Religious School | Teens | Adult Education

Teens

B'nai Mitzvah Study

THE RIGHT OF PASSAGE

The literal meaning of Bar or Bat Mitzvah is Son or Daughter of the Commandment. Though this term is often used to refer to the ceremony itself, the term technically applies to the young person coming of age. According to Jewish tradition, a child attains the status of majority, or adult status, at the age of 13 years + 1 day for a boy, and 12 years + 1 day for a girl. Thereafter, a Jew is held personally accountable for religious observance.

PREPARING FOR THIS SPECIAL DAY

Young adults at TBS begin their formal preparation one year ahead of time. They begin with group study with Rabbi James, which includes participating and assisting in weekly Erev Shabbat and Shabbat Torah services. The B'nai Mitzvah class meets once a week as a group.

One on one study with the Rabbi starts about 6 months prior to being called to the Torah. These meetings focus on more in-depth study of the Bar or Bat Mitzvah's individual Torah portion as well as discussion and exploration of Judaism itself.

BEING CALLED TO THE TORAH

At TBS, our Bar and Bat Mitzvah's are not only called to read from the Torah for the first time, they are also called upon to lead the congregation in both the Erev Shabbat and complete Shabbat Torah service. The skills and life lessons learned from this undertaking are deeply embedded in our young adults, and are ones that will be a part of who they are for the rest of their lives.

Being called to the Torah as a Bar or Bat Mitzvah is not only an important life experience for the Bar or Bat Mitzvah, but is truly an event that is revered and honored by our entire TBS community.

Jew Crew

This club is fairly new to TBS. There are 18 original founding members of The Jew Crew and they can be found hanging out in their cool new space whenever they get the chance!

The post B'nai Mitzvah teens focus on Jewish issues that effect their own everyday lives and futures, as well as those effecting the Jewish community around the world. Lively discussions, joke-telling and eating are all part of the fun and learning.

As a congregation, we are very proud of the initiative that our teenagers show in maintaining their Jewish connection and expanding their knowledge and understanding as they move onto adulthood.