Welcome to the B'nai Mitzvah Page!
About the B'nai Mitzvah Service
A Bar/Bat/B'nai Mitzvah service is a lifecycle event in which a young person celebrates their attainment of the age of 13, which is the age at which they are recognized as an adult in the Jewish tradition. It is the beginning of their adult Jewish journey. This means that they are responsible and accountable for performing commandments (Mitzvot) in the Torah. B'nai Mitzvah means "children of the commandments." The singular forms of this are "Bar Mitzvah" (son of), "Bat Mitzvah" (daughter of), and "Bet Mitzvah" (child of). At Temple Rodef Shalom, our B'nai Mitzvah students lead portions of the Saturday morning or afternoon service, read from the Torah (Five Books of Moses) and Haftarah (Selection of the Prophets). The student also provides their own interpretation of the scriptures in a personal reflection. It is a very uplifting and spiritual experience for everyone!
At Temple Rodef Shalom, we are committed to being an accessible and inclusive community, working with your family to support your child's unique needs on their Bar/Bat/B'nai Mitzvah journey. We will ensure that, if and when they are ready, they have the opportunity to celebrate this milestone in a meaningful way. For accommodations, we encourage you to have a conversation with Cantor Shochet, who oversees the B'nai Mitzvah Program, to explore the best path forward.
Interested in the B'nai Mitzvah service? Contact Julie Kaplan or 703.532.2217 #313.
Adult B'nai Mitzvah: Rodef Chochma
The Rodef Chochma (Pursuer of Wisdom) program is Temple Rodef Shalom’s version of a group Adult B’nai Mitzvah, an opportunity for adults to learn the skills to be called to the Torah. Each class member will read from the Torah and will also lead the congregation in prayer in a group Shabbat service.
Our program offers adults a unique opportunity to gain an introduction to Jewish thought, practice and ritual. Classes are held about twice a month and are taught by our clergy. Topics include liturgy and prayer, holidays, lifecycle, theology, Reform Judaism, etc. In addition, students work on their Hebrew reading ability in concurrent or private classes and/or tutorial sessions. The Hebrew component is a separate component to the Rodef Chochma curriculum. The class is designed to create community through learning, mitzvot, and social opportunities.
Interested in joining Rodef Chochma? Contact Rabbi Sarah Tasman or 703.532.2217 #222.
For Parents
Your family is about to embark on a most significant journey, a year-long trip of preparation towards a Bar/Bat/B'nai Mitzvah celebration. This is a wonderful and exciting time in the life of a young adult and your family. We, your clergy, join you in the preparation for this event as well as in the happiness that comes with it.
The ceremony that your child will soon observe symbolizes in Jewish terms the passing of the child from intellectual, emotional and moral childhood into adolescence. As in all other congregations in the world, it signifies the recognition by the young person that they are becoming responsible to God for their moral and religious actions.
The guiding principle of B'nai Mitzvah at Temple Rodef Shalom is that this year of preparation and the simcha itself be full of joy and filled with emotional and intellectual satisfaction and growth for your child and your family. The attainment of this objective is possible only if your child is thoroughly prepared and personally motivated. Young people surely need the help of clergy, teachers and especially parents to achieve this goal. Thus, the observance of a B'nai Mitzvah is a quintessential opportunity for both child and family to strengthen their commitment and connection to Judaism and our Temple.
Parent Information: (Click on a topic to go to the web page on that topic.)
Contact Us for Information and Appointments
Parents Role on Friday Night and Saturday
Updated COVID Photography and Videography Policy
The Student’s B'nai Mitzvah Notebook
Understanding the Aliyah Honors and Grandparent Roles in the Service
What Your Child Leads at a Morning Service / Mincha Service
Print or Download the entire Parent’s Guide PDF here
Parents need to complete these forms during the B’nai mitzvah year:
(*Before indicates counting backwards from the date of the Bar/Bat Mitzvah)
| Deadline | Name of Form | Click to Complete Form |
| 11 Months Before | B’nai Mitzvah Payment | Pay Online Send Check |
| When Tutoring Starts | Kol Koreh Hebrew Web Learning Program | Order Program |
| 5 Months Before | Photography Rules | Open PDF |
| 4 Months Before | Sign up to Usher at a Shabbat Service | Sign up Here |
| 3 Months Before | Service Information Form for Parents to Complete | Click to Complete Form |
| 3 Months Before | Connection Profile | Click to Complete Form |
| Days Before Service | Reminders of What to Bring | Open PDF |
Dates to Remember
1 Year prior to B'nai Mitzvah: Attend our monthly family workshop with your child, where you will receive their binder, Hebrew materials, and you will fill out a tutor assignment survey. You will be notified of the date by the Clergy office.
11 Months Prior to B'nai Mitzvah: Receive your tutor assignment, based on your survey. The tutor will be informed of the assignment and will contact you.
10-6 Months Prior to B'nai Mitzvah: Attend tikkun olam workshop at 9 months and participate in your cohort’s group mitzvah outing at 8 months. Begin tutoring between 9 to 10 months for a morning service (but no later than 8 months) or 8 to 9 months for an afternoon service (but no later than 7 months). After 4 tutoring lessons (roughly 2 months), schedule a Hebrew check with the clergy.
