When Ben Krebs was ten years old, his family took a trip to Disney World. As he watched the fireworks over Epcot, it struck him that he wanted to become a bar mitzvah. While this story may not sound unusual, for Ben Krebs it was a realization that changed his life. Ben lives in Indiana, and except for his younger sister, he’s the only Jewish kid in his town. The closest synagogue to his home is 45 minutes away. So, in order to study for his bar mitvah, Ben joined up with an organization called Partners in Torah, which provided him with a mentor who taught him Hebrew and Torah by telephone. Ben celebrated his bar mitzvah in October 2005, but his studies didn’t end there, and he continued to study with Ira, his Partners in Torah mentor, who has since made aliyah to Israel. Use the links below to listen to Ben talk about his experiences and what it’s like to study Torah by telephone. For more information about Partners in Torah, visit them online at http://www.partnersintorah.org. You will need Real Player to hear these audio clips. If you don’t already have it, you can download it free from Real.com. For the PC version, click here. For the Macintosh version, click here. Kids, always ask your parents before downloading anything from the Internet or installing software on your computer! Introduction Learning by phone Living in Indiana My teacher, Ira Jewish family traditions Surprises Why have a bar mitzvah? Advice for others Partners in Torah