On their bar/bat mitzvah day a Jewish child steps forward as an empowered and responsible contributor to the community, charged with both growing spiritually and becoming a more ethical person. When boys and girls become bar and bat mitzvah, they reach a new stage of development in their lives and start thinking about the kind of people they want to be, emerging from the world of childhood as their moral awareness and sensitivity develop, enabling them to take complete responsibility for their actions. Bnei Mitzvah are celebrated with a festive meal, with the community, family and friends of the bar or bat mitzvah on hand to celebrate their ritual landmark. The meal is often accompanied by speeches from friends and relatives who encourage the bar or bat mitzvah to undertake their new role as a full-fledged Jewish adult with joy, and to strive to add spirituality to their lives. Please be in touch with Rabbi Creditor and the synagogue office for support, and for more information.

This is the Bnei Mitzvah Covenant towards which we strive at Congregation Netivot Shalom:

• Our goal at Netivot Shalom is to nurture in Amitim a Bar/Bat Mitzvah program that is a spiritual and religious experience connecting child and family to God, and the Jewish people to each other.
• Our Bar/Bat Mitzvah program will be caring. We will always strive to be gentle, kind, considerate, patient, and sensitive to our students and parents. We will create an environment that enhances the spiritual and religious experience of Bar/Bat Mitzvah.
• Parental involvement is key to the success of Amitim and to the entire Bar/Bat Mitzvah experience. We will encourage and nurture the involvement of parents with students.
• The regular and continuous involvement with student and parents affords the opportunity for relationship development. Long-lasting bonds will be created between student, parent, rabbi, tutors and teachers during the course of each student' progress, which will continue for a lifetime.
• Our children will achieve a very high level of excellence, as defined by the children themselves, one by one. We will help our Bnei Mitzvah do the very best they are capable of doing. The better prepared our B'nai Mitzvah, the more positive the experience - for everyone.
• We will connect the child to Judaism, family, Israel and the Jewish people.

Some Helpful Links:
The Shefa LifeCycles Page
MyJewishLearning.com "Bar/Bat Mitzvah" page
The "Adolescence" page on RitualWell.org