A Bar/Bat Mitzvah is exciting event for children and their families.
We believe that a Bar/ Bat Mitzvah is a tremendous opportunity for developing as a Jewish adult. It involves becoming part of our community, as an adult, through spending enough time with us during our services and learning how we do things. It involves learning Hebrew well enough to read and understand a parashah from the Torah. It involves having a deep enough insight into your studies so that you can develop your own unique ideas and share them with the community.
The procedures for arranging a Bar/Bat Mitzvah are outlined below.
For exploring possible dates for your child’s Bat or Bar Mitzvah please contact the Senior Warden.
Procedures for Arranging a Bar/Bat Mitzvah
- To be eligible for Bar/Bat Mitzvah, a child must be recognised as Jewish according to the rules of the Movement for Reform Judaism.
- It is universal practice for boys to be Bar Mitzvah at the Hebrew age of thirteen ye It is current Reform Jewish practice for girls also to be Bat mitzvah at a minimum Hebrew age of thirteen years.
- Members who wish to arrange a Bar/Bat Mitzvah should consult with the Senior Warden to ascertain a suitable date for their child, up to three years and preferably more than one year, in advance of the actual date.
- The Senior Warden and Cheder Head Teacher will meet with the family to discuss and clarify arrangements, needs and expectations.
- The Senior Warden will advise the family of the Synagogue’s minhag (customs) and will coordinate with the Lay Reader/Rabbi and the choir in order to prepare for the Bar/Bat Mitzvah service. The Bar/Bat Mitzvah ceremony forms just a part of the regular Shabbat service. The music chosen by the choir leader for each service is therefore dictated by the contents of the shabbat prayer book.
- A few weeks before the Bar/Bat Mitzvah, parent(s) or guardians should let the Senior Warden know of any special Jewish guests to whom they wish a mitzvah or aliyah to be given. We also welcome the participation of non-Jewish family members in the service. It should be remembered that the Bar/Bat Mitzvah is part of a normal shabbat morning service and there may be other events (births, baby blessings, yahrzeit, etc.) which may need mitzvot on the same day, even necessitating alterations to the mitzvot at the last moment.
- The Synagogue will provide wine and challah for Kiddush. The family of the Bar/Bat Mitzvah is expected to provide any cakes, biscuits or other food, which must be Kosher.
