Is Beth Chai’s Bar/Bat Mitzvah ceremony different from the traditional ritual? What’s it like?
One of Beth Chai’s most appealing aspects for both children and their parents is the opportunity to bring the child’s unique interests and expression to this important coming-of-age ceremony. Each Beth Chai Mitzvah girl or boy develops her or his own service with the guidance of Rabbi Blecher. These services may be as traditional as the reading of the weekly Torah portion or as unconventional as a research project on Yiddish theatre in the 1920s. The spacious and simple great hall of RRUUC typically provides the setting for the ceremony, which is always on a Saturday morning. The Bar or Bat Mitzvah date is selected up to one year in advance in consultation with the family and Rabbi. Beth Chai does not assign dates, nor are there “double” ceremonies; each Bar or Bat Mitzvah celebration is for one person only. For more information, be sure to read our Mitzvah page.
