B'NAI MITZVAH
“Ritual, like precedent, is a footprint left by the encounter between humanity and divinity...
Footprints like these deserve to be followed.”
(Shalom Spiegel. “Amos vs. Amaziah.” 13 Sept. 1957)
A Bar or Bat Mitzvah means a “Son or Daughter of the Commandments.” While originally, these were passive coming-of-age moments, today becoming a Bar or Bat Mitzvah is indicative of a two-fold interactive process: obtaining deeper knowledge of one’s Jewish identity and assuming greater responsibility for shaping that identity.
Traditionally, the door to this exploration of identity and responsibility opened at age 12 years for females and at age 13 years for males. Thing is... it never closes! So, whether you are 12, 52, or 102, it is never too late to step through the door and partake in the lasting worth of this spiritual journey.
The journey, taken with KEIRUV’s Rabbi, begins with finding out what you and/or your child want to gain. What are yours/your child’s hopes? What do you/your child envision? Just as God commanded Abraham to “lech l’cha / go for yourself” (Genesis 12:1), it is critical that there is some personal motivation to this journey.
Once understood, the training will begin. Training sessions — held in-person or remotely — typically occur once a week and continue for approximately 7-9 months. Precise timeframe varies depending upon the student’s prior knowledge and abilities. Even if the student has never been exposed to Hebrew prayer before, becoming a Bar/Bat Mitzvah is still very much achievable!
Every student going on this journey will gain the knowledge of leading a Jewish prayer service, reading from a Sefer Torah (Torah Scroll), and crafting as well as delivering a d’var Torah (sermon/speech). Objectives’ specifics can be adjusted to align with student’s abilities. But, more importantly than those outcomes, it is the goal of KEIRUV that our Bar/Bat Mitzvah students acquire skills that will help them in all areas of their lives (good study habits, accountability, establishing and working towards long-term goals, public speaking, etc.) and obtain a deeper love for their Jewish identities.
FEE: None (except expense reimbursement). However, KEIRUV will ask you for a “Pay-It-Forward” Donation to help other families, couples, individuals in need. To find out more, visit our DONATE page or connect with us via our CONTACT page. Thank you!
TESTIMONIALS
“I am so thrilled that my son is loving this process so much. He cannot wait to tell me about the lessons and even said he wishes all of his teachers were as engaging as you are :) Thanks again for all of the hard work; it is much appreciated! BTW, you are a total hero in my sons eyes and I’m so delighted that he has such an inspiration for a role model!! (H.G.)
"I certainly wouldn't work this hard, if you didn't make this so much fun!" (E.G.)
"Three weeks later and I am still in awe of the beautiful service your led our daughter through as she became a Bat Mitzvah. It honestly was the most natural, authentic, uplifting, and heart-felt service I have been to in a long time! Thank you! With that, working with you over the past year was great and easy as well. I appreciate that not only did you prepare our daughter to lead her community in prayer, you taught and inspired so much of her Jewish identity along the way. Thank you!" (S.V.)
"Rabbi Marshal, I’d like to thank you and KEIRUV for helping me in this process. You made it less stressful for me. I’d also would like to thank you for coming into my life. You are now such a huge part of it. I would like it if you could stay a huge part of it. Thank you again." (A.B.)
"From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you for all the time, energy and love you put into working with our daughter and preparing her for her Bat Mitzvah. We were blown away with how personalized the service was and how beautifully she did. All of our family and friends were raving about your Rabbi Klaven and how it was the most special, warm and personal service they have ever attended. We are just so incredibly proud and thrilled over the entire experience. We will truly always be grateful to have found KEIRUV and to have Rabbi Klaven be our daughter's spiritual guide in reaching this special milestone. You were the perfect fit for her and our family! I am still chuckling how, after the service she said, “that was so easy.” Rabbi Klaven truly prepared her meticulously and knew exactly how to manage and calm her worries. The results were just perfect, and she gained so much knowledge not only about Judaism, but also about herself in the process. Our appreciation for KEIRUV will never end! We look forward to working with you for our son’s Bar Mitzvah in the future! (M.T. & L.T.)
"One reason that our daughter's Bat Mitzvah was so memorable was because we were lucky enough to have Rabbi Marshal Klaven not only be our officiant, but also ours and our daughter’s friend and teacher. Without KEIRUV, we would not have held a Bat Mitzvah in our daughter’s favorite place: Zero Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gym. If you are looking for an extremely personal and unique B’nai Mitzvah or don’t belong to a Congregation, please reach out to KEIRUV." (I.L. & M.L.)