B’nai Mitzvah Bind Our Tradition of God, Torah, Israel

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Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Party Like a (Bar Mitzvah) Rock Star

By Karla S. Blume

Most parents are willing to do anything to make their kids’ dream bar or bat mitzvah celebration come true, even if it means fulfilling rock-star ambitions — be they genuine or virtual.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

What Your Rabbi Should Ask Your Child

by Michele Alperin, Contributing Writer

When rabbis meet individually with students and their families as the bar or bat mitzvah date approaches, it gives them a chance to deepen the relationship outside of the weekly classes and Shabbat services. For many rabbis, these conversations are key to personalizing the bar/bat mitzvah and help shape the message they give during the service.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Plan A Party BudgetWith Your Teen (Yes, It’s Possible)

by Michele Golland

Planning a bar or bat mitzvah can be stressful enough, but add difficult economic times and it can be a downright frightening and challenging time emotionally. Let’s face it — communicating with a teenager is not easy in the first place, but add high expectations for their big day and it may be nearly imposs

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Simple Synagogue Rules for Non-Jewish Guests

by Debbie L. Sklar, Contributing Writer

Attending a bar/bat mitzvah can be confusing, and perhaps even daunting, especially for guests who aren’t Jewish.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

A Few Extra Steps Make Kosher-Observant Welcome

by Lisa Armony, Contributing Writer

If you’ve chosen non-kosher catering for the bar or bat mitzvah, you may still wish to accommodate guests who observe Jewish dietary laws. But with standards of kashrut observance varying from person to person, meeting everyone’s needs can get tricky.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Help Is Here for Planning a Ceremony in Israel

by Judith Broder Sellner

Given the negative press about over-the-top b’nai mitzvah celebrations, many families are rethinking the black-tie or other extravaganza, giving preference to true expressions of mitzvot.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Pull Offa Bar or Bat Mitzvahon Time

by Sharon Duke Estroff

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Student Project Scores for Soccer Charity

By Lee Barnathan

Jacob Wolf Price has two goals. One is of the soccer variety: put the ball in the back of the net or at least keep the opponent from doing so. The second goal relates to soccer, too, but Jacob thinks beyond his 13 years — he wants to use the sport to help less-fortunate youths.

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Time Flies,Except When Writing Speech

by Ellie S. Grossman

I’m working on my speech for Jack’s upcoming bar mitzvah, and it’s harder to write than I thought.

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

The Green Bar Mitzvah: A Cautionary Tale

by Judith D. Schwartz

In keeping with my son, Brendan’s, bar mitzvah project on energy efficiency, I was committed to the idea of making the event eco-friendly.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Girl Doesn’t Let Pain Stand in Way of Her Bat Mitzvah

Lee Barnathan, Contributing Writer

Preparing for a bar or bat mitzvah is time consuming. A student in the throes of becoming a teenager has to learn Torah and haftarah portions, plus required prayers and blessings. Then there’s the speech, the mitzvah project and the weekly meetings with the cantor or rabbi, or both.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

What to Do When the Kid Just Says ‘No!‘

Jeff Bernhardt, Contributing Writer

While the majority of young people preparing for a bar or bat mitzvah might not skip merrily into every tutoring appointment and eagerly look forward to the hours upon hours of studying (iPod tuned to the haftarah blessings rather their favorite playlist), they at least recognize that the preparations are part of the expectation that parents, family and community have of them. And other than some parental nagging (“Did you go over your Torah portion today?”) or a call from the tutor suggesting that he or she may need to ramp things up, progress is made, preparations are on schedule and a pride-filled service takes place.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Take Me Out to the Bar Mitzvah…

Lee Barnathan, Contributing Writer

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Expert Tips for the Phony Bar Mitzvah Boy

by Lawrence Levi

A few months ago, an e-mail message began circulating among religious scholars: “Film studio looking for someone to teach non-Jewish 13-year-old actor a haftarah portion for Todd Solondz movie bar mitzvah scene.”

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Reflections on a Bar Mitzvah

By Tom Tugend

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Picking Right Tutor for Child Requires More Than Luck

By Michele Alperin

Once you’ve been through a bar or bat mitzvah, you’re an old hand.

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Every Party Dilemma Has a Solution All Its Own

by Marta Freud

Once you receive your child’s bar or bat mitzvah date, it all begins.

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Centenarian celebrates fourth bar mitzvah

By Ellie Kahn

"If my mother was here, she'd probably be saying, 'Dayenu, enough already,'" said Dr. Eugene Gettelman, who turned 100 in June. "She'd think I was meshugge for having a fourth bar mitzvah."

Thursday, November 13, 2008

So you want to be a DJ . . .

By Karla S. Blume

For those who have dreamed of going from an infinite iPod playlist to playing live on the ones and twos, the bar and bat mitzvah party scene is a great place to get your start. Setting up a DJ business takes practice, planning and professionalism, but it beats baby-sitting and burgers.

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Pinched pocketbooks no bar to party planning

By Judy Gruen

Have tough economic times forced you to scale back your child's bar or bat mitzvah party plans? With your 401(k) down, is the ice sculpture out? Is your resetting ARM making you reconsider that 18-piece orchestra?

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

The dream of a beautiful bat mitzvah—but whose dream would it fulfill?

By Francesca Biller-Safran

When I look at my daughters, I see their faces as both azoy shayne and uruwashii, "so beautiful" in Yiddish and in Japanese.

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

One more time with nachas —gift that keeps on giving

By Judy Gruen

Our boys have surprised us by some of the choices they have made, and while we might not have made the same choices for them, we are proud of their growing commitment to living wholly, and holy, Jewish lives.

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

A boy becomes a man in Beijing

By Alison Klayman

"Other tourists, especially Jews, were really blown away when we told them about the bar mitzvah. Lots of people said it was the best story they'd heard yet in Beijing."

Saturday, August 2, 2008

VIDEO: Bar Mitzvah the Tradition

This video, an open source release of Mercer County Community College in New Jersey, gives a good, factual overview of the meaning and tradition of the Jewish coming-of-age ritual, the Bar Mitzvah.