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Bar & Bat Mitzvah

When a young person reaches the age of thirteen they are expected to assume the religious responsibilities of an adult in the Jewish community. At Temple Emanu-El, this is marked by participating in a Shabbat morning service and reading from the Torah on or after their thirteenth birthday. Students also have an option to participate in an inter-generational trip to Israel and to celebrate the Bar/Bat Mitzvah during that trip. We are happy to create individual B’nei Mitzvah experiences for students with special needs. Please contact Flora Kupferman.

Students prepare for Bar or Bat Mitzvah by developing skills to lead the congregation in parts of the Shabbat morning service, by learning to chant from the weekly Torah and Haftarah portions and by creating a D’var Torah, an individual interpretation of the weekly reading.

In order to become Bar or Bat Mitzvah, a student must be enrolled in our B’nei mitzvah Youth and Family Education Program for at least two years prior to the event. Families must be members of the congregation and students must participate in the Youth and Family Education program as well as B’nei Mitzvah preparation classes.

For more information on the B’nei Mitzvah process and to get started with coordination, contact the B’nei Mitzvah Coordinator, Lauren Schuller.

B’nei Mitzvah Resources

Learn more about our Tauber Anshei Mitzvah Program

The B’nei Mitzvah Process and Logistics:

• B’nei Mitzvah Family Information Packet
• B’nei Mitzvah Preparations Timeline 
• Additional Information for Brandeis
• Sample Parent Blessings
• B’nei Mitzvah Honors Sheet

Materials for Learning B’nei Mitzvah Prayers:

• B’nei Mitzvah Mechina Prayer and Blessings Packet (text and audio)
• Recordings of B’nei Mitzvah Mechina Prayers and Blessings (audio only)
• B’nei Mitzvah Mechina Prayer and Blessings Packet (PDF, text only)
• Before and after Torah blessings with transliteration

Materials for Choosing and Learning Torah and Haftarah Portions:

• Suggested Torah and Haftarah Readings
• Find the Hebrew date, holidays, and Torah portions for any given date
• The entire Hebrew Bible, including all Torah and Haftarah sections, in both Hebrew and English (from www.Mechon_Mamre.org)