Evergreen
Making Your Own Ritual Objects
Creating a tallit (prayer shawl) or designing a bar/bat mitzvah invitation can add a meaningful personal dimension to the celebration.
Scheduling A Bar/Bat Mitzvah: What To Consider
For a traditional family, the appropriate date for a bar/bat mitzvah is the Shabbat on or following the child's birthday, but for a liberal family, selecting a date can be more complicated.
History of Confirmation
Confirmation changed the requirements for Jewish "adulthood" by moving the focus from religious practice to doctrine.
The Ethics of Family Inclusion
Who we invite to a simcha (celebration) reflects our sense of family identity.
The First Bat Mitzvah
Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan's daughter's modest break with patriarchal traditions created new religious options for Jewish women.
The Adult Bar/Bat Mitzvah
Although not associated with puberty, this rite represents a spiritual "coming of age" for adult Jews.
The Parents’ Blessing: Baruch She-p’tarani
The bar mitzvah ceremony is medieval, but a bar mitzvah blessing appears nearly a millenium earlier.
Parent-Child Dynamics Shift Before Bar/Bat Mitzvah
A family educator offers words of advice to the family.
The Jewish Age of Majority and Its Obligations
Reaching the age of majority was not always a requirement for commandments such as being called up to the Torah.