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B’nei Mitzvah

We make the B’nei Mitzvah process organized, joyful and meaningful.  

We work with you every step of the way to make sure that your child's B'nei Mitzvah is a beautiful, memorable, and meaningful experience. 

We choose a date together with you and the service is held in our welcoming and beautiful temple sanctuary.  We want the service to be meaningful to you and your child and we encourage them all along the way.  Your child is given a meaningful part of the service to  lead including presentation in their own words of the d'var torah.

The day will be a celebration of their accomplishment as we want the entire family to feel the joy of participating in a family milestone event. 


During their training towards becoming b’nei mitzvah, our students will apply the skills developed in religious school as they engage in the study of the reading and chanting of our ancient texts and prayers. Our goal is to empower our students with the ability to participate comfortably and proficiently in a Jewish worship setting while kindling within them a love of Jewish liturgy and tradition that will stay with them beyond the b’nei mitzvah year.

Our tutoring program begins approximately six months prior to the student’s b’nei mitzvah service date. At the conclusion of the tutoring process, we expect that our students will be able to accomplish the following: 

  • Chant / recite the blessings for reading the Torah and haftarah (a reading thematically connected to the Torah portion, usually from one of the prophetic books of the Hebrew Bible).
  • Chant / read a portion of the weekly Torah and haftarah readings. 
  • Summarize the ideas of the Torah and haftarah readings.
  • Recite the major Hebrew prayers from the service with fluency and accuracy.
  • Demonstrate understanding of the basic meanings of the prayers and blessings studied.

Understanding that all children are different, we adapt our course of study for b’nei mitzvah to meet the needs and ability levels of each individual student.

Additional responsibilities for b’nei mitzvah students:

Service attendance

  • In the year prior to becoming a b’nei mitzvah, a student is encouraged to attend thirteen worship services.
  • Eight of these services should be at Temple Beth-El, the remaining five can be at other congregations.
  • When possible, students are encouraged to attend services at which the Torah is read. These include Shabbat, High Holidays, and festival services.

Mitzvah Project

In the year prior to becoming b’nei mitzvah, a student is encouraged to participate in a significant mitzvah project or projects. If your family would like guidance, please feel free to contact Laura Perpinyal, Director of Congregational Learning, (847) 205-9982, ext. 212 or lperpinyal@templebeth-el.org.

D’var Torah

Each student will write a short speech to be given on the morning of the b’nei mitzvah service. The speech will include a brief overview of the Torah portion, a lesson from the portion that the student found relevant and how that lesson is applicable today. Of course, there is also a spot for thanking parents and all others involved.

Tue, March 19 2024 9 Adar II 5784