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What is a Bar Mitzvah?

Professor Jonathan Sarna of Brandeis University explains the history of the bar mitzvah ceremony It is a common scene on many a Saturday morning in cities and towns across the United States to see seventh- and eighth-grade boys and girls, a few not Jewish at all, gather in synagogues and temples to watch a classmate’s […]

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Planning a Bar Mitzvah in the Digital Age

This year marks the 30th anniversary of my bar mitzvah. As I reflect on that memorable life-cycle event, I think about how much has changed in the planning of b’nai mitzvahs since then thanks to technology. In fact, technology has improved so rapidly that much had even changed from my oldest son’s bar mitzvah in […]

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Rabbi for Bar Mitzvah or Bat Mitzvah

  Rabbi Jason Miller is based in Metro Detroit, Michigan, but is available to officiate at mitzvahs all over the country. The bar mitzvah and bat mitzvah ceremonies he leads are all unique. Rabbi Jason uses only caring, experienced tutors who love working with Jewish teens to create meaningful and memorable bar mitzvah and bat mitzvah […]

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Bar Mitzvah/Bat Mitzvah Gift Guide

  Tips for picking the right present for this Jewish rite of passage. Finding the right bar/bat mitzvah gift can be tricky. For starters, there’s the gravity of the occasion: a once-in-a-lifetime rite of passage. Add to that, the recipient is 13, an age when a person’s interests and tastes are in flux and when […]

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Why Are Some American Jews Opting For Independent Bar Mitzvahs Outside The Synagogue?

From the Jewish Daily Forward By Talia Liben Yarmush Some people call them “unaffiliated,” some call them “independents,” and others, “off the grid.” They’re the members of the Jewish community who don’t belong to a synagogue or affiliate with any particular denomination. According to the oft-cited 2013 Pew Study on Jewish Americans, 22% of American […]

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Bar Mitzvah Ceremony Brings Hope for Future

  By Rabbi Jason Miller Originally published on The Huffington Post As a rabbi, I’ve officiated at more bar mitzvah and bat mitzvah ceremonies than I can remember. Throughout all of those beautiful coming of age ceremonies, I enjoyed watching the beaming faces of the proud parents, but I couldn’t yet relate to what they […]

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Private Bar Mitzvah Ceremonies (NY Times)

Bar Mitzvahs Get New Look to Build Faith The New York Times LOS ANGELES — The American bar mitzvah, facing derision for Las Vegas-style excess, is about to get a full makeover, but for an entirely different reason. Families have been treating this rite of passage not as an entry to Jewish life, but as […]

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Bar Mitzvah Prep in the 21st Century’s Tech Age

  Rabbi Jason Miller Originally posted in The Jewish Week NY In the Coen Brother’s movie “A Serious Man,” we see young Danny practicing his haftorah for his bar mitzvah by listening to the cantor’s rendition of it on his record player. That scene was undoubtedly sentimental for Jewish men of a certain age who […]

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