541.488.7716 185 N. Mountain Ave Ashland, OR 97520

Bar/Bat Mitzvah

 

Havurah Shir Hadash Bar/Bat Mitzvah Info

Our Bar/Bat Mitzvah Program is a two-three year program designed to guide your child towards becoming a young adult. The culmination of their study is the coming of age ceremony – Bar/Bat Mitzvah which marks their transition from childhood to young adulthood. I have compiled some information to help you in planning this event. Please do not hesitate to call me with any questions you may have.

Havurah Membership – all families should be Members in good standing.

Picking a date for your son’s or daughter’s Bar/BatMitzvah: You will want to consult with Rabbi David about one year in advance in order to book the date. Customarily, Bar/Bat Mitzvah was done once a child reaches puberty. Although 13 was often considered the proper age, Rabbi David and Ayala highly recommend waiting until you child is a bit older and more mature. In our experience, the older the child is the more they benefit from the experience, the deeper they are able to go with their learning, and the more meaningful it will be for them. Rabbi David will usually make an individual recommendation for your child based on his many years of experience, but as a rule of thumb, 14 years of age is preferable, especially for boys.

The Bar/Bat Mitzvah may be scheduled on their actual Hebrew birth date – which you can look up on the internet. Go to< http://www.chabad.org/calendar/birthday.asp and enter any birth date to see the Hebrew date as well as when it falls on the Gregorian calendar. Some people believe that everyone is born with their particular parsha (Torah portion). Most often these days, dates are chosen according to availability and convenience for visiting family and friends.

When you choose the date, be sure to check availability with the Ayala, and request that your date be entered on the Havurah calendar.

Bar/Bat Mitzvah Preparation

Once you’ve chosen a date, you will want to arrange for your child’s Bar/Bat Mitzvah preparation, which is about a six month process and should begin approximately six months before the date.

Ayala Zonnenschein is our main tutor to oversee your child’s course of private study, and will bring in other tutors for their particular skill set to work with your child: Devorah Zaslow works with students on storytelling, for those who choose to create and tell a story based on their Torah portion, and speech delivery.

Overseeing the whole process, of course, is Rabbi David, who will meet with the family as well as check in with your child periodically.  Contact Ayala Zonnenschein at ayala@ashlandhauvrah.org to inquire about our fees.