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Bnei Mitzvah

Three people smiling and holding a Torah scroll, with colorful clothing and a warm setting.

Bar/bat mitzvah parties so dominate the social lives of teens in New York City that, according to a New York Times article, non-Jewish families are holding “faux mitzvahs” for their envious offspring. What is a bar/bat mitzvah supposed to be? How did it end up like this? Read our overview to learn more, and check out the many new ways families are meaningfully enhancing their bar/bat mitzvah celebrations.

Latest Rituals

Prayers for b’nai mitzvah students and their parent(s), rabbis, and teachers to be said before and during the b’nai mitzvah celebration

two hands holding tallit fringes

Original blessing for children in Hebrew and English

Three people walking through autumn leaves; a child holding hands with two adults.

Watch this video to learn some traditional steps for this joyous circle dance!

how to dance the horah

This blessing includes options for crafting the blessing to suit various family configurations

Silhouette of a family holding hands and walking at sunset near the ocean.
“May you soak up every drop of deep nourishment your family provides, seeing yet avoiding bitter waters, choosing and strengthening that which is sweet in your inheritance.”
teenaged girl in sweats sitting on a pier staring at the ocean

A mother’s blessing for her daughter’s journey into adulthood

Person in religious attire holding a Torah scroll in a synagogue with decorative walls and green plants.

A blessing for a son, drawing inspiration from our forefathers

teenaged boy in cardigan, dress shirt, and tie

“May your eyes sparkle with the light of Torah and your ears hear the music of its words” — a prayer for our children based on a talmudic passage

Three people smiling and holding a Torah scroll together in a synagogue setting.

“May you live to see your world fulfilled”

A misty forest at sunrise with tall trees and a carpet of red leaves covering the ground.

Mordecai Kaplan’s daughter describes her bat mitzvah in 1922 in New York.

A wine bottle, candles, challah, and goblet on a wooden table with a dark background.

The Reconstructionist Network

Serving as central organization of the Reconstructionist movement

Training the next generation of groundbreaking rabbis

Modeling respectful conversations on pressing Jewish issues

Curating original, Jewish rituals, and convening Jewish creatives

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