5-4 Months Prior to the B'nai Mitzvah: Schedule a second Hebrew check with the clergy.
2 Months Prior to the B'nai Mitzvah: Schedule a third Hebrew check with the clergy and a first meeting with Rabbi Saxe or Rabbi Stein to begin the speech writing process.
1 Month Prior to the B'nai Mitzvah: All Hebrew prayers, Torah portion and Haftarah should be completed.
Wednesday Before First Bimah Rehearsal: Meet with Rabbi Schwartzman and partner for an informal discussion meeting.
First Bimah Rehearsal with Cantor: Tuesday, 11-days prior to your service, if the service is a morning service. OR Thursday, 9-days prior to your service, if the case of an afternoon service. These rehearsals take place at 3 pm and last one hour.
Final Bimah Rehearsal with Rabbi: Tuesday, 4-days prior to your service, if the service is a morning service. OR Thursday, 2-days prior to your service, if the case of an afternoon service. These rehearsals take place at 4 pm and last one hour. Photography is allowed at this rehearsal.
B'nai Mitzvah service times:
Saturday Morning: 10:30 am; Saturday Afternoon: 5 pm
Social Hall Rental Information:
Please visit the B’nai Mitzvah Rentals page for more information.
For B'nai Mitzvah Students
Learn your prayers and Torah with your computer
Temple Rodef Shalom uses Kol Kore (a Hebrew B'nai Mitzvah tutoring program) as an added resource to help B'nai Mitzvah students learn the Torah portion, Haftarah, and Hebrew prayers required for the service. The program is now free but you have to sign up through Julie Kaplan in order to get your Torah portion to display on the program.
To order the program, DO NOT ORDER ON THEIR WEBSITE. Instead, please send your request via email to Julie Kaplan and we will configure Kol Kore for your B'nai Mitzvah assigned prayers/Torah/Haftarah with our recordings.
You will then receive an email from Kol Kore with instructions on how to log in and use the program. It is best to use the Firefox or Chrome web browser.
Free Kol Koreh Prayer Practice: Click the picture below:
Mitzvah Project idea databases
TRS has a database to help you discover project ideas that other students have done. Use this database to search for ideas or add your project for others to see. Click here for our Mitzvah Project Database Sign in as a guest.
Fairfax County also has a great volunteer site to find projects for your age group! Go to Volunteer Project Search and use the filters to search for projects for your age group. You do not have to sign in or create a user name to use the site.
Arlington County has a website with opportunities for Children, Youth and Families. Go to here to see their “Volunteer Arlington Passion Into Action” site. You do not need to login to use their site.
Also, the Jewish Federation has ideas for Mitzvah projects. Go to Federation Doing Good Project Ideas Page to see their list of projects on their Online Project Bank.
Submit Your MITZVAH PROJECT
When you have finished your Mitzvah Project, please visit this page to let us know what you did. (sign in as a guest) We will add it to your file so the clergy can see that it has been completed.
Understanding your Torah portion
BimBam creates and distributes fun, accessible and smart digital media about Judaism for kids, adults and families who want to spend quality time online. You can search for your Torah portion and watch a short animated clip about it. Go to:: https://www.bimbam.com/torah-texts/torah/
Do you need packets or recordings?
If you need to download the audio file of your Torah portion, or need another copy of the Torah scan, or printout, please email Julie Kaplan at JKaplan@TempleRodefShalom.org
Prayer Packets ARE AVAILABLE HERE:
Morning Student A Service Packet
Morning Student A Torah Packet
Morning Student B Service Packet
Morning Student B Torah Packet
Afternoon Student A & B Service Packet
For Aliyah Participants
Mazal tov! You are being given a great honor. Your job is to read or chant the Torah Blessings before and after the Bar or Bat mitzvah reads from the Torah. If you’ve never done this before, don’t worry, we’ll help you!
Materials to Help You Prepare
To make it easy for you, we have several resources available to help you learn how to read or chant the Torah blessings, as well as learn the choreography of the Aliyah ritual. Choose from the following:
Blessings Sheet
Open and print the Torah Blessings sheet so that you can read from the Hebrew, transliterated Hebrew (English letters) or simply read the English translation.
Video
Watch a short instructional video on how to perform an Aliyah at Temple Rodef Shalom.
INTERACTIVE WEBSITE
You can go to our Kol Kore website to play the Torah blessings.
Click here to go to the Kol Kore site.
This is what the screen should look like.
At the top right, make sure it says Torah blessings. If not, click on the dialogue box and choose the prayer you want to hear.
The prayer list appears when you click that dialogue box. Click on your prayer.
The prayer appears in the main screen. Click on the first few words. They will light up blue and you will hear them sung.
AUDIO RECORDINGS TO DOWNLOAD
CLICK HERE to play the blessing that goes before the Torah reading.
CLICK HERE to play the blessing that goes after the Torah reading.
Print the full instructions in written form, along with the blessings. Thank you for performing this important mitzvah!