Mitzvah tank Mitzvah tank A Mitzvah tank is a vehicle used by the Orthodox Jewish practitioners of Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidism as a portable "educational and outreach center" and "mini-synagogue" (or "minagogue") to reach out to non-observant and alienated Jews. Mitzvah tanks have been commonplace on the streets of New York City since 1974. Today they are found all over the globe in countries where Chabad is active. The word Mitzvah means a "commandment" of the Torah in Judaism, but also carries with it the connotation of a good deed. Lubavitchers use these vehicles to spread the teachings of Judaism to the Jewish masses
Adult bar and bat mitzvah Axelrad of Brandeis University officiated the first adult Bar and Bat Mitzvahs in the early 1970s. He encouraged the practice in all denominations of Judaism. Between 1995 and 2001, Hadassah held group adult Bat Mitzvah ceremonies for 180 women. In 2001, the Union for Reform Judaism created a guide on adult Bar and Bat Mitzvah programs which was adopted by 900 congregations. In 2002, the Conservative Movement adopted this guide as well. The process of becoming an adult Bar or Bat Mitzvah involves studying for a year or longer. It consists of Hebrew language, Jewish rituals, Torah readings, and Haftorah