The phrase "bar mitzvah" litereally means "son of the commandments." The celebration of a Bar Mitzvah signifies that Soren is becoming an active and responsible member of the Jewish community.
Soren will lead the congregation through many of the prayers and he will chant a portion of the Torah for the first time. As part of his months of preparation for this formidable task, Soren has also prepared a d'var torah (word of torah) for the service, which is like a sermon, based on the text of Bereshit (creation). The prayer books, which open and count from right to left, as that is how Hebrew is read, include each prayer in Hebrew and English, as well as a transliteration of the Hebrew words written in English letters. The service will be approximately two hours long.
During sevices, people remain quiet out of respect for the service, and are encouraged to participate in as much or as little of the service as they choose. Cellphones should be silenced and kept away. (The service will be streamed live and recorded, should there be a section you would like to watch later.) At various points throughout the service, attendees will be asked to stand if they are able. Standing is done out of respect for what is taking place and does not signify agreement with the prayer(s).
The Saturday morning service (main Bar Mitzvah ceremony) begins at 10:00 AM, and the optional Friday evening service begins at 7:00 PM. Arriving a few minutes early is best, as Soren will be leading parts throughout each service.
Absolutely! Soren is excitde to share this milestone with all his friends. Watch and participate in as much or little as you feel comfortable.
Temple Habonim members typically dress in "smart casual" attire. Some people will be in khakis and a polo shirt or blouse, while others will wear suits and dresses. Soren and the clergy will be wearing coat-and-tie. For the party, people should dress "nice and fancy, but not fancy schmancy." Cocktail attire is welcome, but not necessary. Soren will likely wear the same suit as during the morning service, but with more comfortable shoes (aka sneakers).
Many jewish congregations and facilities choose to have security officers at larger events, including Bar Mitzvah services, to help provide an atmosphere of safetty. We are grateful to the Barrington Police Department for providing added secutiy and appreciate the friendly smiles from the officers.
We hope everybody is able to attend both, but certainly understand that time conflicts can be an issue. When you RSVP, you will be able to separately indicate what you will attend.
There will be hors d'oeuvres, dinner with a range of options, dessert and drinks (adult beverages will be served, only to adults), and entertainment. There will be puzzles, old fashioned table games, and "escape room" challenge, and some up-close magic! In addition to all of that, there will be a dance floor and DJ with music to get all the generations dancing, including for the hora -- lifting Soren up in a chair and bouncing him all around the dance floor!
You are welcome to join your child for the service and light lunch/refreshments after, or if they (and you) are comfortable, they may attend alone. Please be sure to give your kiddo a rundown of what yo expect and what is expected (see above). As for the evening party, we wish we could invite everybody to attend with their whole family, but we are limited by space. If the invitation has just your child's name on it, you can drop them off at the venue and pick them up at the end of the night. Friends are welcome to carpool, if they are more comfortable arriving with company. If you have any further questions about this, please don't hesitate to reach out.