A mitzvah project lets a bar or bat mitzvah student connect the ceremony with charitable action.
Many families and synagogue programs encourage the celebrant to choose a service activity before or after the ceremony. Examples can include collecting food, supporting a shelter, raising money for a charity, visiting older people, or helping an environmental organization.
The phrase mitzvah project is modern educational and communal language. It draws on the Hebrew word mitzvah, which means commandment and, in everyday English, often refers to a good deed or act of charitable responsibility.
A mitzvah project is not a required component of every bar or bat mitzvah. Practices differ by family, synagogue, and denomination. Its purpose is to connect Jewish learning and personal responsibility with action beyond the synagogue celebration.