BRIT MITZVAH
UPON REACHING THE AGE OF THIRTEEN, a Jewish child automatically becomes a Bar or Bat Mitzvah - literally a son or daughter of the commandments. This means that a young person is now responsible for her or his religious practice. It is customary to celebrate this coming of age in the context of a Shabbat morning service. The Bat/Bar/Brit Mitzvah leads the congregation in prayer, chants from the Torah for the first time and delivers a D’var Torah, a word of Torah or teaching. However, the preparation to become a child of the commandments extends far beyond developing the reading and chanting skills exercised at this momentous occasion. A young person is only truly ready to accept and assume the responsibilities of commandedness when he/she/they understands the practices and values of Judaism. This broader goal is reflected in the requirements outlined in our Brit Mitzvah guide. It is our hope that as our students embark on this journey and go through this process, they will strengthen their family’s ties to their class community, our Temple family and to the larger Jewish community and in doing so the Bar/Bat/Brit Mitzvah will desire to continue a lifelong relationship with Judaism.
BRIT MITZVAH: A MORE INCLUSIVE TERM for a Jewish Rite of Passage. While the terms "Bar" and "Bat" Mitzvah reflect the Hebrew language's gendered orientation (with distinct masculine and feminine forms), our current perspective on gender is more fluid and less binary than in previous generations. Accordingly, the terms "Bar" and "Bat" - while appropriate for many of our students - may no longer work for everyone. While some Reform synagogues use the gender neutral "B Mitzvah," we chose Brit Mitzvah to address the ritual's significance. The term "Brit Mitzvah" is not only gender inclusive, but its translation - "the Covenant of the Commandment" - captures the beauty and meaning of a Jewish coming of age ceremony. We use the term “Brit Mitzvah” to refer to the class when historically this was called “B’nai Mitzvah”. In accordance with tradition, we will be pleased to refer to your child's service as a Bar or Bat Mitzvah. However, if you - or your child - would prefer to use the term "Brit Mitzvah," please let us know.
At Temple Habonim, Bar/Bat/Brit Mitzvah preparation takes place over several years with each student coming to the time of his/her/their Brit Mitzvah prepared to lead the congregation in prayer. Adequate time is needed for students to develop familiarity and expertise with their knowledge of Hebrew and the flow of the service. For Bar/Bat/Brit Mitzvah to be both a meaningful and substantive Jewish moment, it is essential that it be based on more than a crash course of study. Several years in the religious/Hebrew school of a synagogue prior to Bar/Bat/Brit Mitzvah is recommended as a minimum of requisite Jewish education.
During the Brit Mitzvah year students are expected to attend a sufficient number of worship services to allow them to develop familiarity with all the parts of a service. Students will begin tutoring 5-6 months prior to their Bar/Bat/Brit Mitzvah so that they may become proficient in the prayers, their Torah portion, and their Haftarah reading. Tutoring for the prayers and Haftarah will be with the Education Director and tutoring for their Torah portion will be with our Rabbi. These tutoring sessions are in addition to religious and Hebrew school classes.
Our goals for the Bar/Bat/Brit Mitzvah and his/her/their family are:
To understand the meaning and importance of Mitzvot (commandments)
To celebrate Shabbat
To deepen their understanding of Torah, God and Liturgy
To foster a relationship with Temple Habonim and the larger Jewish community
To appreciate the importance of Hebrew education and study
To embrace the values of Tzedakah (justice), Tikkun Olam (the repair of the world) and Gemilut Chasadim (acts of loving kindness)
A handbook with further details of the Brit Mitzvah process is given to all families to help in preparing for this important day and is available through the Temple office.