Fees and Other Information

B’NAI MITZVAH FEE

The Temple’s B’nai Mitzvah fee is $1,225 and is billed at 11 months before your child’s B’nai Mitzvah ceremony. It must be paid at latest by three months before the date of your service. You are welcome to pay it in monthly installments through our member website (ShulCloud). You can pay on-line through this link or print out the payment form on this page and send in a check with it.

This fee pays for the B’nai Mitzvah service and materials, and contributes towards the Oneg Shabbat reception following Friday evening services.

Tutoring is billed to your ShulCloud account monthly, based on the exact number of sessions your child has with their tutor that month. The tutoring fee is $60 per session (45 minutes). Generally, students tutor between 18 and 20 sessions. Regular Religious School tuition is due since Bar/Bat/B’nai Mitzvah candidates are required to attend school during the preparation period.

No child or family is denied the privilege of celebrating a B’nai Mitzvah for financial reasons. If this is cause for concern, please contact Executive Director Jessica Ingram, at 703-532-2217, ext. 300, well in advance of your simcha, and special arrangements will be made.

LIVE INTERNET STREAMING

Temple Rodef Shalom streams a live feed of the B’nai Mitzvah service over the internet so that it can be seen on our own website, as well as on Apple TV, Roku and YouTube. This will allow your family and friends who cannot make it to TRS, watch the service live, or at a later time.
They simply go to this page: www.templerodefshalom.org/live in their internet browser at the time of the service, or after the service. The video stream stays in our video archive for 90 days.

At this time, we are also providing a professionally produced digital video to all families free of charge. You will be emailed an MP4 of the video the week following your service.

SOCIAL HALL AND CATERING

Our building offers many options for receptions, parties, luncheons or other meals. Many rentals have already been arranged for this year and the next. If you are interested in holding your simcha at the Temple, please call or email Laura Rosh or Grace Wright-Pazdra (Rentals Coordinators) to reserve the date as soon as possible. Caterers must be in touch with Laura Rosh or Grace Wright-Pazdra at least two months prior to the B’nai Mitzvah date to review building and kitchen policies, provide a certificate of insurance and to request tables and chairs. All inquiries should be made through Laura or Grace by calling 703-532-2217, ext.100, or emailing rentals@templerodefshalom.org. When planning menus, please keep in mind that shellfish and pork products are not permitted in the Temple.

USHERING

Over the years we have developed several traditions at Temple Rodef Shalom that encourage and enable families to prepare for their simcha. Ushering at a service prior to your Shabbat service enables you to become more acquainted with the logistics of the B’nai Mitzvah service, and at the same time, help another family on the day their child celebrates their Bar/Bat/B’nai Mitzvah.

Families are requested to usher during one Shabbat morning or afternoon service in the months preceding your family’s celebration. For questions concerning ushering, please contact Julie Kaplan, B’nai Mitzvah Coordinator, at 703-532-2217 ext. 313, or email her at JKaplan@templerodefshalom.org.

On the day you have signed up to usher, please see our Director of Security, Clyde Hilliard, in the lobby area of the synagogue, for instructions.

FAMILY NEEDS

Our Rabbis and Cantors are sensitive to the many different family structures that exist within our congregation. Care is taken to ensure that each family member feels comfortable throughout the service.

If there are other circumstances for which we should be aware, or questions you have about the service or our customs, please take the time to contact with Rabbi Schwartzman or Cantor Shochet to share your concerns. You may also speak to the Rabbi or Cantor at one of the rehearsals prior to your service.

ATTENDING SERVICES DURING THE YEAR OF B’NAI MITZVAH

For you and your child to prepare for their Bar/Bat/B’nai Mitzvah, we encourage attending services, monthly at Temple Rodef Shalom. Your child should use these opportunities to fill out the service journal found in the B’nai Mitzvah binder.

The Temple’s traditional Friday night services take place on Friday night at 6:30 PM and family services on the first Friday of every month from September through May begin at 6:30 PM. When there is a fifth Friday night in the month, those services take place at 8:00 PM. Saturday services begin at 10:30 AM and on some weeks there is a Mincha (Afternoon) service at 5:00 PM. Here are some additional services we think you will enjoy:

Bo’i Shabbat or “Welcome Shabbat” is an alternative to the 6:30 PM Family Service between September through May. Bo’i Shabbat begins at 6:30 PM. It is a traditional Friday night service with an emphasis on music and occurs the first Friday of every month in the Mishkan (Small Sanctuary).

Our Parallel Shabbat Morning Service occurs the third Saturday of every month, from September through June, in an intimate and informal setting. Generally, the Torah reading and D’var Torah are led by members of the congregation. A pot-luck vegetarian luncheon follows the service. These services are held in the Mishkan (Small Sanctuary) at 10:30 AM.

KOL KORE HEBREW LEARNING PROGRAM

Temple Rodef Shalom is pleased to provide another resource for your child in learning how to read or chant the Hebrew prayers, Torah and Haftarah portion.

An Israeli company, Kol Kore, has created a point & click computer program that operates on any internet browser to help your child learn their assigned Hebrew selections of the Service.

The Kol Kore program is based upon a complete sensory experience that drastically improves the student’s learning capability and absorption. The student can highlight the area they are interested in reading, from an area that spans one word up to the entire Torah Aliyah. The Hebrew text is highlighted while its recording is sounded. This latent benefit allows the student to repeat any reading segment easily and endlessly, allowing non-musically inclined students to enjoy their learning experience as well.

The Hebrew punctuation and/or Trope, which can be shown in different colors, can be shown or hidden, thereby emulating the text as it is actually written in the Torah scroll itself. The English translation can be seen highlighted as the Hebrew is highlighted. Because the program is so simple and flexible, correct, yet traditional Torah reading habits are naturally instilled in the learner, from day one. Kol Kore uses the melodies of Temple Rodef Shalom, with the voice of Cantor Shochet and Cantor Michaeli for the chanting of the Torah and Haftarah portions as well as the prayers.

Once you choose to use the program, we will assign your child’s portion and prayers and send you an email with your login information, so that you can log in to your actual reading assignments. The program is free and intended to be used as a resource for students to supplement their tutoring. It is great for students who enjoy using computers to help in their at-home practicing. To order Kol Kore, use this form.

You may also use the program without enrolling to practice any of the prayers by following this link.