Bar & Bat Mitzvah Learning
Bar Mitzvah Florida learning services are for you if you are:
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unaffiliated with a synagogue
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affiliated with a synagogue and need additional private tutoring
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not necessarily religious - lessons customized to your level of observance
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have a busy schedule
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having a Bar/Bat Mitzvah as an adult
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intermarried
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going to Israel for a Bar/Bat Mitzvah tour
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are unable to join a synagogue in order to study
Becoming Bar Mitzvah is a rite of passage for every Jewish person age 13 or older. It builds character and identity; is a demarcation between childhood and young adulthood; marks the time when a child is responsible for mitzvot, good deeds, that lead to positive values and practices.
Bar Mitzvah Program for unaffiliated students
The program of study will range from 6 months to a year, or longer, depending on the family's goals and objectives. This includes weekly visits in person, on the phone or via video chat, depending on the student's location. Lesson schedules will be according to the student's needs and can be in the evening or on Sunday afternoons. For adult students, lessons can take place during the morning.
Areas of study:
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Jewish religion and culture
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Jewish holidays and ritual practice
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Shabbat - students will be encouraged to light candles and say blessings at home if they choose
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Torah Blessings and chanting of their Torah portion - accompanying Haftarah can be incorporated at the family's discretion. (It is not required.)
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why Jews pray the way they do and the basic structure of the prayer service
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Spirituality and a relationship to God as it is meaningful to the student
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Students will be required to complete a Mitzvah, or service, project to reinforce the Jewish principles of Tikkun Olam, healing the world.
Ceremony
Just as a Jewish wedding can take place anywhere you can set up a Chupah, a Bar Mitzvah ceremony needn't be held in a synagogue. The Torah and Commandments were given by God to the Jewish people in the wilderness. Any place can be made into a HOLY space, simply by gathering family, friends and loved ones together to celebrate a milestone. Bar Mitzvahs take place in parks, on ships, in Israel at the Western Wall, in hotel ballrooms, catering halls...even at home. Rurally located Jewish families no longer have to feel isolated from other Jews based on geography. Reading out of a Torah can be facilitated in any location and, with prayerbooks customized for each student, any location can be suitable for a congregation of worshipers. If the family wishes to have the ceremony in a synagogue, Bar Mitzvah Florida can arrange that for an additional fee.
Your ceremony will include:
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Personalized service prayerbooks and a service customized to meet the needs of the student and family
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the ability to read directly from a Torah
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participation by family, friends, or anyone who the student wishes to honor
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service led by experienced Cantorial Soloist and service leader
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individualized music and the opportunity for creative expression and personalized readings provided by the family or Bar Mitzvah Florida.
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A signed certificate of Bar/Bat Mitzvah.
Bar Mitzvah Program for temple affiliated students
Many students whose families are already affiliated with a synagogue still need additional tutoring and assistance with their studies. Bar Mitzvah Florida provides tutors who currently teach Hebrew, train students in Torah and Haftarah chanting, and who are very familiar with the Shabbat service and all blessings that most synagogues require for the student's Bar/Bat Mitzvah service. Our teachers will work within the curriculum provided by your Rabbi, Cantor or Educator and report progress to them if requested. As with unaffiliated students, lessons can occur in person, on the phone or via internet video chat.
Areas of study:
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Torah and Haftarah trope (chanting)
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Order of the service
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Torah, Haftarah and Shabbat morning blessings and prayers
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Assistance with D'var Torah (speech about the Torah or Haftarah portion)
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Consultation on Mitzvah/service project
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Support for synagogue curriculum as it applies to the student's Bar/Bat Mitzvah
To receive information on Bar Mitzvah preparation and services,
please click here to go to our contact page.
