Thursday, May 17, 2007
Bar Mitzvah, Bar Mitzvah Ceremony, Bar Mitzvah Celebration, Bar Mitzvah Party, Bar Mitzvah Sports Theme
When a Jewish boy turns thirteen he partakes in a religious ceremony called a Bar Mitzvah (for a girl it is called a Bat Mitzvah and this happens when she turns twelve years of age). Under Jewish law at this time the boy or girl is considered an adult and is obligated to fulfill the commandments in the Talmud (this is the book that specifies all the Jewish laws and traditions. Before the age of thirteen ( twelve for girls) boys are not required to required to observe the commandments and laws of the Jewish faith. The Bar Mitzvah ceremony , which is supposed to be held as close to the Jewish boys thirteenth birthday as determined by the Jewish calendar changes this situation. From this point on he is supposed to participate in religious services, perform certain religious ceremonies on a daily basis and observe Jewish laws, customs and traditions.
The preparation for the Bar Mitzvah ( or Bat Mitzvah) is a long and rigorous procedure. The child attends religious school, usually at the Synagogue that the family belongs to for a minimum of five to six years. The degree of study and content covered in his studies will depend upon whether his family observes the Orthadox, Conservative or Reform traditions of the Jewish faith. The Orthodox sect of the Jewish Religion is the most rigorous in their acceptance of the Torah and its commandments and its observance. To make this as simple as possible let me say that they believe in the exact literal translation of the Torah, its laws and traditions. If it is written in the Torah that you must not do something then that is it and it must be obeyed.
On the other hand the Conservative Sect of the Jewish people believe that the times that the Torah was written in must be taken into consideration when deciding which laws must be obeyed exactly and which ones can be modified. For example an orthodox jewish person will not ride on the Sabbath but many conservative Jewish people will. The conservative person might argue that when the Torah was written there were no cars, so it was not possible to ride to Sabbath Services in a car. They might further argue that riding to Synagogue in a car is not doing work and therefore the law should be changed. The orthodox person would counter that in order to change the laws in the Torah certain conditions must prevail and that until they do one can not ride in a car on the Sabbath. Thus you have two different perspectives on the degree of religious observation that should be observed by Jewish people. If you have two types of perspectives on religious observation then you will have two types of study for the Jewish child to learn in his Jewish education. Thus the child who comes from an orthodox family will undergo much more rigorous and strict training for his Bar Mitzvah than the child who comes from a family that follows the traditions of the conservative sect of the Jewish people.
The reform sect of the Jewish people is very similar to the conservative sect in that they do not believe in the strict interpretation and observance of the Torah. As a matter of fact they are much more liberal than the conservative Jewish sect. They believe that we are living In a totally different world that the Jewish people were when the Torah and its laws were given to the Jewish people. Therefore they are very aggressive in attempting to modernize the Jewish religion and its traditions. This difference of opinions between the orthodox, conservative and reform jewish sects sometimes cause conflicts between them and definitely significantly affect the training that the Bar Mitzvah boy ( or Bat Mitzvah girl) will recieive in preparation for the day of becoming a man or woman in the eyes of the Jewish faith. Finally it must be understood that each Synagogue that a Jewish family belongs to may modify there own interpretation as to the best way to train the Bar Mitzvah boy or Bat Mitzvah girl.
The actual training that the Bar Mitzvah boy undergoes may take from as little as one year to as much in most cases as two or three years. This training is above and beyond the youngster attending Hebrew school. The child must learn to read hebrew fluently. He will be called up during the Sabbath service to read and chant portions of the service. Again, this will differ greatly between the different Jewish sects, synagogues, families and ability of the child. There is no correct amount for the child to participate in the service. It is hoped that he will try an ddo as much as he is capable of doing. In addition to participating in the service each child is usually given a portion of the Haftorah to chant during the service. This is a difficult task and takes up much of the child’s preparation for his Bar Mitzvah. To help the child accomplish this task the school that the child attends will assign a teacher or tutor to work with the child once or twice a week for a period of time usually 6-8 months before the Bar Mitzvah. It is this teacher or tutor’s job to teach the Bar Mitzvah candidate to read and learn the appropriate pronunciation and melody for chanting the haphtarah. In some Synagogues the Bar Mitzvah boy will learn the entire haphtarah portion read the entire weekly Torah portion and lead the congregation in prayer for part of the prayers for the services.
