Relationships
I Chose a Non-Jew--and the Non-Jew Chose JudaismBy Lyssa Friedman
A personal narrative of a woman whose partner converted to Judaism while she remained conflicted.
Go To LGBTQ Relationships
Article Archive
Bar and Bat Mitzvah
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Bar and Bat Mitzvah
Information on bar mitzvah and bat mitzvah preparation and ceremonies, Torah, haftarah, bar mitzvah party.
Date: 07-10-2009 -
How to Be a Bar/Bat Mitzvah Guest: Now That You've Been Invited, A Guide to the Synagogue Service
By Rabbi Daniel KohnReprint of a St. Louis rabbi’s professional advice about dos and don’ts when invited to a bar mitzvah. Reprint.
Date: 08-01-2012 -
One Family's Multicultural Coming of Age Celebrations: The Jewish Bar Mitzvah and The Hindu Thread Ceremony
By Helen BelitskyProfile of a Hindu-Jewish interfaith family describing their son’s coming of age ceremonies--first the Thread Ceremony, and four days later, the Bar Mitzvah.
Date: 08-01-2012 -
Creating a Comfortable Bar or Bat Mitzvah for Intermarried Families: Some Thoughts
By Rabbi Barbara PenznerProfessional advice for interfaith families on how to appropriately include family in the bar/bat mitzvah service and/or celebration afterward.
Date: 08-01-2012 -
Crowd Control: When It Comes to Honoring Bar and Bat Mitzvah Guests, Families and Synagogues Face a Delicate Balancing Act
By Johanna GinsbergReprinted general information article about different ways synagogues of different denominations handle aliyot for bar and bat mitzvahs.
Date: 07-18-2006 -
Should Gentiles Be Barred from the Mitzvah? Deliberating the Participation of Non-Jews at Life-Cycle Events
By Rabbi Jacques CukierkornProfessional view about the need to include and honor non-Jewish relatives at a child’s bar/bat mitzvah ceremony in order to reward and strengthen the family’s Jewish ties with a very positive experience.
Date: 07-18-2006 -
How My Non-Jewish Father Embraced My Interfaith Family's Bar Mitzvah
By Sue RepkoA personal narrative from a non-Jewish mom discussing her child’s bar mitzvah: how they created an informational booklet, how she felt about the ceremony, and her father’s enthusiastic response to the event.
Date: 06-23-2006 -
One Family's Bat Mitzvah Story
By Helen BelitskyProfile of an interfaith family that had been non-religious until they attended a Bar Mitzvah of a family friend, sparking the daughter’s interest in having one herself. Gradually,
Date: 07-18-2006 -
Interfaith Families and Bar/Bat Mitzvah: Questions and Opportunities
By Rabbi Arthur P. NemitoffProfessional advice by rabbi for interfaith families planning a bar/bat mitzvah.
Date: 08-01-2012 -
Help Is at Hand! Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Planning a Bar/Bat Mitzvah
By Cheryl F. CoonReview of a book that helps people plan their child’s bar or bat mitzvah, and that specifically addresses the needs and questions of interfaith families.
Date: 08-11-2006
