Bar and Bat Mitzvah
Bar/Bat Mitzvah means son/daughter of the covenant. It usually occurs on or after the 13th birthday of a young person. At Havurah, we aim to help the bar/t mitzvah student feel that s/he is a true part of a community. One way of helping this to happen is the B’nai Mitzvah Committee requires a family to be a member of Havurah Shalom for three full consecutive years prior to their child’s bar/t mitzvah. Some may wonder about such a requirement, especially if it causes a delay in the bar/t mitzvah until the youth may be in her/his mid-teens. However, we believe it takes a foundation of time in order to build strong community ties and create significant relationships. If you’ve ever been to a bar/t mitzvah at Havurah Shalom, you can witness the difference.
The bar/t mitzvah is a significant event in the life of a young person. Religiously, they are a new young adult, and are responsible for their moral actions. They also take their place of responsibility in the Jewish community by participating in Shabbat Services. Havurah’s recognition of the significance of this event solidify’s our commitment to avoid “drive-thru” bar/t mitzvahs.
We hope you will visit us and see the difference for yourself!
- B’Nai Mitzvah Schedule 2009-2010
- B’Nai Mitzvah Schedule 2010-2011
- B’nai Mitzvah Parent Handbook 2010
- Caterer’s Agreement
Setting a Bar/Bat Mitzvah Date:
- Guidelines for when your Bar/Bat Mitzvah falls on a Shabbat School Date
Learning Resources:
- B’nai Mitzvah Workshops 2009-2010
- Order of Service Worksheet – This valuable chart walks you through each part of the Shabbat morning service, including page numbers in the siddur, and commentary to give direction as to who may lead the various prayers. This chart is a companion to the 2 disk CD set of the complete Shabbat Morning Service by Michele Goldschmidt. You may obtain these from the Havurah Office.
- Frequently Asked Qustions (FAQs)