General Information

General Information

What is a Bar/Bat Mitzvah?

Occurring around the 13th year of a young person’s life, the Bar/Bat Mitzvah is the time in Jewish life when a young person reaches the age of responsibility for fulfilling the religious, moral, and ethical commandments of Judiasm. The term literally means "son/daughter of the mitzvah," or one who is obligated in mitzvah observance. As a Bat Mitzvah, Megan will be counted as part of the minyan, the quorum of 10 adults needed for a full service to take place.

Several individuals will be honored during the Shabbat service with an aliyah, an invitation to come up to the Torah, and will recite a special blessing. Megan will be honored with her first aliyah, including reading from the Torah, during this service. She will also read the Haftarah, a portion from the books of the prophets. She will then give her D’var Torah, which is a lesson about the Torah portion, her Haftarah, and what she has learned from both of these and her Mitzvah project.

Shabbat

Shabbat, or the Sabbath, is a day of rest. It begins at sundown on Friday and ends at sundown on Saturday. Although Jews are commanded to rest on this day, we also take time to acknowledge that G-d is the creator of heaven and earth and all living things. We do this in part during Shabbat services, which take place on Friday nights and Saturday mornings. As part of becoming a Bat Mitzvah, Megan will be leading the services on Friday night and Saturday morning of the weekend she is called to the Torah.

Synagogue Attire

All males entering the synagogue are requested to wear a kippah, a head covering, as a sign of respect. Kippahs will be provided for anyone who does not have one. Only Jews should wear the tallit, the fringed prayer shawl. In our synagogue, women are invited to wear both, should they desire, but are not required to wear either.

Dress clothing is appropriate to wear to synagogue on Shabbat. Girls and women should have their shoulders covered. No sneakers please.