We hope to provide you with an overview of what a Bat Mitzvah is and what will be happening this weekend. Click on one of the top buttons and "More" for lots of helpful information.
Please click on "Contact" to RSVP to let us know if you will/will not be able to attend the Saturday morning service when Megan will be called to the Torah in honor of becoming a Bat Mitzvah.
A Bat Mitzvah is when a girl begins her Jewish life in a more participatory way with accompanying rights and responsibilities. Bat is the Hebrew word for daughter, and Mitzvah is commonly known as commandment. Mitzvot (plural of Mitzvah) are acts done with consciousness that increase holiness (or whole-ness) in the world.
Megan will celebrate becoming a Bat Mitzvah publicly by leading the congregation in worship and by reading from the Torah (The 5 Books of Moses). From this day forward, Megan will be counted among the adults in our Jewish Community and be able to participate as a member of a minyan (Quorum of 10) for prayer services. As such, Megan’s becoming a Bat Mitzvah is a milestone indicating the beginning of her Jewish adulthood.
This
Simcha (joyous occasion), will take place during Temple Or Hadash
Shabbat (Sabbath) morning services at Werner Elementary School. Later
in the evening, we will have Havdalah and Dessert (separation of Shabbat
from the weekday with dessert!) in Megan’s honor at Fossil Creek Park.
Here's a brief overview of Shabbat (Sabbath) and Saturday Morning services:
Shabbat is our gift from G-d. Every Friday night, as the sun sets, we are given the opportunity to leave our ‘to-do” lists, our computers and cell phones, and other busy activities behind us and take time to simply “be.”
Shabbat is our day of rest – the seventh day of the week. In a world full of noise, carpools, meetings, activities and constant striving for productivity, we are given the opportunity each week to take a break. Shabbat is a day set aside for introspection and spiritual renewal, to reconnect with our inner voices, our families and friends, our community, and with G-d. Shabbat, like all Jewish holidays begins and ends with sunset.
Megan's Bat Mitzvah recognition will take place during our regular Saturday morning Shabbat service.
The service has a specific flow to it, starting with some readings and songs to warm us up to get us ready to pray. This warm up is followed by the Amidah (literally "Standing Prayers") which leads up to the Torah Service, the main part of the Shabbat Morning Service.
This Torah service begins with the Torah scroll being removed from the Ark and ceremoniously carried around the sanctuary. This procession symbolizes that the Torah is a gift that G-d continuously gives to every person.
Torah, literally means "teaching." The Torah scrolls are read throughout the year. Each week, a parasha, or portion, is read. Throughout a one year cycle, all five books (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy) are read publicly with a very specific ritual. Jews all over the world will be reading the same portion today that we are reading.
After the Torah portion of our service, and a few speeches and announcements, we will sing the concluding prayers.
As a little heads up, the Siddur, prayer book, that we will be reading from is opened and read like Hebrew, from right to left. Many readings will be conducted in Hebrew so feel free to read the corresponding English.
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us at [email protected] or through the contact page of this website.