Becoming a Bar or Bat Mitzvah, Temple Beth Or Style

Becoming a bar/bat mitzvah, a son or daughter of the commandment, is a unique experience at Temple Beth Or. According to tradition when Jews reach the age of 13, they are recognized as adults in the Jewish community and are given the very adult honor of leading our congregation in prayer and Torah study.

To begin to prepare our students, each grade, from Consecration (K) through Confirmation (10th grade) annually leads a Shabbat service so that our students develop comfort and etiquette on the bima (pulpit) as well as expertise and experience in leading our community in Hebrew prayer and song.

Our students utilize the year prior to their 13th birthday not only to study with their religious school classes, but also to meet weekly with our Rabbis. Temple Beth Or does not hire outside tutors. Our Rabbis teach each child individually the blessings, prayers, and scriptural readings which they will recite on the bima on their special day. Rabbis Chessin and Ballaban love these opportunities to create a personal relationship with each student, discuss the deeper meaning of their texts, and explore their place in the Jewish community.

Since our students meet with the Rabbis one on one for a year, they become uniquely qualified to lead the entire Shabbat service with pride and confidence. Temple Beth Or is known nationwide as the place for warm personal B’nai Mitzvah ceremonies led expertly and impressively by each student.

For more information on bar or bat mitzvah preparation contact clergy@templebethor.com.