B’nei Mitzvah
What an exciting time in the history of the Jewish people to become Bar or Bat mitzvah! As you prepare for your “B-Mitzvah,” your talent, ability and interests become gifts to the Jewish people. Just as each person is different, so can every B-Mitzvah have its own personality and unique characteristics. Rather than a boring time, this can be a time of soaring! Whether you are doing this as a youth or adult B-Mitzvah, this ancient initiation ritual can become the basis for a season of tremendous growth and accomplishment.
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| Make Your Own Bar/Mat Mitzvah |
In your preparations, you may want to read Rabbi Goldie Milgram’sMake Your Own Bar/Bat Mitzvah: A Personal Guide to Creating a Meaningful Rite of Passage. In her widely-acclaimed book, “Reb Goldie” teaches you how to create “a Bar/Bat Mitzvah Action Plan” based on Jewish Renewal’s Four Worlds. This approach helps ensure that your B-Mitzvah preparation, process and ritual will be grounded in Jewish tradition and rich in emotional satisfaction, intellectual expansion, spiritual connection, and logistical excellence. Reb Goldie’s book also includes a guide to creating a meaningful d’var Torah that has been recognized with the Jewish Educators Award for Excellence. The book, along with many additional B-Mitzvah spirituality ideas, are available atBmitzvah.org.
“Trope Trainer,” available through Davka.com, is another great Bar/Bat Mitzvah preparation tool. The Trope Trainer software teaches students how to leyn (chant) from the Torah and Haftorah. Invented by an Israeli musician/educator, the software features recordings of both male or female voices, in several pitches and all major forms of trope (notes) in use around the world. Using the software, you can highlight passages you have learned, bookmark phrases you are still working on, and include transliteration next to the Hebrew (with or without vowels; your choice), and much more.
In order to ensure a wonderful, meaningful B’nei Mitzvah experience for students, their families and the community, TBZ generally requires B-Mitzvah candidates to:
- Be an active member for two years;
- Come to at least two Shabbat services (including a Friday evening and Saturday morning service);
- Sponsor a kiddush following the B’nei Mitzvah service; and
- Improve the World by developing and performing a B’nei Mitzvah Tzedakh project.
The shul asks the B’nei Mitzvah family to support our community efforts to ensure a meaningful B’nei Mitzvah experience, by making a financial contribution to the shul. Please discuss all B’nei Mitzvah arrangements with Reb Moshe and the office.
Because of the centrality of learning to the b’nai mitzvah experience, all of our b’nai mitzvotare encouraged to develop and meet minimum learning requirements in order to complete the b’nai mitzvah process at our shul. Generally, our b’nai mitzvah students should be attending either a Hebrew day school or receiving Hebrew education in some other regular form.
In addition, the shul encourages individuals to find a private tutor to help learn Hebrew, and Torah and Haftorah trope. B’nei mitzvot who have not yet had training can celebrate their growing commitment to Judaism with b’nai mitzvah services on a Saturday afternoon or Sunday morning Rosh Hodesh service.