The Bar Mitzvah ceremony (usually at 13 years old for a boy) and Bat Mitzvah ceremony (usually 12 or 13 years old for a girl), has traditionally marked a time of transition when a child takes on more learning and responsibilities and moves towards becoming an adult member of the community.  In modern times, older children/teenagers or adults may commit to studying for their Bar/Bat Mitzvah for a multitude of reasons ranging from never having had the opportunity, to re-connecting with one’s Jewish tradition later in life, to many other reasons in between.  I look forward to hopefully speaking soon and helping you meet your goal.

Our tradition teaches in the Shema, sometimes referred to as the Pledge of Allegiance for Jews, that we have to teach our children.  Metaphorically speaking the parent and/or members of our community often come together to help teach different subjects depending on their background, and in reality everyone learns from each other.  The Bar/Bat Mitzvah preparation involves a series of meetings where I first meet the student where he or she is and assess the goal(s) in light of each student’s unique situation and circumstances.  I enjoy working as part of a team with experienced Jewish educators and/or cantors who have worked with a wide range of students to help them learn to read and chant the Torah trope, while I have worked with students to help them research an area of interest within their weekly Bar/Bat Mitzvah Torah portion and then help the student write and practice delivering his or her d’var Torah or speech.  Our Jewish tradition teaches that there are 70 faces of Torah, or I like to say 70 branches Torah, and I believe that part of my role as a local community rabbi is to build rapport and get to know each particular student as a unique neshama (soul), to get to know his or her personality and interests, and then help make their Torah portion come alive and be relevant somehow  in their everyday life.   I am a people person who is energized by working with others and I have been fortunate to have had the ability to make genuine connections with students, which in turn has helped me to find creative ways to make connections between the Torah portion and a student’s unique interests.  For example, I had one Bar Mitzvah student who was very interested in weather forecasting, and another student who taught me about being an “upstander” for the rights of others and so we worked together to connect these passions with their Torah portions and  incorporated the students’ interests into their Bar Mitzvah divrei Torah or speeches.

I enjoy officiating at the Bar/Bat Mitzvah service and personalizing the joyful service by sharing an inspirational, heartfelt message that connects the student’s unique personality traits and interests with their Torah portion, and imbues the milestone with more meaning for the student, family and friends both on the special Bar/Bat Mitzvah day itself and for many years to come!

Contact Rabbi Friedman at 732-844-3465