Bar and Bat Mitzvah

18Doors

To bar mitzvah or not to bar mitzvah, that is the question. Need some help? Want to learn ways to make your child’s special day inclusive for the whole family? Find out how other families have handled these issues in InterfaithFamily.com’s selection of articles, resources and links.

Booklet

Our booklet, Bar & Bat Mitzvahs For The Interfaith Family, explains the wonderful milestone marking adulthood, the bar mitzvah (for a boy) or bat mitzvah (for a girl), a life cycle event taking place at the age of 13.

Guide

Planning a bar or bat mitzvah can be tricky. Bar/Bat Mitzvah Ideas and Primer for Interfaith Families includes detailed information about what takes place at a bar mitzvah or bat mitzvah as well as information on ways a child’s interfaith family can participate in the celebrations, and possible limitations on participation in some synagogues. Watch this video to see what to expect at a synagogue.

Tips

Classes

InterfaithFamily offers classes

and workshops for interfaith families starting to think about, or in the early stages of, planning a bar or bat mitzvah. Is Preparing for a Bar or Bat Mitzvah in Your Interfaith Family for you?

From Others

Looking for advice? Wondering how others planned bar or bat mitzvahs that were inclusive of extended family’s different religions? Our discussion boards and article archives have plenty of resources:

Bar and Bat Mitzvah Article Archive

Further Reading

Additional Resources

From the Jewish Women’s Archive, MyBatMitzvahStory.org provides a safe and fun setting in which girls can explore and express their emerging identities as Jewish women.
MyJewishLearning.com’s Adopted Children, Conversion, and the Bar/Bat Mitzvah or Bar/Bat Mitzvah Planning Guide.

Author: 18Doors

18Doors is here to support interfaith couples and families exploring Jewish life. We offer educational content; connections to welcoming organizations, professionals and programs; resources and trainings for organizations, clergy and other program providers; and our Rukin Rabbinic Fellowship provides offerings for couples in cities nationwide. If you have questions, please contact info@18doors.org.