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Personalizing the
Bar Mitzvah Service
A Conservative Perspective
by Rivka C. Berman
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Aside from the usual prayers, songs and Torah
reading at a Shabbat service, there are ways to make the bat mitzvah service
special.
Personalizing the Service
Adding prayers and readings can be a deeply meaningful way to shape the
service. Get a sense of how much individualization is permitted at your
synagogue by attending other bnei mitzvah services. Talk with your rabbi to find
out the guidelines and limitations. Then go for it. Poetry readings keep it
short and practice first. Selections from other written works same advice
applies. Snippets from songs. These can act as a running commentary on the
regular prayers. Remember the rest of the congregation and keep the references
understandable and meaningful to those who may not know you or your family very
well.
Many synagogues corral all personalized input into the parents presentation of
the tallit. Its not because rabbis besmirch sentiment; its just that services
are for glorifying God, not each other. If you cant cram it all into this brief
moment, save your words of wisdom for the party. Better yet: tell the bat
mitzvah what youve been thinking at a special dinner with just mom, dad and
her.
Booklets
There is a way to add your personal take on the service without doing actual
readings from the bima. With your computer and a little creativity, you can
publish a booklet as a guide to the service, a forum for personal statements and
a memento of the day.
What to Include:
Depending on your crowd, there may be a need to give more or less of an
introduction to the whole synagogue experience. Explain the phases of the
service. Write a tour of the synagogue, such as the ner tamid, eternal light,
the ark.
Some pages can be dedicated to a brief history of the bat/bar mitzvah
celebration.
Write a biography of the bar mitzvah boy. Use a timeline format if essays are
not your style.
Memories written grandparents, aunts, uncles, parents, siblings and friends
Color photocopies of baby pictures set alongside more contemporary shots
Welcome and thank everyone for attending the service (especially the out of
towners) with a handwritten letter.
Add a map with directions to the place where the party will be held.
Ease the challenge of finding the right page for the Torah reading by copying
the portion into the booklet. Be careful. Its not a mitzvah to violate
copyright laws, and once Gods name is on paper the booklets should be treated
with special respect.
Drawings or poems by the bar mitzvah: his best work, his interpretation of
what Judaism means
Prayers written by the bat mitzvah: for peace, for understanding, for
patience.
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