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MA'ASEI
MITZVAH PROGRAM
Dear Bar or Bat Mitzvah Candidate:
Welcome to CBI's Ma'asei Mitzvah program! We are excited to have an opportunity to share with you in this exciting time in your life. Becoming Bat or Bar Mitzvah is an important event for you, your family, for all of us at Congregation Beth Israel, and for the Jewish people.
On the day you will lead services as a Bar or Bat Mitzvah, you will sign a certificate which indicates that you accept the responsibilities and privileges of becoming a Bat or Bar Mitzvah. By signing, you understand that you will be continuing your Jewish education. But there is more to signing the certificate than just continuing on to Confirmation.
Also on the certificate is the statement: "The world depends on three things: Torah ("learning" and "instruction"), Avodah ("worship") and G'milut Chasadim ("acts of loving kindness")." Participating in these three aspects of Jewish life are an important commitment that you will be making as a Bar or Bat Mitzvah.
The Ma'asei Mitzvah (literally "doing/performing mitzvot") program is designed to help you learn the importance of these three elements of Jewish commitment. We ask that you complete a total of 18 mitzvot. Eighteen in Hebrew is spelled, Chai. Chai is Hebrew for "life". Of the eighteen mitzvot, 12 are required and six are elective. Our hope is that by completing all of these mitzvot one month prior to your Bar or Bat Mitzvah celebration, you will have a greater sense of God's presence in your life, the importance of doing mitzvot, and what it means to be an adult in the Jewish community.
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Torah
Required:
- Make a commitment to continuing your Jewish Education.
- Participate in the B'nai Mitzvah Preparatory
class.
- Learn Torah Trope.
- Chant Torah and Haftarah.*
- Write a D'var Torah.*
- Attend 2 Torah Study classes on Shabbat morning
with your parents.
Electives (minimum 2):
- Write an autobiography, including your Jewish history.
- Write a book report related to a Jewish topic (approved by Rabbi Ettman or Cantor).
- Create a family tree that goes as far back as possible.
- Write a report about a favorite Jewish personality.
- Attend a CBI educational lecture or class.
- Study the Torah portion of the week with your family every Shabbat for one month.
- Learn Haftarah trope.
- Your own ideas. (Get permission from Rabbi Ettman or Cantor).
* In preparation for your Bat or Bar Mitzvah celebration
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Avodah
Required:
Attend 12 CBI services the year prior to your Bar or Bat Mitzvah with your family.
- Attend 6 Erev Shabbat services.
- Attend 6 Shabbat morning or afternoon services when a Bar or Bat Mitzvah is celebrated.
Electives (minimum 2):
- Celebrate Shabbat at home each week, for
a minimum of three months.
- Attend a Bar or Bat
Mitzvah celebration at another congregation.
- Recite Shema and V'ahavta for
one month every evening before bedtime.
- Attend 2 lay-led Shabbat Morning (minyon)
Services in the chapel.
- Attend a Healing Service.
- Pray the morning blessings including Shema each
day for a month.
- Your own ideas. (Get permission from Rabbi Ettman or Cantor).
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G'milut Chasadim
Required:
- Participate in CBI's Hunger Project on two Sunday mornings with your parent(s).
- Give Tzedakah in the Religious School every week.
- Visit a senior citizen home and/or participate in another volunteer program on two different occasions.
- Participate in a Mitzvah Day or other CBI Social Action project.
Electives (minimum 2):
- Donate 3 percent of the gift money you receive to the Congregation Beth Israel Hunger Project.
- Commit to participating in the Hunger project on two additional Sundays.
- Volunteer for a Jewish or non-Jewish organization such as our Tikkun – Social Action committee.
- Visit someone in the hospital.
- Participate in a Tikkun – Social Action program at Congregation Beth Israel.
- Usher at 2 Friday Erev Shabbat services.
- Your own ideas. (Get permission from Rabbi Ettman or Cantor).
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