For those among our family and friends who aren’t familiar with b’nei mitzvot (the plural of bar/bat mitzvah), here are some terms you might want to know:
Bar mitzvah: “son of the commandment.” The Jewish coming-of-age ritual, which follows a boy’s 13th birthday; girls can become bat mitzvah at age 12. The joke, of course, is that on this day, the boy “becomes a man,” but in practice, it means that he becomes responsible for the commandments (read: his spiritual, moral life) and that he literally counts–he can be part of a minyon, the “quorum” of 10 necessary for communal Jewish prayer.
Mitzvah: a good deed. We speak of “doing a mitzvah,” for instance. As part of Isaac’s bar mitzvah process, he was required to do community service. He chose to do several mitzvah projects: selling fair trade coffee to support the Abayudayah Jews of Uganda; petting puppies at the Dog Assistance League; helping at Elisha’s Pantry to distribute food for the Redwood Food Bank; and helping maintain the landscape at our synagogue.
Bima: the stage, platform, or special area where the Torah service takes place. It is always considered an honor to be “called to the bima,” and during the service, we’ll try to include as many family and friends as we can.
Torah: the “Five Books of Moses,” the first five books of the Old Testament, and the most precious text in Jewish tradition. Isaac will read from a handwritten Torah scroll that was saved from a community in Czechoslovakia that was destroyed by the Nazis. Every week, a different parashah (portion) is read, and the whole Torah is reread every year. The Torah is treated with great respect: the congregation will stand whenever “in its presence”; Isaac will read from it using a yad (“hand,” a silver pointer) in order not to touch the parchment itself; at various times people will kiss something (a tallit, a siddur/prayer book) then touch it to the Torah.
D’var torah: a teaching based on the Torah, or the sermon Isaac is writing and will read during the ceremony.
Haftorah: “completion”; the reading of a section of the Prophets, sometimes with a tie-in to the Torah portion. When Isaac completes his reading of the Haftorah, there will be singing and clapping to signify the end of his major accomplishment in studying and preparing for his bar mitzvah
Kiddush: the prayer praising God for wine, recited before dinner on Shabbat and at other times to sanctify the day. Also refers to the food and wine served after morning services.
Kippah (pl. kippot; also called yarmulke in Yiddish): the headcovering, worn mostly by men as a sign of
respect to God. Because ours is a reform synagogue, wearing the kippah is optional. Isaac wears a kippah handmade by the Abayudayah, the Ugandan Jewish community that he has helped support with his mitzvah project (more on this elsewhere in the blog).
L’dor va dor: “from generation to generation.”
Oneg (Shabbat): “celebration”; the social gathering including refreshments held after worship services. The Friday night before Isaac’s bar mitzvah, the oneg will be hosted by our chavurah (“friends”). We’ve been meeting and sharing Jewish holidays with these six families since Isaac was a toddler.
Simcha: a joyous event
Tallit (pl. tallitot): a prayer shawl with special fringes called tzitzit tied in the corners. The fringe is meant to remind the wearer of the 613 commandments. Isaac will receive his tallit at the start of his bar mitzvah service.
great local pizza places in case you need a slice of pie:
