B'nai Mitzvah Program

         Temple Shaaray Tefila trains approximately 75 B’nai Mitzvah students each year to celebrate their new status by participating in our Shabbat worship services in the main sanctuary. Marked sometime after the student’s thirteenth birthday, the new status of Bar/Bat Mitzvah symbolizes a Jewish coming of age for our young people. By participating in congregational worship, the community gives them the opportunity to perform a variety of mitzvot for which they are now eligible: leading prayers as a Ba’al Tefilah, reading Torah and Haftarah as a Ba’al Korei, and interpreting the weekly Torah portion as a Darshan.

         The lengthy process of study to prepare for service participation is meant to reinforce and advance Hebrew and liturgical skills acquired during the student's years of learning at our Hebrew school. Our students are also introduced to Torah cantillation (chanting). We attempt to carefully prepare each student for the public demonstration of these skills. In addition, our clergy, tutors and teachers all try to challenge our students to think about the issues involved in prayer and Torah. We recognize and honor the emotional impact of this rite of passage for the student and his/her entire family, and we strive to support our families through the preparation and planning process.

         The Bnai Mitzvah program is supervised by Rabbi Jonathan Stein. The tutorial program is implemented by our Cantor, Bruce Ruben, along with our Cantorial Intern Jen Roher, and our highly qualified tutorial staff. Rabbi Scott Corngold works with each student to prepare a Dvar Torah, and Rabbi Stein meets individually with every family to lend support and clarity to the process and celebration.

The following is a brief outline of the steps in the B’nai Mitzvah preparation process:

3 years before:

Dates are set under certain established criteria and with the assistance of the Facilities Manager in our Administrative Office.

1-2 years before:

Each family is invited to participate in a Sixth Grade B’nai Mitvah Family Education Program.

10 Months before (except July and August):

Orientation with Cantor Ruben and Rabbi Corngold. Families receive materials for the classes and tutoring that will soon begin. Rabbi Corngold introduces the Shaaray Mitzvot program, a learning-through-doing program designed to reinforce in our students the concept of mitzvah as well as materials to help students begin to think about their Torah and Haftarah portions.

10 Months before: Building Blocks

Small group session are held on Thursday afternoon for 45 minutes/week for 16 weeks. During these classes, students will learn, review and practice the following:

1. Hebrew Reading: All blessings and prayers including: Torah and Haftarah
Blessings, Kiddush, Nisim b’chol yom, Barchu, Yotzeir, Shema, V’ahavata, Mi Chamocha, Avot v'Imahot, Gevurot, Sim Shalom, Torah services passages, Aleinu, V’ne'emar, Mourners Kaddish.

2. Trope: system; V’ahavta with trope; trope analysis of Torah portion.

3. Liturgy Study: Structure and concepts of the prayers and worship service.

6 Months before: Torah Portion, Prayer melodies, Dvar Torah preparation

Meetings begin along with other students sharing the bimah on the Shabbat of the celebration. Individual lessons begin if Shabbat team sessions do not work out for scheduling reasons. Tutorials are held on  Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday afternoons for 30 to 45 minutes/week for approximately 2 1/2 months. During this time the following will be studied:

1. Torah portion (approximately 12 verses) with the goal of fluent reading.  Concurrently review Torah trope.

2. Receive Torah portion on CD after above is accomplished

3. Melodies for the various prayer the student will help to lead.

During this period, Rabbi Corngold meets with students individually and helps them develop the first draft of their Dvar Torah.

2 1/2 Months before: Haftarah Portion, prayer review, completion of Dvar Torah, meeting with officiating Rabbi.

In a continuation of the small group or private tutorials discussed above, students meet for approximately 30 minutes/week to master the following:

1. Haftarah Portions (4-8 verses each), with the first goal of fluent reading.

2. Receive Haftarah portion on CD after above is accomplished.

3. Review of Torah portion and all prayers.

Also during this period, Rabbi Corngold helps each student complete their D’var Torah.

Approximately 6-8 weeks before the celebration is scheduled to take place, Rabbi Stein meets with each family individually to review student progress, discuss family service participation and answer questions and concerns. If Rabbi Corngold is the officiating rabbi, this meeting will be held with him.

1 Month before: Review and service preparation

All materials have been mastered and students are reviewing. Tutoring sessions continue for 30 minutes/week.

Shabbat teams meet with Cantor Ruben to receive their siddurim, divide portions of the service for family participation, and continue reviewing.

2 Weeks before: Bimah rehersals begin

First sanctuary rehearsal of all Hebrew materials with Cantor Ruben. This session is usually held on Mondays in the early evening.

1 Week Before: Final rehersals

Second rehearsal with Cantor Ruben in the sanctuary. Parents may attend as well. Dvar Torah will be rehearsed along with all Hebrew materials. Usually held on Monday in the early evening.

The officiating Rabbi’s final rehearsal begins at 9:00 am in the Sanctuary on the Wednesday morning before the Shabbat celebration. All parents and students are required to attend this session.