Bar & Bat Mitzvahs

Who believes that the 13-year-old standing before the congregation is really a man or woman?

So you want to have a bar or bat mitzvah … good. Here are a few tips on how to make it through the year leading up to the big day.

If you were the greatest, most eloquent writer in the world, how would you tackle the job of summarizing your feelings for your child?

Before you jump into the process of choosing a mitzvah project, consider the following question: Why are we asking our b’nai mitzvah students to complete 10 hours of service work in the midst of an otherwise overprogrammed, stressful time in their lives

Most parents are willing to do anything to make their kids’ dream bar or bat mitzvah celebration come true, even if it means fulfilling rock-star ambitions — be they genuine or virtual.

When rabbis meet individually with students and their families as the bar or bat mitzvah date approaches, it gives them a chance to deepen the relationship outside of the weekly classes and Shabbat services. For many rabbis, these conversations are key to personalizing the bar/bat mitzvah and help shape the message they give during the service.

Planning a bar or bat mitzvah can be stressful enough, but add difficult economic times and it can be a downright frightening and challenging time emotionally. Let’s face it — communicating with a teenager is not easy in the first place, but add high expectations for their big day and it may be nearly imposs

“Rabbi, my parents and siblings have never been to a Jewish service before. I don’t want them to be uncomfortable at Darci’s bat mitzvah. What should I do?”

Attending a bar/bat mitzvah can be confusing, and perhaps even daunting, especially for guests who aren’t Jewish.

If you’ve chosen non-kosher catering for the bar or bat mitzvah, you may still wish to accommodate guests who observe Jewish dietary laws. But with standards of kashrut observance varying from person to person, meeting everyone’s needs can get tricky.