B’Mitzvah Program

Hill Havurah is an inclusive, independent Jewish community committed to supporting member families as they embark on the B’Mitzvah journey. Many families find that celebrating their child’s transition into Jewish adulthood within the Hill Havurah community is a meaningful and powerful way to affirm their child’s place in Jewish life.

The Hill Havurah B’Mitzvah program prepares our youth to take on the responsibilities of adult membership – both within Hill Havurah and in the broader Jewish community. The B’Mitzvah ceremony marks the culmination of years of Judaic study, which for most students begins in Yavneh, our religious school.

Note: “B’Mitzvah” is used as an inclusive term encompassing Bar Mitzvah, Bat Mitzvah, and non-binary celebrations.

It is our hope that the ceremony will mark the beginning of a student’s lifelong Jewish learning journey – both formal and informal – starting with Hill Havurah teen programming and continuing through Chizuk at the end of tenth grade. The journey to becoming a B’Mitzvah demonstrates a desire to live according to Jewish values, to find inspiration through the study of Torah, and an ability to actively participate in a Jewish worship service.

Please see the Family Guide for details.

Every Hill Havurah Bar/Bat Mitzvah will reflect the celebrant’s focus on three defining aspects of Jewish life and identity:

• Torah – An understanding of Jewish culture and history. Hill Havurah sets no requirement for a family’s or youth’s level of religious observance, but a Hill Havurah B’Mitzvah ceremony must include an expression of the meaning the young person has found from studying Torah, reflecting on Jewish values, and participating in Jewish culture and ritual practice. Each B’Mitzvah candidate will, with the support of Rabbi Hannah, research, write, and deliver a d’var torah (literally, “words of torah”) on their Torah and Haftarah (prophetic reading) portions as well as other Jewish ideas or values that are meaningful to the candidate.
• Avodah – A connection with God or the spiritual dimension of life through participation in communal Jewish worship. A Hill Havurah B’Mitzvah observance will include the calling of the young person to the Torah at a worship service. The young person will learn the blessings upon being called to the Torah, read from their Torah and Haftarah portions, and take an active role in leading other parts of the worship service. each student will also be required to attend and/or volunteer for a number of Shabbat morning services (including a few B’ Mitzvot of fellow students) and Friday night services.
• Gemilut Chasadim – Each young person preparing to celebrate becoming a B’Mitzvah with Hill Havurah will undertake a meaningful, hands-on, and ongoing volunteer commitment that serves the greater community. They will, with the support of their family, choose a Mitzvah Project that is meaningful to them. Gemilut Chasadim, acts of loving-kindness, will help the student reflect on their responsibility to others and other Jewish values.

Registration

To register for the B’Mitzvah program, please first attend the Fifth Grade B’Mitzvah Family meeting or contact Rebecca Freund, the B’Mitzvah Coordinator. If a student gets a later start, however, that is not a problem; Rabbi Hannah and the B’Mitzvah coordinator are available to discuss enhanced preparations customized to the individuals’ needs.

Please note – the program is open only to Hill Havurah members.

Financial Assistance

Hill Havurah is an inclusive, welcoming community, and we work to make our programs accessible regardless of financial circumstances. If assistance would be helpful, please contact Rebecca Freund.

Important Links

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