibility within the program, and engage in higher level skills and activities including fire and nature-based Judaica crafting, among others.
As a culmination of the two-years of skill-building and experience, each second year mentee graduates through a final overnight solo (or other appropriate challenge) designed to reveal their inner strength, celebrate their unique gifts, and mark their passage into their teenage years.
A: The transition from childhood to adolescence is marked by a growing sense of identity that crosses and connects many aspects of a person’s life. Gender dynamics tend to be very influential during these years.
At B’naiture, we define gender as a dynamic relationship between one’s body, self-identity and expression. Gender can be experienced as a binary (boy/girl), it can be experienced expansively (non-binary/trans/queer/fluid/etc), and it can be experienced in infinite ways that we haven’t even created language for yet. Each year we learn more about how to best work with gender in B’naiture. Our intention is to include and respect all gender identities.
Our experience confirms current psychological research that shows how young people at this age generally experience and process things differently depending on their gender identity.
In certain moments of the program, we may gather into gender affinity spaces where youth place themselves in the gendered group of their choice, and get to explore topics and experiences relevant to their gender identity.
A: Wilderness Torah is a pluralistic community, and we welcome participants of all backgrounds; Jewish, multi-faith, and beyond. No prior knowledge or experience is expected. Our programs are rooted in the rhythms of the Jewish calendar and immerse youth in Jewish stories, songs, crafts, and earth-based traditions.
We are not affiliated with a single denomination. Instead, we create inclusive spaces where people with a wide range of Jewish practices, beliefs, and levels of observance can participate comfortably. Whether your family observes Shabbat or Kashrut (dietary laws), or you’re brand new to Jewish spaces, you are welcome here.
We encourage curiosity and open conversation about differences in practice, and see pluralism as an opportunity for meaningful learning and growth in community.
A: Shabbat is a central part of our camping trips. We welcome it in special, meaningful ways such as lighting candles, gathering for a song-filled Friday evening service, and sharing blessings over wine and bread before our festive meal. We slow down, unplug from the pace of the week, and create space for rest, connection, and joy in community.
Our overall program is not strictly guided by traditional Shabbat laws. At the same time, participants who personally observe Shabbat more traditionally are warmly welcomed and supported in their practice. We’re committed to creating an environment where people with a wide range of backgrounds and experiences can feel comfortable and included.
A: Whenever possible, Wilderness Torah prioritizes purchasing and preparing food that is kosher, local, organic, seasonal, humane, and socially just. Wilderness Torah prioritizes sourcing fresh, unprocessed foods, and when choosing processed or packaged foods, aims to purchase certified kosher foods. Wilderness Torah may at times prioritize certain values, such as local or organic, over kosher-certified. When such a choice is warranted, a kosher option will be available upon request. Example: We purchased local, homemade, organic bagels that were not kosher but we had kosher bread choices available. We aim to include people from a wide spectrum of Jewish observance; please reach out with questions or requests and we will do our best to accommodate you.
A: Please read our youth program refund policy.
