Becoming a BMitzvah at Or Ami An Emotional Journey
As a family, you will experience one of the most significant, highly spiritual Jewish adventures of your lifetime as your son or daughter becomes a BMitzvah. This is a highly emotional journey and may be filled with some anxiety but mostly joy. At Or Ami, our rabbis, cantor, BMitzvah teacher, and the entire staff relish our time together with you as we create a joyous and uplifting simcha experience.
“I want to take a moment to thank you for everything you did to make Cami’s Bat Mitzvah service so special and meaningful for everyone who attended. It was an incredible, magical, and joyous day—one that exceeded all my expectations, and for that, I am beyond grateful…”
“The Or Ami team – Rabbis, Cantor, BMitzvah Tutor, and office staff – supported both of our daughters through the entire BMitzvah journey from education and Torah training to personal reflection and speech writing, culminating with a meaningful and memorable “big day” for them as well as our family and friends.”
“On the big day, Or Ami’s Calabasas, CA sanctuary, filled with our friends, family, and anxieties, transformed into a special place where our hopes, dreams, and expectations were soon to be realized. Perhaps this same magic happens in all Temples, but Or Ami’s Rabbi, Cantor, and Tutors are a very hard act to follow. “
“There are really no words to adequately convey the feeling of watching your child become a BMitzvah. Seeing our daughter Sophia stand upon the bimah, chanting from the Torah with such confidence and grace, was one of the most powerful and prideful moments that we, as parents, had ever experienced.”
Fill out our BMitzvah Family Information Form (as soon as your child begins working with their tutor).
BMitzvah ceremonies present a wonderful opportunity for Jewish families to celebrate the emergence into adolescence of a daughter or son. This Jewish tradition emphasizes learning, prayer, and public competence as demonstrations of maturity.
Of course, preparation for BMitzvah ceremonies takes hard work, sacrifice, and commitment. However, the completion of a successful BMitzvah process affirms the self-esteem of an emerging adolescent Jew and his or her family. We are here to help you along the path.
- 12 Months Before: BMitzvah preparation commences with a 12-week Pre-BMitzvah Prayer class with your BMitzvah tutor. Fill out our BMitzvah Family Information Form now.
- 7 Months Before: Individual weekly meetings meet weekly with your BMitzvah tutor.
- 3 1/2 Months Before: Family meeting – parent(s) and the BMitzvah student – with Rabbi Paul Kipnes to talk about the whole weekend, to decide honors for aliyot blessings, and to help alleviate any growing anxiety.
- 3 Months Before: Speech Writing meetings – meet individually for five to six weeks with Rabbi Paul Kipnes to develop the rabbi-student relationship, to study the Torah portion, and to prepare the D’var Torah (speech).
- 2 Weeks Before: Your BMitzvah coordinator rehearses every student to offer helpful advice to help reduce the level of anxiety.
With personalized attention, the rabbis, cantor, and BMitzvah tutor of Congregation Or Ami are ready to assist all families of the congregation to maximize their BMitzvah ceremonies as authentic and meaningful religious experiences.
To schedule a BMitzvah date, please call Rabbi Kipnes’ Assistant Icela Alcala (or call 818-880-4880).
For the Family
Mazel Tov! Congregation Or Ami would like to make your life easier upon this important and joyous event in your child’s life.