B’nai Mitzvah
Ben and Bernice Fiterman B’nai Mitzvah Program
Beth El’s Fiterman B’nai Mitzvah program seeks to raise students, knowledgeable of, inspired by, and committed to, Jewish tradition, for that is truly what “bar/bat mitzvah” means. In the course of the program, students and their families become well versed in synagogue services and form deep ties to each other and to our community. Click here for additional description of the mission and goals of the program.
B’nai Mitzvah are typically celebrated on Shabbat morning at Beth El. We also offer alternative arrangements and provide training for students celebrating in Israel. Learning takes place in our 5th-7th grade Shabbat morning program (TaRBuT), on some Sunday mornings in the 6th and 7th grade years (Torah Plus) and requires home practice. To put these b’nai mitzvah studies in context, students are expected to either attend the Heilicher Minneapolis Jewish Day School (a full time Jewish day school) or our religious school, (K-1st grade at Beth El on Shabbat morning; 2nd-8th grade at Talmud Torah on weekday afternoons and/or Sunday mornings).
Contact Information:
For further information and questions, please contact:
Cantor Wendi Fried, B’nai Mitzvah Program & Ritual Director, at wfried@bethelsynagogue.org or 952.873.7316
Amy Godsey, Assistant to the Cantors and B’nai Mitzvah Program, at agodsey@bethelsynagogue.org or 952.873.7313
Useful Links
2023-2024 Final School Calendar
Forms:
– Where to go for information?
– B’nai Mitzvah Information Form
– Torah Reading Request Forms and Guidelines
– Honors Forms
– Instructions for Purchasing T’fillin and Tikkunim
– Sample B’nai Mitzvah Program
Recordings:
– Bayit (Home) skills
– Shacharit
– – Advanced Skills – Beginning of Shacharit (Orot)
– Advanced Skills – Kabbalat Shabbat/Torah Service
– Advanced Skills – Musaf/Hallel
– Birkhot Hashahar
– P’sukei D’zimra
– Minchah
– Torah Trope
– Haftarah Trope
Goals and Hopes of the Program
Torah
Students develop a love of Torah and see it as a never ending source of wisdom to lead their lives. They know how to chant Torah, study and teach Torah, and wear Torah (tefillin). But our greatest hope is that they learn to love and live Torah.
Avodah (Spirituality)
Students master life-long synagogue and home skills that form the foundation of a rich, spiritual life. They understand the mechanics and the meaning of these rituals. Rather than “performing” for an “audience,” b’nai mitzvah use these spiritual tools to enrich their lives.
Mitzvot
Students understand that mitzvot are more than “good deeds” but rather a sacred responsibility that bring holiness to the world. After “trying on” 13 (or better, 18 mitzvot) over the course of their b’nai mitzvah studies, students incorporate new mitzvot into their lives upon completion of the program.
Kehilah
Having participated regularly in services, Shabbat dinners, the annual retreat, etc., students and their families feel closer to the Beth El community. They become “regulars” in shul and participate actively in the life of Beth El and the broader Jewish community.