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BAR/BAT MITZVAH AND HISTORY OF THE MITZVAH You are not required to complete the
work,
The words Bat Mitzvah and Bar Mitzvah (literally, “child of a
commandment”) are Hebrew terms indicating that a person has reached the status
of an adult member of the Jewish community. The Bar Mitzvah and Bat
Mitzvah ceremonies mark this transition from childhood to
adulthood. The
nouns Bat Mitzvah and
Bar Mitzvah suggest even
more. The terms bar (son)
and bat (daughter) denote
membership in a group. The Hebrew word mitzvah is sometimes used to mean a "good
deed," but here it is used in its technical sense, referring to the commandments
found in the Torah - traditionally reckoned at 613. A Bat Mitzvah, then, is a woman who is "subject to the commandments," or, even better, "a woman of
responsibility." Similarly, Bar
Mitzvah is "a man of responsibility." The terms may be applied
to every Jewish young adult from the age of thirteen, whether or not a ceremony
takes place. At this age, one becomes a woman of duty or a man of duty,
committed to the ideals of Judaism, and remains one forever. The purpose
of the ceremony is to mark this passage into Jewish adulthood, with all the
privileges and responsibilities of that new status. The ceremony enables
family and friends and the religious community as a whole to celebrate together
the continuity of tradition and faith. Leo
Baeck Temple Requirements of Bar/Bat Mitzvah Families 1. All Bar/Bat
Mitzvah students must be registered in our 2. Students
must be enrolled in 3. Students
progress from year to year in their Hebrew education. Failure to meet the
necessary standards at the completion of each year will result in the need to
fulfill some specified plan of action in discussion with the Director of
Education. 4. Students
and parents are expected to attend at least five Shabbat services once formal
Bar/Bat Mitzvah training has begun and prior to the student's Bar/Bat
Mitzvah. At least three of those services should be at 5. The
Bar/Bat Mitzvah is not the end of a student's Jewish education. Students
are
expected to continue through their confirmation in grade 10. We have an
exciting, enriching program for eighth, ninth, and tenth grades which meets once
per week and allows a chance for deeper learning at an age-appropriate
level. Dynamic teachers lead amazing classes which pique students’
interest. In the confirmation year, our rabbis and cantor are involved
almost every week to provide a closer connection to the temple and to
Judaism. You really don’t want to miss all the engaging classes and
camaraderie the next three years! 6. The Bar/Bat
Mitzvah fee and any financial obligation to In the Spring, the entire Gimmel class and their parents
will be invited to attend a special orientation meeting. Our rabbis and
cantor, educator, class teachers, and office manager will all participate in
the
morning. This orientation will
serve to welcome our Gimmel students and their families as they begin the journey
of studying together and learning about the meaning of Bar/Bat
Mitzvah. It will also be a time for families to share their thoughts,
concerns, and expectations about the process. Following this orientation, there will be other family
learning experiences that will occur over the course of the seventh grade
year. Following the Gimmel orientation meeting, students will
continue to proceed on their course of study in our Jews become obligated to perform acts
of lovingkindness at age 13. As a formal enactment of this obligation,
Bar/Bat Mitzvah students are required to complete a mitzvah
project during the year prior to their ceremony. One example
of
how to fulfill this mitzvah is to
participate in the planning of and volunteering on Gemilut Chasadim/Mitzvah Day, which takes
place through Families will work toward presentation of their
7th grade Torah projects. In addition to their studies, students are expected to attend five services during the months preceding
their Bar/Bat Mitzvah, while also meeting all attendance
requirements. During the week prior to the ceremony,
at a time mutually determined by the rabbi and the family, a rehearsal
will be
scheduled. Grandparents should be in
attendance at this rehearsal, as well as the Bar/Bat Mitzvah and his
or her parents. This is important, since everyone needs to know how they
are involved and when to stand where. At this rehearsal, any last minute
issues of family involvement can be clarified. It’s really a chance to
go through the ceremony in the physical space so that there are no surprises
on the
day of the service. A “Preparation Timeline” and a list of “Study Responsibilities” follow. In
A. Intake
meeting: Cantor will meet with each student 8-10 months before the date of
their ceremony
for one hour. At this meeting, prayer chanting ability and Hebrew
proficiency will be evaluated. 1. Students who
are proficient in their prayers and basic Hebrew (cold reading) will
begin with the assistant four
weeks after this date. Assistant will
meet with this student for a period of 6-7 weeks to work on the student's Torah
portion. The student then continues training with the
Cantor. 2. Students
who are not proficient in their prayers and basic Hebrew at the
assessment will begin immediately with the assistant for 10-11 weeks. The
student then continues training with the Cantor. C. All
students will complete their training with the Cantor by nine weeks before
the date of their
ceremony. They will then meet with our Associate Rabbi for four sessions
to develop their D'var
Torah. E. In the week before
the date of their ceremony, students will meet for a dress rehearsal with the
rabbi who will be officiating at the ceremony. Our
goal is to give your child adequate preparation so that he/she is confident
during the ceremony. All of this depends on our working together to ensure
consistent study at home. If you perceive any problems, please call the
Cantor. If this time-table is not working for your child, we will
strategize what is needed to make this a successful
experience. Study
Responsibilities of Bar/Bat Mitzvah
Although
the student spends a good deal of time in class and with the clergy,
the student also needs to make a time commitment
of his/her
own in order to be fully prepared to become a Bar/Bat Mitzvah. Practicing
thirty minutes a day, five times a week, should allow for the student to learn
all the necessary material and to be comfortable with it.
Before the student meets with Cantor Schachet-Briskin,
he or she should be able to chant fluently and lead the following prayers,
covered in
New prayers, polished with the cantor,
include:
In addition, the student is required to be familiar
with:
The
cantor will meet with the student for four months,
or 16 sessions. By the end of these sessions, the student should know
everything on the above list. At about two months before the Bar/Bat
Mitzvah date, the cantor will stop seeing the student and Rabbi Feigenson will
begin to help the student to write his or her D’var Torah. At about three
weeks before the ceremony, Rabbi Ragins or Rabbi Feigenson will begin to meet
with the student to polish the reading and help with finishing
touches. Sometimes,
families enjoy working together on this process; it can add great meaning
to both the process and the ceremony
itself. However, parents should not be alarmed if the child wants to work
on his/her own; every student has his/her own way of learning. In any
event, the parents should take an active role in seeing that the material is
studied. Traditionally,
Jews say a blessing before studying Torah, which might be a nice way
for the student to mark these special study
sessions. The blessing reads as follows:
Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech
HaOlam, asher kid'shanu b'mitzvotav We praise You, Adonai our God. You sanctify us
with Your mitzvot, and command us
to study Torah. |
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this page was changed January 20, 2005 by scribionics