INTRODUCTION:

In Jewish tradition, marking time, expressing gratitude, and gathering in community are all meaningful ways to honor another year of life. Through ritual, learning, creativity, food, and reflection this program offers a menu of options for celebrating birthdays with a Jewish spin. Choose what resonates most, mix and match activities, or simply explore new ways Judaism can add depth and joy to this personal milestone.  

PROGRAM SUGGESTION MENU:

• (JL) Grab a slice of cake and do a little learning on birthdays in Judaism with these source sheets!  
• (JCH) Host a birthday tashlich to help let go of the year that’s passed and prepare for the year ahead.  
• (JCH/JL) Do a little research and teach about the birthday psalm that’s associated with your age for the coming year.  
• (JCH) Put together Jewishly rooted vision boards for the year ahead!  
• (JCH) Riff on a Rosh HaShanah tradition and taste a new fruit (or three or four) that you have not yet tasted during this season! 
• (TO) Give a little extra tzedakah or host a tikkun olam event!   

(JL) Program #1: Learn about Birthdays in Judaism  

• Gather guests with a birthday treat of your choice and learn/discuss one of the following source sheets! Or reach out to your JLS to adapt/make a new sheet!  
  • Birthdays in Judaism (learn about the role of birthdays in Judaism) 
  • Until 120… (learn about a specific Jewish birthday tradition)  

(JCH) Program #2: Birthday Tashlich  

• Materials: sticks, twigs, shells, stones or whatever other natural material is around 
• Sing a brief, repetitive, quiet song or nigun while participants collect small natural objects, acorns, or other materials to throw into the fire  
• Explain the traditional tashlich ritual briefly for participants: Between Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur, people gather at a flowing body of water and toss in stones or breadcrumbs, representing sins or things they want to let go of. At this event you will use tashlich as a ritual to help cast away pieces of the past year you want to let go of in order to prepare for the new age/year ahead.  
• Guide participants through reflection on their past year, using a month-by-month meditation such as this one. Make sure to adapt it so that it starts and ends with the current month and include language that centers the birthday as the reason for this reflection. Encourage participants to gently toss their twigs into the water as they answer internally. 
• Close with the same song from the beginning, followed by a full minute of silence 

(JCH/JL) Program #3: Learn Your Birthday Psalm  

• There is a psalm for every year of your life and there is a Jewish custom to learn your birthday psalm and sometimes even read it every day of that year.  
• Every psalm is numbered; your psalm corresponds to your age + 1.  
• Consider learning your psalm and sharing your reflections or your translation of it with your guests at your birthday party!  
• Or learn through/discuss this source sheet titled This is Your Birthday Psalm (replacing the psalm with the one corresponding to your birthday) with your guests as you enjoy a delicious birthday treat at your birthday party!   

(JCH) Program #4: Jewish Birthday Vision Boards  

• Use this hour-long Jewish vision board making workshop to explore the intersection of personal growth and Jewish wisdom. 
• A birthday is a great reason to invite everyone into the reflective practice of making Jewishly inspired vision boards to help guide each person’s year ahead. 

(JCH) Program #5: Taste a New Fruit

• On Rosh HaShanah there is a practice of tasting and blessing new fruits that one hasn’t eaten yet that season.  
• Rosh HaShanah is the birthday or the world and the head of the new year in Jewish tradition. So, borrow this tradition for the birthday of the world for your own birthday and have a new fruit tasting party or add it as an element to any birthday event!  
• Here are a few source sheets we have on hand to help guide your new fruit tasting party. But feel free to reach out to your JLS to adapt/make a new sheet! 
  • Why Do We Eat New Fruits on Rosh HaShanah? 
  • New Fruits for Rosh HaShanah (with blessings)  

(TO) Program #6: Give Tzedakah or Host a Tikkun Olam Program  

• It is customary to give tzedakah or otherwise give back to the community in honor of a birthday.  
• Use your birthday as an opportunity to gather friends and do some local community service. Or consider asking guests to bring a canned good to donate or make a donation to an organization you care about instead of bringing gifts. 
• Take some time at your party/event to explain why this organization is meaningful to you and why you chose to give tzedakah on your birthday.  
• Consider doing some learning about the practice of tzedakah with this resource!