B’nei Mitzvah
Your B’nei Mitzvah Journey
Wherever you are on your journey is exactly where you should be. Welcome!
The B’nei Mitzvah is a significant coming-of-age ceremony in the Jewish tradition that usually happens around age thirteen.
B’nei Mitzvah can be translated as “Children of the Commandment,” and is a gender-neutral way to include all students, as well as refer to multiple Bar and Bat Mitzvah ceremonies. At Beth Israel, we encourage each student to choose the name of their ceremony that best expresses their gender identity. Some of the names that have been chosen are; Bar Mitzvah, Bat Mitzvah, B’nei Mitzvah, and B’rit Mitzvah.
Becoming a B’nei Mitzvah is the commitment to accepting the responsibilities of a young adult in the Jewish community. B’nei Mitzvah is one of the many Jewish life cycle milestones in your child’s life that will bring meaning and celebration. Through a ritual of leading communal prayer, as well as reading and teaching a section of Torah, the B’nei Mitzvah affirms to their community, and most importantly, to themselves, that they are ready, willing, and able to take on the responsibilities of leading a Jewish life.
We recognize that every students’ needs and abilities are unique. We are committed to supporting you and your family and creating a B’nei Mitzvah ceremony that celebrates your child.
Here at Congregation Beth Israel, becoming a B’nei Mitzvah is not an end but a beginning: the assuming of one’s place in the ongoing chain of our Jewish heritage.
Our B’nei Mitzvah program is open to all our enrolled Religious School students, and we look forward to growing, learning, and celebrating with you.
The B’nei Mitzvah journey at CBI begins in third grade, when your child received their Bar/Bat Mitzvah date and parasha. If your child was not enrolled in religious school in third grade, or if you are unsure whether he/she received a Bar/Bat Mitzvah date, please .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
Throughout fourth and fifth grades, your child learned about the siddur– the Shabbat prayer book– and began to work on recognizing Hebrew letters and phonics. At the end of fifth grade, they received their hard-backed blue Mishkan Tefila prayer book with their name embossed on the cover– this is the book they will practice with and eventually use to lead services on the day of their Bar/Bat Mitzvah! If you have questions about this prayer book or aren’t sure if you got one, please .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
In sixth grade, your child continued on to a more rigorous and focused Hebrew course, which set the foundation for beginning to prepare their Torah reading and leading the service at their Bar/Bat Mitzvah.
Approximately ten to twelve months prior to your child’s Bar/Bat Mitzvah date, your child will begin the preparation for his/her Bar/Bat Mitzvah. Over the course of this year, your child will meet with our clergy a number of times, sometimes one-on-one and sometimes together with you. The purpose of these visits is to make sure that your child is setting and keeping his/her goals for preparing the service and Torah reading, and to guide you and your family through the process of preparing the service.
My family might need something a little different. What do I do?
Are you new to our community? Your child only recently started showing interest in religious school or Judaism? Are you concerned a mainstream Bar/Bat Mitzvah track isn’t quite what your child needs? We’re here for you! Bar/Bat Mitvzah can look very different for different students and different families. We are committed to working together with you to make this important Jewish a meaningful, positive experience for both you and your child.
Planning the celebration
Believe it or not, we can help with this, too! CBI has a beautiful events hall that can seat up to 225 guests, and we have a dance floor! We work with a number of caterers and vendors who can transform your child’s Bar/Bat Mitzvah celebration into the expression of joy and celebration it is meant to be, whether on CBI campus or at another venue. For questions about rentals or to rent our space please .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).