In addition the child is expected to study the meaning of that portion that he is reading. He will discuss this passage with his Hebrew teacher, his Bar Mitzvah tutor, the Rabbi and his parents. He will try and understand how the passage that he is learning for his Bar Mitzvah affects his life and the traditions of the Jewish people. He will use it to try and gain insight into Judaism and its observance. The child will also get up and give a speech in English where he discusses the portion that he has read and its meaning. He will also talk about his upbringing by his parents, teachers and rabbis and thank them for all their help.
The Bar Mitzvah celebration is a big party usually catered to celebrate the Bar Mitzvah Boys or Bat Mitzvah Girls accomplishment of having studied for so many years to attain the skill to perform at the Bar Mitzvah service. Most Jewish families believe that the actual performance during the services that that Saturday is the most important part of the Bar Mitzvah but they will now have a lavish party after that religious service to commemorate and honor the entering into adulthood of the Bar Mitzvah or Bat Mitzvah youngster.
Different parts of the country celebrate the party part of the Bar Mitzvah in different ways. In the east, mainly the New York Area the party is very lavish with high intensity music, entertainment, appearances by celebrities, computer and other expensive games for the children to play and a band or DJ. Floral decorations are both lavish and expensive, special themes decorate the room and each table. A baseball theme may have each table decorated with the emblems and insignias and memorabilia of a specific team. The room may have blown up baseball player dolls and in some cases where the parents want to make a statement and differentiate there party from the rest they may invite a current or retired baseball player to attend the function.
The first thing that usually happens in a New York Bar Mitzvah is that the family has a one hour cocktail hour smorgasbord when the guests arrive. This can take many forms but is usually quite extensive. As a matter of fact there is usually more food available and more food eaten at this cocktail hour smorgasbord than at the five or six course dinner to follow. Hot and cold dishes abound all over. Chicken this (usually 2 or 3 different chicken dishes) meat that (also several meat dishes), hot dogs And hamburgers for the kids, meat balls and stuff cabbage for the adults, pasta dishes, rice dishes, platters of cold dishes, such as lox, gefilte fish, white fish, and other assorted cold delicacies. Then there are fruit platters, drinks ( both sodas and juices as well as any type of liquor the guests might envision being there. This smorgasbord lasts for an hour or slightly more. By the time it is over most of the guests are stuffed to the gills. However now the area is cleared and the guests make there entrance into the dining room where a lavish 5, 6 or even 7 course gourmet dinner is about to be served. Fortunately this banquet dinner is served very slowly and from start to finish lasts approximately 4 hours, thus giving the guests a chance to digest the enormous amount of food they have just devoured at the smorgasbord.
The crowd now enters the dining room and finds their tables and is seated. Now the party is in the hands of the DJ or band leader, who will now be in charge of the events to follow and the timing of them. The entertainment for the party whether it be a DJ or a band has got to be able to interact with the guests at the affair. They need to take music requests from the guests, encourage them to dance and participate in group dances and activities. Most Bar Mitzvah parties start with a grand entrance by the Bar Mitzvah boy and his family. The MC will tell the crowd to get into their seats, set the tone with some music and then in a loud and excited voice announce the entrance into the room of the Bar Mitzvah boy and his family. The family now enters the room. Usually all the guests stand at their tables and give them a round of applause. In some parties the guests form two lines and the family walks in between and shake hands with all their guests.
Everybody is then seated and the band or DJ plays music while the first course is served. It is now the time for people at the table to introduce themselves to each other and find out what their common connections are. Tables are usually arranged with a common connection between the people sitting there. They may be brothers and sisters, cousins, or just people of the same age or people who share common interests.
At a Bar Mitzvah the next big order of business is usually the candle lighting ceremony. Thirteen candles are lit to signify the Bar Mitzvah Boys thirteenth birthday. This is the family’s chance to honor their guests or as many as they can. The usual order is the older members of the family first, such as the grandparents, Great uncles and aunts, Other older relatives, Uncles and Aunts, Cousins, younger relatives, friends of the Bar Mitzvah Boy or Bat Mitzvah girl, their siblings and parents.
