To book a Bar Mitzvah at the shul, or for information about booking a Bar Mitzvah, please contact the [email protected].
At SUJC we treat Bat Mitzvahs with great importance. According to Jewish law, once a girl turns 12 years old, she is obligated to observe all the mitzvot; hence the term Bat Mitzvah (daughter of the mitzvot).
Until fairly recently, the United Synagogue did not celebrate Bat Mitzvahs. Instead, it held a Bat Chayil (Daughter of Valour) ceremony when girls graduated from their final year at Cheder. This ceremony involved recitals and performances by the entire class, usually on a Sunday afternoon.
SUJC seeks to reclaim the Bat Mitzvah and celebrate it as a religious milestone in each individual girl's life.
The Bat Mitzvah ceremony is usually held on a Shabbat, just before the end of the morning service. Alternately it can be held on a Sunday.
The format of the Bat Mitzvah involves:
The entire service lasts between 20 minutes and a half hour.
It is necessary for the girl to follow guidelines for preparing a D'var Torah and to study with a competent tutor to help her construct her D'var Torah. Please contact [email protected] for additional information.
The community would hope that the Bar Mitzvah boy or Bat Mitzvah girl attends synagogue regularly prior to the event and participates in events designed to enhance their experience.
For more general information on both Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, please visit the relevant section of the United Synagogue website.
Rabbi Garber leads an informal discussion group for all Bar & Bat Mitzvah children once a month. Recent topics have included leadership, volunteering & youth projects and Jewish history. This is a great chance to meet other Bar and Bat Mitzvah families within the community, and of course to have a yummy bagel breakfast!