One of our time-honored traditions is welcoming young members of our community into adulthood during their Bar/Bat Mitzvah ceremony. The ceremony marks a day of sanctity, achievement, family gathering and communal celebration.

The preparations begin long before your Bar/Bat Mitzvah day. This milestone represents the culmination of many years of study and the beginning of a child’s participation and responsibility in the Jewish community as an adult.*

To mark this special occasion, the Bar/Bat Mitzvah is called to the Torah for an aliyah (honor), typically reads all or part of the Torah portion and recites the Haftorah.  The Bar/Bat Mitzvah also delivers a short D’var Torah (teaching) relating to the Torah portion.

Congregation Beth Shalom has developed several tools to help you and your family prepare for this momentous life-cycle event. The best overall advice we can give though, is to remember to savor this important and joyful event in your child’s life. Try not to let the many details and decisions associated with this experience overpower the religious importance of this day for you and your family.

The Beth Shalom clergy and staff are here to help you. We want the memories of your child’s simcha to be happy and look forward to working with your family to make this event meaningful and memorable.

 *Please note: We require all B'nei Mitzvah to have been enrolled in religious or day school from grades 3 - 7 at a minimum. Please contact Rabbi Tobin or Religious School Director Patti Kroll to discuss your family's unique needs regarding this policy.

We welcome interfaith families to participate in life cycle events such as B'nei Mitzvah. For more information, please speak to our clergy.

For more information regarding B'nei Mitzvah, please contact Hazzan Menes at 913-647-7296.
  •  Hazzan's B'nei Mitzvah Site
  •  Bar/Bat Mitzvah Timeline 
  •  B'nei Mitzvah Requirements 
  •  B'nei Mitzvah Family Handbook 
  •  B'nei Mitzvah Announement 
  •  Bar/Bat Mitzvah Family Overview 
  •  Trope Class Information 
  •  Shabbat Service