Bar Mitzvah parties usually have a theme. This theme is carried through the whole party. The most popular theme for Bar Mitzvahs is either the sports theme or a specific sports theme such as a baseball theme, football theme, basketball theme, hockey theme, soccer theme, lacrosse theme or wrestling theme. The tables are all decorated to emphasize the theme that has been chosen. For example if it is a baseball theme then all the tables may have the names of famous baseball teams or famous baseball players. Pictures of the players or team logos will be present on each table in the room. Other sports memorabilia may be around the room such as the sign in board may be in a sports motif to correspond with the particular sports theme.
To really make a sports them Bar Mitzvah special an athlete may be hired to attend the bar mitzvah. The athlete will spend most of his time with the Bar Mitzvah boy and his friends. He will talk to them about his career, what it is like to be a professional athlete. He will sign autographs for them usually on photos or balls related to the sport, such as baseballs or basketballs. He may show them some inside info on playing the sport such as how to dribble a basketball, position oneself to field a ground ball, pass a soccer ball or some other sports tips.
A new idea that some Bar Mitzvahs are using is to have the Bar Mitzvah Party in a place that has a sports facility. While the parents are at the cocktail hour and even during part of the dinner the boys and girls attending the Bar Mitzvah can participate in sports activities such as basketball or soccer or some other sports endeavor. The sports guest will participate with the kids and show them special skills in the sports arena being used for the Bar Mitzvah. Just imagine the boys and girls actually playing basketball with and getting instruction from a professional basketball player at this Bar Mitzvah and then going home with a photo or ball as a favor. It is an experience they will remember for the rest of their lives.
For parents who are interested in finding out how they can find information on hiring a professional athlete for their son’s Bar Mitzvah or their daughters Bat Mitzvah it is best to call the leader in arranging such appearances: Lerner Sports Marketing. Lerner Spots Marketing specializes in arranging athlete appearances for Bar Mitzvahs, other parties and celebrations, corporate events, speaking appearances and fundraising events at affordable prices. Call Lerner Sports Marketing at (516) 752-7557 or (866) LERNER1 or email Lerner Sports Marketing at Al@lernersportsmarketing.com. Lerner Sports Marketing also has a website which shows photos and videos of past Bar Mitzvah appearances that had professional athlete in attendance and testimonials by some of the parents of the Bar Mitzvah boys. The website is www.Lernersportsmarketing.com and is well worth your taking the time to visit it. On the website are many links to sporting teams, past sports celebrities and athletes who have done appearances for Lerner Sports Marketing and information on Lerner Sports Marketing and all the events that they arrange athlete appearances for.
The preparation for the Bar Mitzvah ( or Bat Mitzvah) is a long and rigorous procedure. The child attends religious school, usually at the Synagogue that the family belongs to for a minimum of five to six years. The degree of study and content covered in his studies will depend upon whether his family observes the Orthadox, Conservative or Reform traditions of the Jewish faith. The Orthodox sect of the Jewish Religion is the most rigorous in their acceptance of the Torah and its commandments and its observance. To make this as simple as possible let me say that they believe in the exact literal translation of the Torah, its laws and traditions. If it is written in the Torah that you must not do something then that is it and it must be obeyed.
On the other hand the Conservative Sect of the Jewish people believe that the times that the Torah was written in must be taken into consideration when deciding which laws must be obeyed exactly and which ones can be modified. For example an orthodox jewish person will not ride on the Sabbath but many conservative Jewish people will. The conservative person might argue that when the Torah was written there were no cars, so it was not possible to ride to Sabbath Services in a car. They might further argue that riding to Synagogue in a car is not doing work and therefore the law should be changed. The orthodox person would counter that in order to change the laws in the Torah certain conditions must prevail and that until they do one can not ride in a car on the Sabbath. Thus you have two different perspectives on the degree of religious observation that should be observed by Jewish people. If you have two types of perspectives on religious observation then you will have two types of study for the Jewish child to learn in his Jewish education. Thus the child who comes from an orthodox family will undergo much more rigorous and strict training for his Bar Mitzvah than the child who comes from a family that follows the traditions of the conservative sect of the Jewish people.
