Bar/Bat Mitzvah
At the Jewish Congregation of Brookville we strive to help you and your family create a bar/bat mitzvah that is both meaningful and personal while imbued with Jewish traditions.
There are two Jewish values central to the Bar/Bat Mitzvah celebration.
1. Community
A child does not become a bar/bat mitzvah outside of his/her community. Despite our congregation’s present circumstances, a bar/bat mitzvah is not a private affair. It is a public occasion. It is first and foremost the public celebration of Shabbat and the public reading and teaching of Torah. B'nai mitzvah are therefore celebrated only when Torah is read: primarily on Shabbat morning or Shabbat late afternoon/havdalah but occasionally on Monday or Thursday mornings. Your child has an aliya in the presence of his/her community—the Jewish Congregation of Brookville. Your child teaches Torah to his/her congregation. We expect his/her continued participation in the life of the congregation and the Jewish people. We celebrate the beginning of his/her adult life in the community not his/her graduation from it.
2. Mitzvah
Mitzvah should not be translated as “good deed.” It means commandment or better yet “sacred obligation.” Judaism understands our adult life to be a life blessed with responsibilities. The Jewish system is one predicated on duty to God and to others. It matters most what we do. We are measured by the actions we perform. It is far greater to give than to intend to give. These duties, responsibilities, obligations, commandments begin on this bar/bat mitzvah day.
The process of preparing for this day is an opportunity to teach your child the Jewish values of mitzvah and community. The congregation is the home in which one's Jewish life begins.
The Rabbi, Cantor, Mrs. Bertash and the Jewish Congregation of Brookville thank you for the blessing of teaching your children.
As you prepare for your bar/bat mitzvah you might find these Jewish sites helpful.
- For general questions visit this site: MyJewishLearning.
- For a fun introduction to your Torah portion: G-dcast.
- For mitzvah project ideas visit: GoodPeople or Repair the World. It is always easiest and best to collect things for a tzedakah organization, such as canned food, winter coats, clothes or sports equipment. For more ideas contact the rabbi.
At the Jewish Congregation of Brookville our students not only learn these central Jewish values but also enjoy their studies. Each of our students gains a sense of pride in having led and taught his/her congregation on the day he/she becomes bar/bat mitzvah.