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| Bar and Bat Mitzvah Preparation |
BAR/BAT MITZVAH CLASS
Students in the 7th grade will be required to attend a weekly Bar/Bat Mitzvah class. V’Zot
HaTorah will be their primary text, as well as Sedra Scenes from the Book of Judges.
Classroom discussion will center around the weekly Torah portion and the “mitzvah of the
week” as designated and elaborated upon by the authors of V’zot HaTorah. In addition,
students will view three videos, each focusing on the meaning of Bar/Bat Mitzvah, from the
perspective of a young person preparing for the ceremony. Students will be asked to reflect
upon, and write about, what Bar/Bat Mitzvah means to them.
Several times during the year students and parents will meet together during the class to
discuss issues of concern about Bar/Bat Mitzvah and its significance.
VAV AND BAR/BAT MITZVAH TUTORING
Those students in Vav and Bar/Bat Mitzvah classes are required to tutor twice a week with
the Rabbi and/or an older student in preparation for their B’nai/B’not Mitzvah. The Rabbi will
contact the parents of each student to discuss his/her tutoring schedule. Generally
speaking, sessions with the student tutor can be arranged at a time and location convenient
to both the tutor and the student. The Rabbi will assign his tutoring times based on the date
of the students’ B’nai/B’not Mitzvah. Those earliest in the year will be given first choice. The
Rabbi is available to tutor by phone or in person, or a combination of both. Each session is
a half-hour in length.
BAR/BAT MITZVAH PROJECT
Each student in the Bar/Bat Mitzvah class is expected to participate in a special project as
part of their Bar/Bat Mitzvah preparation. This project should be something substantial that
requires at least several months of work and that reflects a particular interest or talent of the
student. It should involve “acts of kindness”: if a student likes animals, for example, he or
she may want to raise money for an animal shelter. Students may “adopt” an older person
in a nursing home or in the community, or volunteer their time at a social service agency. In
short, the project should be a hands-on, serious effort that allows the student to put his/her
own unique stamp on the celebration. Projects must be done in consultation with Karen
Walsh. Project packets are distributed at the May/June parent meeting. Students and
parents should meet with Karen Walsh twice during the summer and submit formal project
plans by November. The work will be put on display (if possible) on the day of the Bar/Bat
Mitzvah or may serve as the topic of the celebrant’s devar Torah (Bar/Bat Mitzvah speech).
VAV PARENT MEETING
There will be a meeting during Hebrew School for the Vav Class parents in October. The
Rabbi and Karen Walsh will discuss synagogue etiquette and service attendance.
Sisterhood and Executive Board will provide information ranging from hiring kitchen help to
Bar/Bat Mitzvah fees.
There will be a second meeting at the end of the school year with Karen Walsh. This
meeting will be dedicated to information concerning the Bar/Bat Mitzvah project
requirements. Parents and students will then be asked to meet individually with Karen some
time in June or July to go over the particulars of each project, from selection to
implementation.
Miscellaneous
Trope Sheet