The reform sect of the Jewish people is very similar to the conservative sect in that they do not believe in the strict interpretation and observance of the Torah. As a matter of fact they are much more liberal than the conservative Jewish sect. They believe that we are living In a totally different world that the Jewish people were when the Torah and its laws were given to the Jewish people. Therefore they are very aggressive in attempting to modernize the Jewish religion and its traditions. This difference of opinions between the orthodox, conservative and reform jewish sects sometimes cause conflicts between them and definitely significantly affect the training that the Bar Mitzvah boy ( or Bat Mitzvah girl) will recieive in preparation for the day of becoming a man or woman in the eyes of the Jewish faith. Finally it must be understood that each Synagogue that a Jewish family belongs to may modify there own interpretation as to the best way to train the Bar Mitzvah boy or Bat Mitzvah girl.
The actual training that the Bar Mitzvah boy undergoes may take from as little as one year to as much in most cases as two or three years. This training is above and beyond the youngster attending Hebrew school. The child must learn to read hebrew fluently. He will be called up during the Sabbath service to read and chant portions of the service. Again, this will differ greatly between the different Jewish sects, synagogues, families and ability of the child. There is no correct amount for the child to participate in the service. It is hoped that he will try an ddo as much as he is capable of doing. In addition to participating in the service each child is usually given a portion of the Haftorah to chant during the service. This is a difficult task and takes up much of the child’s preparation for his Bar Mitzvah. To help the child accomplish this task the school that the child attends will assign a teacher or tutor to work with the child once or twice a week for a period of time usually 6-8 months before the Bar Mitzvah. It is this teacher or tutor’s job to teach the Bar Mitzvah candidate to read and learn the appropriate pronunciation and melody for chanting the haphtarah. In some Synagogues the Bar Mitzvah boy will learn the entire haphtarah portion read the entire weekly Torah portion and lead the congregation in prayer for part of the prayers for the services.
In addition the child is expected to study the meaning of that portion that he is reading. He will discuss this passage with his Hebrew teacher, his Bar Mitzvah tutor, the Rabbi and his parents. He will try and understand how the passage that he is learning for his Bar Mitzvah affects his life and the traditions of the Jewish people. He will use it to try and gain insight into Judaism and its observance. The child will also get up and give a speech in English where he discusses the portion that he has read and its meaning. He will also talk about his upbringing by his parents, teachers and rabbis and thank them for all their help.
The Bar Mitzvah celebration is a big party usually catered to celebrate the Bar Mitzvah Boys or Bat Mitzvah Girls accomplishment of having studied for so many years to attain the skill to perform at the Bar Mitzvah service. Most Jewish families believe that the actual performance during the services that that Saturday is the most important part of the Bar Mitzvah but they will now have a lavish party after that religious service to commemorate and honor the entering into adulthood of the Bar Mitzvah or Bat Mitzvah youngster.
Different parts of the country celebrate the party part of the Bar Mitzvah in different ways. In the east, mainly the New York Area the party is very lavish with high intensity music, entertainment, appearances by celebrities, computer and other expensive games for the children to play and a band or DJ. Floral decorations are both lavish and expensive, special themes decorate the room and each table. A baseball theme may have each table decorated with the emblems and insignias and memorabilia of a specific team. The room may have blown up baseball player dolls and in some cases where the parents want to make a statement and differentiate there party from the rest they may invite a current or retired baseball player to attend the function.
The first thing that usually happens in a New York Bar Mitzvah is that the family has a one hour cocktail hour smorgasbord when the guests arrive. This can take many forms but is usually quite extensive. As a matter of fact there is usually more food available and more food eaten at this cocktail hour smorgasbord than at the five or six course dinner to follow. Hot and cold dishes abound all over. Chicken this (usually 2 or 3 different chicken dishes) meat that (also several meat dishes), hot dogs And hamburgers for the kids, meat balls and stuff cabbage for the adults, pasta dishes, rice dishes, platters of cold dishes, such as lox, gefilte fish, white fish, and other assorted cold delicacies. Then there are fruit platters, drinks ( both sodas and juices as well as any type of liquor the guests might envision being there. This smorgasbord lasts for an hour or slightly more. By the time it is over most of the guests are stuffed to the gills. However now the area is cleared and the guests make there entrance into the dining room where a lavish 5, 6 or even 7 course gourmet dinner is about to be served. Fortunately this banquet dinner is served very slowly and from start to finish lasts approximately 4 hours, thus giving the guests a chance to digest the enormous amount of food they have just devoured at the smorgasbord.
