B'nei Mitzvah at TBZ

Click for the TBZ Bnei Mitzvah Handbook. Click here for B’nei Mitzvah Programming for 2017-2018.

At TBZ, becoming a Bar or Bat Mitzvah is a multi-year process.  It is an opportunity to learn and grow and to share your special talents, abilities, and interests.  The years leading up the celebration of a Bar or Bat Mitzvah offer a time to examine or re-examine one’s connection to Judaism, the Jewish people, and Jewish spiritual life.

In order to ensure a wonderful, meaningful B’nei Mitzvah experience for students, their families and the community, TBZ generally requires candidates to:

• Be an active member for two years
• Attend Tfilot Mishpachot services approximately twice a month
• With their parent(s)/guardian(s), attend study sessions with the Rabbis and other B’nei Mitzvah families once a month
• Attend at least one Friday evening service
• Meet at least three times with the Rabbis to develop their D’var Torah
• Sponsor a kiddush following the B’nei Mitzvahservice
• Improve the World by developing and performing a B’nei Mitzvah Tzedakhproject and by performing a number of smaller Mitzvot.

On their appointed date*, B’nei Mitzvah lead the congregation in worship, read selections from the Torah and Haftarah portions, and deliver a D’var Torah, a mini-sermon that interprets the text. TBZ will match each student with a private tutor, who will teach the student how to chant their texts, help the student to gain comfort with the Shabbat prayers, and if needed will help the student to write their D’var Torah.

Other opportunities for the B’nei Mitzvah cohort include:

• Havdalah and movie nights
• Special workshops on the mitzvot of tallit and tefillin
• Field trips, including to the Mayyim Hayyim Community Mikveh,

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.

* Many families choose to celebrate their simcha on Shabbat morning at TBZ.  However, we are eager to fashion the right kind of service to fit your needs.