Avir and Amira’s bar/bat mitzvah

Avir and Amira’s are one year apart siblings who’s 12th and 13th birthdays are around the corner. As jewish children, this means that they will be celebrating their bar and bat mitzvah’s. They have their after party and outfits all planned out.

Younger brother Adam wants to know why his sister Amira is having her bat mitzvah one year before his brother Amir. Older sister Ami explains to him that it is believed by the Jewish that girls mature slightly earlier than boys.

Amira sticks her tongue out at Amir. “Now now, remember, you are becoming adults, making faces at each other is not very mature of you” Ami explains. “I can still do it though” says Adam, making a face at his siblings.

“Why do you need to celebrate your 12th birthday in such a fancy way?” asks Amira’s friend Kathrine at school. “Because we as jewish children are to become the son or daughter of the commandment. This is a transition from childhood to adulthood.” Explains Amira “this ceremony absorbs us into the jewish faith and we can take part in religious services and do many other things that Jewish adults can” 

“Are there any mentions of bar or bat mitzvah in our holy books?” asks Ami to the pastor who has arrived to train her siblings to lead a part of the service during the ceremony. “Well, let’s see now” the pastor explains “in the Torah it says that at the age of 13, a jewish boy must start observing the commandments of the torah, but aside from that there aren’t any direct mentions of this festival in the Torah.”

Amira peeps around the corner “wait only boys had to begin following the commandments? what about girls? why do we have bat mitzvahs?” “we are reform jews” says her mother “the other types of Jews do not have this celebration for girls”

Fun fact:

Kippah, Tefillin, Tallit, Kiddush Cup, Shabbat Candles, and Torah are a few of the symbols used in this milestone. Can you spot these symbols in the picture to the right?

Three days have passed since Amir and Amira’s Torah reading training and it is officially the day for their bar/bat mitzvahs. The siblings put on their talits and kippahs and prepare for their ceremonies.

Everyone crowds at the synagogue and wait for the ceremony to begin. The siblings publicly read from the Torah for the first time while standing on the bimah (stage). chant the Haftarah (written by the prophets). They also lead a part of the service as trained to do so.

They recite the Aliyah prayer, the Shehecheyanu, HaMotzi (blessing over the bread), Kiddush (blessing over the wine), the Tora passing (feminine) for Amira, and the Torah passing (masculine) for Amir. The guests then head over to party hall for a great feast and the very last ceremony.

At the party the siblings light the 7 candle stand and all of their important friends and family members come up to the stage to light their own candles. Then music is played and all the party guests dance the night away. The siblings return home afterwards after a great 12th and 13th birthday.