fbpx
Category

Bar & Bat Mitzvahs

But Mom, I don’t want a bar mitzvah!

I saw the blinking light on my answering machine and listened to the frantic voice of my girlfriend, Debbie, as I put the groceries away.

\”Heeeeeelp! Jason says he doesn\’t want to do his bar mitzvah anymore. We\’ve got the date and the place, I\’ve hired the DJ and he\’s already begun to prepare. He\’s making me crazy. What should I do? Call me.\”

Wow, what a bummer, I thought to myself.

‘Shul for Kids’ redefines concept of youth services

Each week, a group of more than 120 congregants gather together at Kol Yakov Yehuda for their regular Shabbat prayer. The rabbi gives a sermon, the president makes announcements and the congregation follows along with the occasional chitchat, followed by a Kiddush. In addition to having its own Web site and an annual fundraising banquet, Kol Yakov Yehuda seems like any highly functional congregation.

Except the congregants are too young to vote or drive, and many can\’t see a PG-13 movie without a parent.

Stumbling through my bat mitzvah

My bat mitzvah was an unmitigated disaster.

I\’d hoped the guests would be as taken as I was with my dress, first high heels and the orange and yellow petit fours at the Kiddush.

Teen makes a difference for orphans in Kenya slum

After Ryan Silver returned home from a trip to Africa with his family, he began preparing for his bar mitzvah. Without hesitation, he knew that his mitzvah project would involve helping the children in the orphanage he visited in a Nairobi slum. Between the guests\’ donations and his own, Silver raised more than $2,700. In addition to completing a Jewish rite of passage, Silver was pleased that his celebration helped educate others about the plight of the children in Africa and to ultimately offer financial support.

More news and opinions than at a
Shabbat dinner, right in your inbox.

More news and opinions than at a Shabbat dinner, right in your inbox.

More news and opinions than at a Shabbat dinner, right in your inbox.