At the Fellowship we continue the age-old tradition of marking a young Jew's passage into adult Jewish responsibility through the celebration of Bar and Bat Mitzvah. Our young people prepare for this special day by studying Hebrew and Jewish customs, holidays and religion. They learn how to lead the congregation in prayer as well as to read and recite their Torah and Haftarah portions.

The Bar or Bat Mitzvah occurs as part of a Shabbat morning or afternoon service. Each Bar or Bat Mitzvah reads or chants from the Serer Torah, a hand-lettered parchment scroll which contains the five Books of Moses. The student chooses a section of the weekly portion and explains it to the congregation, demonstrating his or her understanding of the text.

The blessings before and after the reading are shared by family and friends. Other participants, including members of the congregational family, are honored with roles in the Torah service. Parents offer prayers of thanks and expressions of joy and pride.

Preparation for the Bar and Bat Mitzvah takes place at Hebrew School as well as during separate tutoring sessions with the Rabbi and our teachers.

The service can take place at the Meeting House or any other venue selected by the family.