Bar/Bat Mitzvah Planning, From The Start

In honor of all my friends who are now getting "on their mark" with the Bar/Bat Mitzvah planning, I thought I'd back track to "the starting line." The best place to start is by double checking that the date you were given by the synagogue matches the Torah portion that may have also been noted in the official letter. Mistakes happen. I have a friend that introduced her child to the Torah portion in all of the ways I suggested, only to realize that the wrong Torah portion was written in the letter for the correct date of the Mitzvah.

Take your date and plug it in here: www.hebcal.com/converter - clicking on the button that says "Convert Gregorian to Hebrew Date." Then it will show you the Hebrew date of your Mitzvah as well as the name of the parsha (section or story) from the Torah that will be read on that date.

Next, surf over to the G-dcast Channel on YouTube here: www.youtube.com/g-dcast - in the upper right part of the page you will see a search box for the G-dcast Channel videos. Search using the name of the Torah parsha that you just confirmed at hebcal.com. Check out the short animated video that you find about your specific Torah parsha and share it with your Bar/Bat Mitzvah child!

Those are the top two tips I have for those of you just starting out! Thanks for stopping by!

Questions you'll need to consider...

Questions...
Most synagogues will provide you with basic information on requirements and honors. Some logistical information might not be covered...
1. Usually all males are required or requested to wear a kippah. Are they required to wear a tallit?
2. If they have an honor such as opening or closing The Ark, saying a blessing (aliyah) before/after a Torah reading, carrying/dressing The Torah, or other honor, are they required to wear a tallit along with a kippah?
3. What honors are non-Jews welcomed to have?
4. Will there be a scheduled time for rehearsal?
5. Will there be a scheduled time for portraits? Are photos or video allowed during the service?
6. If Grandparents are invited to stand or otherwise participate in saying the Shehecheyanu prayer, does this include non-Jewish Grandparents?
7. Is there a requirement to purchase flowers or sponsor a kiddush/oneg?
...
I guess I'll add to the list as we go! Please feel free to leave your own questions as a comment below and I will add them to the list. Thank you!

The journey is just beginning...

Come with us on what will surely be an interesting journey. We're preparing for our daughter to become a Bat Mitzvah! We suppose that means we should be planning a party too! It's hard to know where to even begin. Our family is quite small, and being assigned the first date among her friends has its advantages and disadvantages. Who knows what kind of a celebration she'll want two years from now?! A family luncheon and a night time kids' party? A traditional celebration? Hotel or restaurant? Fancy or casual? Kosher or not? Candle lighting? Kippot? It's overwhelming for sure. We're hoping to stay somewhat calm and put together a meaningful celebration that doesn't break the bank!