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B’nai Mitzvah

It’s a Journey, Not a Destination

A B’nai Mitzvah is something you become, not just something you celebrate. Here at Congregation Kol Ami, the journey to becoming a B’nai Mitzvah is uniquely filled with exploration, education and dialogue. It is a time when children garner the ear and one-on-one attention with the rabbi, find their own meaning in their Torah portion, give back to the community in a way that they find personally meaningful, and, over time, become fully comfortable standing upon our bimah, leading the congregation in worship.

Click here for our B’nai Mitzvah Handbook.

The Service

We do not have double ceremonies. Each child has the honor of leading 90 percent of the Shabbat service. This gives each family the opportunity to make their simcha as individual as they like, whether through their choice of opening songs, unique family traditions or a song dedicated to their child by Cantorial Soloist Rebecca Schwartz.

The Celebration

While no B’nai Mitzvah preparation is stress-free, at Kol Ami this is not a time filled with worry about keeping up with the Cohens. Celebrations range from a simple extended kiddush to an evening affair, with each family choosing what feels right and with the focus always on the accomplishments of the B’nai Mitzvah child.

In the Beginning

The B’nai Mitzvah journey is woven into the Religious School and worship programs and our emphasis on Tikun Olam – healing the world through our commitment to social justice. The ceremony serves as a waypoint in a lifelong study of Judaism and its relevance to living a full life.

Individual Study with our Spiritual Leaders

Weekly meetings with our spiritual leaders are the centerpiece of our B’nai Mitzvah program. A unique and powerful relationship emerges from this intensive interaction, one that helps tether the child to Judaism and the synagogue.

Most children start their formal preparation a year prior to their B’nai Mitzvah; however, this timeline can be adjusted based on a child’s individual needs. The process begins with our spiritual leaders and the child reading through the Torah and Haftarah portions. The role our spiritual leaders is about “sharing, rather than guarding the Torah.” They help each child fully understand their portion, and as a result of this dialogue, the child earns the right to select which verses to read or chant. Parents are welcome to sit in on the child’s weekly meetings to witness the forming connection and hear the thoughtful questions that spur each child to develop a unique understanding of the Torah and its relevance to modern life.

Over the course of their study together, our spiritual leaders will ask each child to answer a series of questions (ideally in partnership with their parents), which serve as touchpoints for exploring and deepening the child’s understanding of key concepts of the Shabbat liturgy and the Torah portion, and making explicit connections to daily life and how life can be lived. From this comes the child’s dvar Torah – a word about the Torah, better known as the child’s speech to be shared during the service.

At the same time, our spiritual leaders are working with the child to review and master each of the prayers.

B’nai Mitzvah Study

Each child, together with their parents, also has the opportunity to choose a tutor, within the congregation, to supplement the efforts of our spiritual leaders.  Children who decide to chant their Torah portion are encouraged to participate in our trope (Torah chanting) classes with our cantorial soloist.

Creating a Comfort Level

Several weeks before the big day, the child’s study moves to the sanctuary, where they use one of our sacred Torah scrolls, to become comfortable reading or chanting directly from the ancient text. These “dress rehearsals” afford the children ample opportunities to become comfortable with the entire service from the bimah, removing much of the stress from their big day.

A Mitzvah as Unique as Your Child

Our B’nai Mitzvah service is as unique as each child. Many families choose to present their child with a tallit during the service, immediately before the Torah is read or chanted. As the Torah service commences, the child and their parents and grandparents are called to the ark, where the Torah is handed down L’dor v’dor – from generation to generation.  Parents are encouraged to compose a prayer expressing gratitude at this sacred moment in their child’s life.

Post–B’nai Mitzvah Study

In the year following bar or bat mitzvah, students are invited to continue their Jewish education in Darchei Noam’s program, “Teen Chaim” which can lead to confirmation.