The Bar/Bat Mitzvah Program

For more information, please visit our new Youth Education and Programming Website.

A philosophy of community and ritual

Becoming a Bat or a Bar Mitzvah at Darchei Noam is a very special experience. As a Reconstructionist Community, Darchei Noam invites and encourages extensive participation on the part of its membership. All religious services held in the sanctuary are open to the whole community, and are celebrated as a public mitzvah.

Our Expectations Of Those Reaching Bar/Bat Mitzvah Age

While traditional ages for reaching religious maturity in rabbinic times were 12 for girls and 13 for boys, it has been the practice at Darchei Noam to hold both Bat and Bar Mitzvah celebrations following the child's thirteenth birthday. During the year leading up to the simcha, the young people attend services regularly, participate in Darchei Noam's Bar/Bat mitzvah class, study with a tutor to acquire the requisite skills (such as Torah and Haftarah blessings, chanting, etc.), and participate in a mitzvah project.

Some recent mitzvah projects include:

Working with the homeless in Darchei Noam's "Out of the Cold" program
Volunteering to help at a long-term care facility for the elderly
Working with children with special physical needs
Sorting used clothing at a store whose proceeds go to a community hospice
Environmental clean-up events

The Role Of The Parents

Family participation in learning activities and in Bat/Bar Mitzvah preparation is an essential aspect in a shared process of nurturing the child's enthusiasm for Jewish learning. We encourage families to study together, attend services, perform tzedaka together, and strengthen bonds with Darchei Noam and its members.

The Kiddush

The Bar/Bat Mitzvah celebration in synagogue is a community event. It is self-evident that the community is invited to the seudat mitzvah, the meal celebrating the completion of a sacred duty. The practice at Darchei Noam is that celebrating families sponsor a kiddush for their guests and the congregation.