Information and Links for B'nai Mitzvah Students
REQUIREMENTS and OBLIGATIONS : B'nai Zion Bar/Bat Mitzvah Requirements and Guidelines.
HEBREW: Hebrew Requirements, and Practice Resources. (HebrewDoc.com)
QUESTIONS FOR THE STUDENT & FAMILY: Questions for the Bar/Bat Mitzvah Student to help our presenters get to know you a little bit, let Rabbi help choose people to honor, and give us information about the Mitzvah Project, etc.
OUTLINE FOR WRITING SPEECH / D'VAR TORAH: Basic overview of what should/could be included in the speech.
- Extra: How to write a D'var Torah: a guide from the Reform Movement
Reading Torah
1) Students should be able to demonstrate the ability to read Hebrew at a level that allows them to comfortably lead the Hebrew of the service. Once the student can read the Hebrew of the service, they will begin to work on the Torah portion. Ideally this should be at least 6 months before the Bar/Bat Mitzvah date.
2) Once a date is chosen, the student should read the translation of the entire Torah portion in English - write down key points, write down questions, make note of surprising or especially interesting information.
Find the Torah portion for your Bar/Bat Mitzvah date: https://www.hebcal.com/
Read the whole portion in English
Write in your own words what the Torah portion is about.
Write questions and comments about the Torah portion.
After discussing these with the Rabbi, a small part of of the whole portion will be chosen for you to read in Hebrew from the Torah scroll.
First, you will learn your section with vowels. (Don't be surprised if Rabbi Jana starts you at the end and has you work toward the beginning.)
Then you will take out the vowels. Then you will read it from the Torah font - or directly from a copy of the Torah.