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.
Prayers for b’nai mitzvah students and their parent(s), rabbis, and teachers to be said before and during the b’nai mitzvah celebration
Watch this video to learn some traditional steps for this joyous circle dance!
This blessing includes options for crafting the blessing to suit various family configurations
A mother’s blessing for her daughter’s journey into adulthood
A blessing for a son, drawing inspiration from our forefathers
“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
Mordecai Kaplan’s daughter describes her bat mitzvah in 1922 in New York.
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