JW3 comes of age with colourful B’Mitzvah celebration
From century-old bar mitzvah treasures to music, dance and family fun, JW3 marked its 13th birthday by bringing generations together
While children hurried towards JW3’s summer beach with buckets and spades in hand, families wandered upstairs to explore more than a century of bar and bat mitzvah history. It was a fitting snapshot of Sunday’s B’Mitzvah celebration, where Jewish heritage and modern community life met under one roof.
To celebrate turning 13, JW3 welcomed hundreds of visitors for an afternoon packed with music, dance, exhibitions and activities reflecting the centre’s role at the heart of Jewish life in London.
One of the day’s highlights was a special bar and bat mitzvah display presented by the Jewish Museum London, giving many visitors their first opportunity to experience the museum’s new exhibition space at JW3 since it opened earlier this month.
The display, drawn from the museum’s 35,000-strong collection, explored how one of Judaism’s best-known milestones has evolved over the generations while remaining rooted in enduring traditions.
Historic teffilin cases presented as bar mitzvah gifts more than 100 years ago sat alongside invitations from Jewish communities in Britain and overseas, family photographs and personal keepsakes. The exhibition also showcased objects connected with Persian and Ghanaian Jewish families, reflecting the diversity of Jewish life in Britain today.
Among the exhibits was the oldest bar mitzvah photograph in the museum’s collection, dating from 1909, offering visitors a rare glimpse into how Jewish coming-of-age celebrations were recorded more than a century ago.
Adam Corsini, Head of Collections Engagement at the Jewish Museum London, told Jewish News that the display was designed to help younger visitors appreciate both the differences and similarities between bar and bat mitzvah celebrations across generations. By placing historic gifts, invitations and photographs alongside contemporary objects, he said the exhibition showed that while fashions and family customs have changed, the traditions at the heart of the occasion have endured.
Children were also encouraged to take part, handling objects from the museum’s education collection and scanning a QR code to discover which Torah portion they would read when celebrating their own bar or bat mitzvah.
The pop-up complemented the museum’s newly opened exhibitions at JW3 – Tree of Life: Stories from Jewish Museum London’s Collection, charting more than 300 years of Jewish life in Britain, and The Lyons Family: A Story of Taste, Trade and Transformation, telling the story of the German-Jewish family behind the famous J. Lyons business.
Throughout the building, visitors enjoyed the premiere of Barmy Mitzvah, a new production written by Nick Cassenbaum especially for JW3’s anniversary year, alongside a family disco with Ilana Banana, Israeli dance workshops, cooking workshops led by Fabienne Viner-Luzzato, live music, Jewish film screenings and the return of the centre’s popular summer beach.
Outside, Simcha Snaps, curated by Zoom Rockman and Ivor Baddiel, transformed the front of the building into a giant community photo album celebrating bar and bat mitzvah memories shared across generations.
Among those enjoying the festivities was Jacob Morrison-Hewitt, a marketing executive at JW3, who attended with his wife, Jenny, and their three children.
“I enjoyed seeing so many different people from all walks of life being here,” he said. “We watched the live music, and our three kids played on the beach.
“It’s really cross-generational here, and it showcases the best of what JW3 does.
“The face painting was probably our favourite part. Our daughter didn’t even want to have it done at first, but she ended up getting her face painted too!”
Speaking ahead of the event, JW3 chief executive Raymond Simonson said: “Thirteen years ago, we opened our doors with a festival weekend that brought the community together in celebration, and it’s wonderful to recapture that spirit with our B’Mitzvah Party.
“From familiar faces who have been part of the JW3 story since the very beginning to the premiere of our brand-new commission, The Barmy Mitzvah, this is a joyful reminder of how far we’ve come and all that still lies ahead.
“After a year that has been tough on our community, coming together for a collective moment of joy is really what we need right now.”
As the afternoon drew to a close, children left with painted faces and sandy shoes while, upstairs, families were still browsing objects that have marked Jewish coming-of-age celebrations for more than a century – a reminder that, 13 years after opening its doors, JW3 continues to bring together the stories of the past with the community shaping its future.
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