The crowd now enters the dining room and finds their tables and is seated. Now the party is in the hands of the DJ or band leader, who will now be in charge of the events to follow and the timing of them. The entertainment for the party whether it be a DJ or a band has got to be able to interact with the guests at the affair. They need to take music requests from the guests, encourage them to dance and participate in group dances and activities. Most Bar Mitzvah parties start with a grand entrance by the Bar Mitzvah boy and his family. The MC will tell the crowd to get into their seats, set the tone with some music and then in a loud and excited voice announce the entrance into the room of the Bar Mitzvah boy and his family. The family now enters the room. Usually all the guests stand at their tables and give them a round of applause. In some parties the guests form two lines and the family walks in between and shake hands with all their guests.
Everybody is then seated and the band or DJ plays music while the first course is served. It is now the time for people at the table to introduce themselves to each other and find out what their common connections are. Tables are usually arranged with a common connection between the people sitting there. They may be brothers and sisters, cousins, or just people of the same age or people who share common interests.
At a Bar Mitzvah the next big order of business is usually the candle lighting ceremony. Thirteen candles are lit to signify the Bar Mitzvah Boys thirteenth birthday. This is the family’s chance to honor their guests or as many as they can. The usual order is the older members of the family first, such as the grandparents, Great uncles and aunts, Other older relatives, Uncles and Aunts, Cousins, younger relatives, friends of the Bar Mitzvah Boy or Bat Mitzvah girl, their siblings and parents.
Bar Mitzvah parties usually have a theme. This theme is carried through the whole party. The most popular theme for Bar Mitzvahs is either the sports theme or a specific sports theme such as a baseball theme, football theme, basketball theme, hockey theme, soccer theme, lacrosse theme or wrestling theme. The tables are all decorated to emphasize the theme that has been chosen. For example if it is a baseball theme then all the tables may have the names of famous baseball teams or famous baseball players. Pictures of the players or team logos will be present on each table in the room. Other sports memorabilia may be around the room such as the sign in board may be in a sports motif to correspond with the particular sports theme.
To really make a sports them Bar Mitzvah special an athlete may be hired to attend the bar mitzvah. The athlete will spend most of his time with the Bar Mitzvah boy and his friends. He will talk to them about his career, what it is like to be a professional athlete. He will sign autographs for them usually on photos or balls related to the sport, such as baseballs or basketballs. He may show them some inside info on playing the sport such as how to dribble a basketball, position oneself to field a ground ball, pass a soccer ball or some other sports tips.
A new idea that some Bar Mitzvahs are using is to have the Bar Mitzvah Party in a place that has a sports facility. While the parents are at the cocktail hour and even during part of the dinner the boys and girls attending the Bar Mitzvah can participate in sports activities such as basketball or soccer or some other sports endeavor. The sports guest will participate with the kids and show them special skills in the sports arena being used for the Bar Mitzvah. Just imagine the boys and girls actually playing basketball with and getting instruction from a professional basketball player at this Bar Mitzvah and then going home with a photo or ball as a favor. It is an experience they will remember for the rest of their lives.
For parents who are interested in finding out how they can find information on hiring a professional athlete for their son’s Bar Mitzvah or their daughters Bat Mitzvah it is best to call the leader in arranging such appearances: Lerner Sports Marketing. Lerner Spots Marketing specializes in arranging athlete appearances for Bar Mitzvahs, other parties and celebrations, corporate events, speaking appearances and fundraising events at affordable prices. Call Lerner Sports Marketing at (516) 752-7557 or (866) LERNER1 or email Lerner Sports Marketing at Al@lernersportsmarketing.com. Lerner Sports Marketing also has a website which shows photos and videos of past Bar Mitzvah appearances that had professional athlete in attendance and testimonials by some of the parents of the Bar Mitzvah boys. The website is www.Lernersportsmarketing.com and is well worth your taking the time to visit it. On the website are many links to sporting teams, past sports celebrities and athletes who have done appearances for Lerner Sports Marketing and information on Lerner Sports Marketing and all the events that they arrange athlete appearances for.
Labels: Bar Mitzvah, Bar Mitzvah Celebration, Bar Mitzvah Ceremony, Bar Mitzvah Party, Bar Mitzvah Sports Theme
# posted by Al Lerner @ 11:42 AM
