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Bar & Bat Mitzvahs

Party planning from A to Z

Preparing for a bar or bat mitzvah is hard work, involving years of intense study and the courage to lead an entire congregation in prayer. Organizing a party to celebrate this milestone — well, that’s no picnic either.

A survival guide for parents of b’nai mitzvah kids

So you’re planning a bar or bat mitzvah? Mazel tov! You may feel overwhelmed by decisions and details. I certainly did when it was time for my son, Steven, to take part in the ritual this past December. I asked experienced parents for advice and promised to “pay it forward” once I became a seasoned veteran. Here is some of the wisdom I gleaned, along with issues you’ll need to consider.

A gift of hope

Cotton caps in shades of pastel pink and sky blue are standard go-to gifts for a newborn baby. But for Steven and Jodi Zimelman, whose now-13-year-old daughter, Taylor, spent the first three months of her life in an incubator in Cedars-Sinai’s neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at the Maxine Dunitz Children’s Health Center, one particular pink cap will remain an everlasting symbol of comfort and hope.

Bat Mitzvah at the Kotel: Is it possible?

Every week, dozens of bar mitzvah boys from Israel and the Diaspora celebrate their rite of passage at the Kotel, also known as the Western Wall, which, after the Temple Mount, is Judaism’s holiest site.

The sky’s the limit

Preparing for the complete bar or bat mitzvah experience — the ceremony, the food, the entertainment — can feel like a three-ring circus. So maybe it shouldn’t come as a surprise that carnivals are one of the hottest themes these days as kids prepare for the biggest party they’ve thrown in their 13 years on the planet.

Creating inclusiveness at interfaith b’nai mitzvah

For interfaith couples who choose a Jewish identity for their families — even ones who have shared holidays with their extended families and answered questions for years — a bar or bat mitzvah raises new questions.

Making mitzvahs feel authentic

Jack Kessler, 14, completed his mitzvah project last summer by working at a Friendship Circle camp for teens on the autism spectrum. He says the volunteer effort, which some synagogues require of their b’nai mitzvah students, helped him realize his priorities.

Bar mitzvah honors child Holocaust victim

“I’m just one of more than 18,000 young people in over 750 congregations worldwide becoming a keeper of the flame of memory in the first post-survivor generation,” Trevor Goodman announced from the bimah during his bar mitzvah speech, referring to his involvement with Remember Us: The Holocaust Bnai Mitzvah Project.

What happens to a Hebrew-School dropout?

My 11-year-old son, Ari, is now a Hebrew-school dropout. I am aware that that\’s the name of a comedy act and a line of T-shirts. But, for me, the phrase is not a punch line, but a punch in the gut. I imagine my response was just like parents whose kids drop out of high school: disbelief, sadness and helplessness followed quickly by a healthy dose of Jewish guilt. \”Where did I go wrong?\” \”What did I do to cause him to reject my contribution to his heritage?\”

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.