Life Cycle Events
Sinai celebrates many of the milestones of life. Sinai life cycle events include:
Baby Naming
Naming and blessing baby
or child is his or her first welcome into Jewish life. The naming
can take place at the congregation, or arrangements can be made for the
ceremony to be performed at the family's home.
Bar / Bat Mitzvah
Chicago Sinai Congregation is devoted to the
preservation of the liberal religious tradition. Our Congregation
believes that the Bar/Bat Mitzvah service is a choice, not
a requirement, for young people and their families. Our young
people have found their Bar and Bat Mitzvah services vital
and meaningful to their spiritual growth; and families and
friends have found the services beautiful and moving. The
decision to observe a Bar or Bat Mitzvah rests with the child
and his or her family. If chosen, the experience must be
seen as an integral part of the child's larger Jewish education.
At Sinai, we regard Bar/Bat Mitzvah as an important milestone in a young person's religious education, not as its conclusion. Our expectation is that all our young people will continue in our religious school program through the capstone of Confirmation (ninth grade). Completing the Confirmation year allows them to consider Judaism from a more mature perspective and to share the exploration of its crucial issues with their peers. To read about Rabbi Sternfield's views on how to make a Bar/Bat Mitzvah celebration an authentic spiritual occasion, click here
Significant traditional elements of becoming a Bar/Bat Mitzvah are leading the Congregation in worship and reading in Hebrew from the Torah scroll. At Sinai, grounding in Jewish history, ethics, and sacred texts in English are emphasized over mechanical Hebrew skills. Although preparation for the Bar/Bat Mitzvah at Sinai requires that young people develop a competency in Hebrew, reading of the essential prayers and a mastery of the specific Torah portion, we feel that the greater emphasis should be placed on becoming a knowledgeable Jew and an active participant in Jewish life and society at large, through both personal deeds and tzedakah (acts of justice and charity)
To view the guide in planning you life cycle event, click here.
The Service
The Bar/Bat Mitzvah service takes place on a Sabbath morning and lasts for just over an hour. The young person normally conducts a significant part of the service, including reading several basic Hebrew prayers. She or he also reads and translates a portion of the weekly Torah Reading. A highlight of the service is the young person's address to the Congregation based upon his or her own understanding of the Torah text. Parents, grandparents, and siblings of the young person may also be invited to participate in the service. Many of our young people are children of interfaith parents. We are committed to the complete inclusion of non-Jewish parents and other family members in the service.
In keeping with our Congregation’s emphasis on the spiritual significance of a Bar or Bat Mitzvah in the life of a young man or woman, we expect families to keep the joy of the day in balance with its transcendent religious meaning and purpose. Large, lavish celebrations are strongly discouraged.
Preparation
All of our young people work closely with one of our tutors (supervised by our Director of Education) throughout the period of study, which is nine to 12 months, according to the needs of the student. Toward the end of their studies, students will also meet individually with one of our Rabbis. Our students also have the experience of being part of a religious school grade, which includes others who are becoming Bar/Bat Mitzvah during the same year. Families are responsible for arranging basic tutoring in Hebrew and prayers at the family’s expense. An important component of preparation is choosing and completing a mitzvah project, which young people may undertake with their families.