A Jewish person becomes an adult at age 13. We celebrate this rite of passage through a ritual called a bar mitzvah (for boys), or bat mitzvah (for girls), or benei mitzvah (plural, also used as a non-gendered term). This moment is a celebration for our community; it is about stepping forward in the context of kehillah, our sacred congregation, into direct relationship with the essential holy opportunities of our tradition.
The Benei mitzvah celebration is a time when we recognize the coming contributions of our youth, whether a teen is counted in a minyan (a quorum for prayer services), called to the Torah, leads a Shabbat service, continues Jewish education in high school, is a leader in USY, a madrikh (teen assistant) in our Religious School, or takes on any other role of responsibility in the ongoing task of building community, inside the synagogue or outside in the broader world.
Click here to read the Benei Mitzvah Handbook
If you or your children are interested in becoming the process of celebrating a benei mitzvah, please contact the office by calling (412) 421-2288, or by emailing us at info@bethshalompgh.org .
Celebrating Becoming Benei Mitzvah at Congregation Beth Shalom
Students becoming benei mitzvah are most often celebrated in our congregation during the Shabbat morning service. To qualify for a Shabbat morning bar/bat mitzvah ceremony, each student and family must satisfy certain requirements. They are listed in the Benei Mitzvah Handbook (linked below), beginning on page 2, and generally address the family’s membership status, the student’s age and prior Jewish education, and the work that the student will put into the effort.
Benei Mitzvah Information
Please see our current Benei Mitzvah Handbook for further information.