Bar & Bat Mitzvah

The celebration of becoming Bar or Bat Mitzvah continues to be a major milestone in the lives of the youth and families in our congregation. Despite the changing values and priorities of many of this generation’s Jewish families, the vast majority still wish to have their children demonstrate a commitment to Jewish tradition and community by assuming the task of preparing a portion from our scriptures and doing so in the synagogue. We are also aware that there are those in our community with special needs and we welcome those families by both providing a supportive environment and offering the most appropriate ritual experience.

Each year, we conduct dozens of Bar and Bat Mitzvah celebrations at Beth David. These may take place on a Monday or Thursday morning, Rosh Hodesh, Shabbat Mincha, or Shabbat morning. Regardless of the day, we encourage our B’nai and B’not Mitzvah to participate to their greatest potential – chanting from the Torah and/or Haftarah, leading parts of the service, preparing a D’var Torah, and committing to a personal project of Tzedakah during the course of the year. Parents and siblings are also encouraged to take an active part in the celebrations beyond the planning and it no small naches for both the family, their guests, and the entire congregation, when multiple generations of the Bar/Bat Mitzvah family are involved. B’nai Mitzvah celebrations can take place either in the main sanctuary or in the more intimate chapel, depending on the occasion and the number of guests.

We also offer private lessons for the preparation of our B’nai and B’not Mitzvah provided by our Ritual Director, Michael Rubin.