And when He became twelve, they went up {there} according to the custom of the Feast.” Luke 2:42

Who could have imagined that the Messiah, Yeshua Himself would have a Bar Mitzvah?

It is every Jewish boy or girl’s dream to have a Bar or Bat Mitzvah. Here at Beth Yeshua, we follow the traditions of our forefathers who have been holding Bar Mitzvahs for their kids even before the time of Yeshua.

What is a Bar or Bat Mitzvah?

A bar mitzvah or bat mitzvah is a coming-of-age ritual in Judaism. According to Jewish law, before children reach a certain age, the parents are responsible for their child’s actions.

Early practice and history

The roots of the bar mitzvah, which literally means “son of the commandments,” are obscure. The term never once appears in the Hebrew Bible.

Ancient rabbis, writing in the compendium of Jewish law known as the Talmud, did declare that boys are obligated to fulfill the “mitzvot” – the commandments of Jewish law – beginning at the age of 13. But as a historian of Judaism, I know that rabbis and commentators have struggled with the question of why the age of 13 was actually chosen.

After some debate, these Jewish scholars concluded by the 11th century that it must have been an orally transmitted requirement handed down to Moses when he stood atop Mount Sinai. There, Moses received not just the Ten Commandments but also, according to Jewish tradition, all Jewish law, both written and spoken.

The first use of bar mitzvah for the Jewish coming-of-age ritual seems to date to a 15th-century rabbi named Menahem Ziyyoni.

The bar mitzvah ceremony at that time was a modest affair with two or three major components. First, was an “aliyah.” This meant that the bar mitzvah boy was, for the very first time in his life, called up to make a blessing over the public readings from the Torah, the sacred handwritten scroll containing the Five Books of Moses. In addition, the bar mitzvah boy often delivered his first public “discourse,” teaching the community and offering thanks to his parents and visiting guests.

Because of this, the congregation is committed to Bar Mitzvah training so your child can help lead the Shabbat service on their 13th birthday. We will help teach your child the Blessings for reading the Torah, for reading the Half Torah, and chanting the appropriate Torah and Half Torah passages that correspond to their birthday.

If you are a Jewish family who don’t go to our congregation but still desire to have your child Bar or Bat Mitzvah, contact us. We will be happy to help make this possible.