The main goal of the Bar Mitzvah is for this to be a positive and uplifting experience that strengthens your child’s Jewish identity and connection going forward. It's a opportunity for your child to study deeply, feel challenged in a healthy way, and feel a real sense of pride and accomplishment.

A typical Bar Mitzvah service includes:

• Prayers

• Traditional songs

• Speeches delivered by the Rabbi, the Bar Mitzvah boy,  parents, and family members.

• Light refreshments or a formal lunch/dinner

Your son can take on a variety of meaningful roles, depending on what feels right for him and your family. He may lead the full service, chant many of the prayers, read from the Torah and Haftorah, or simply be called up for an Aliyah — reciting two beautiful blessings over the Torah. Each option is a special and powerful way to celebrate this milestone.

This will be determined by your expectations, your son's level of Hebrew knowledge and the time remaining before his Bar Mitzvah. Most Bar Mitzvah boys who graduate Chabad Hebrew School of the Arts are called up for an Aliyah and read the Torah or Haftorah and its blessings.

The Bar Mitzvah can be celebrated with a service and party together as one event, or with the service at one time and the celebration held separately. Both options work beautifully and can be tailored to what’s best for your family.

There are four types of services to choose from:
1) Sunday Ceremony: The Sunday Ceremony includes:

• Tefillin donning by the Bar Mitzvah boy

• Select Prayers led by the Bar Mitzvah boy

• Bar Mitzvah boy delivers a speech, followed by his parents and the Rabbi.

• Cup of Blessing Ceremony- a wonderful time to honor friends and relatives in the service.

• The Ceremony is approximately 45 minutes long, and can include refreshments or be followed by a meal. Because it is not on Shabbat, photography, videos and microphones are welcome.

2) Shabbat Morning Service: The Shabbat service begins at 10:00 AM and roughly follows this schedule.

• 10:00 AM - Service begins

• 11:00 am - Opening of the Ark and Torah reading
  The Bar Mitzvah boy carries the Torah to the Bimah, then reads his portion at the appropriate time.

• 11:45 am - Prayer services continue with Musaf

• 12:00pm- Speech
  The Bar Mitzvah boy addresses the audience, incorporating lessons from his Torah portion and Mitzvah Project. The Rabbi will also share some thoughts at this time.

• 12:15 pm - Kiddush Lunch
  The Bar Mitzvah family sponsors a Kiddush or a full luncheon (menu options and cost breakdown are discussed separately).
  Parents and other family members are welcome to share speeches/toasts during the Kiddush.

• There are multiple honors for family members during the service.

3) Havdallah Ceremony: Begins 1 hour after the end of Shabbat (this option is primarily for the winter months). It includes:

• Havdallah - including the blessings, spice smelling, and fire blessing. If the Bar Mitzvah boy enjoys playing an instrument, this can be a beautiful way to incorporate that into the Bar Mitzvah celebration.

• Select Prayers led by the Bar Mitzvah boy.

• Bar Mitzvah boy delivers a speech, followed by his parents and the Rabbi.
  

The Ceremony is approximately 45 minutes long, and can include refreshments or be followed by a meal. Because it is not on Shabbat, photography, videos and microphones are welcome.

4) Monday or Thursday Torah Service

Mondays and Thursdays are also traditional Torah reading days in Jewish life, and they offer a meaningful and flexible option for a Bar Mitzvah ceremony. This weekday service can be held in the morning or afternoon, and includes:

• The opportunity for the Bar Mitzvah boy to read from the Torah during a traditional service

• Tefillin donning and selected prayers led by the Bar Mitzvah boy

• Speeches by the Bar Mitzvah boy, his parents, and the Rabbi

• A weekday service provides the opportunity to include photography, video, and music.

• The service can be followed by refreshments or a full meal, depending on your preference.

The cup of blessing ceremony can also be incorporated into other services, in addition to the Sunday service.

The Bar Mitzvah Ceremony may be held at Chabad of South Austin, at the Aloft hotel ballroom in Southwest Austin (with whom we have a relationship with) or at another venue of your choice.

For any Bar Mitzvah service that includes a Torah reading, we do require separate seating for men and women during that specific part of the ceremony. This is in keeping with traditional practice. For the rest of the service and celebration, seating can be arranged based on your preferences.

All food at the ceremony must be certified Kosher (for a list of kosher catering options please reach out)

The Bar Mitzvah Ceremony may be held at the time of, or after, your son’s 13th birthday according to the Hebrew Calendar.

This timeline below applies if your child has a background in Hebrew reading, or does not wish to read from the Torah. If he does wish to read from the Torah, and does not read Hebrew well, sessions may need to begin earlier that 9 months prior.

12 months prior

Meet with Rabbi Hertz to discuss the vision, choose a date, and set up a study plan for your son’s Bar Mitzvah.

9 months

Tutoring Begins

2 months

Meet to finalize the ceremony details.

1 month

Rehearsal with the Bar Mitzvah boy and parents.

LESSONS
During private lessons with the rabbi, your son will learn:

• How to chant the Torah/Haftorah reading (time permitting)

• How to don the Tallit and Tefillin

• The meaning and background behind the Bar Mitzvah traditions and rituals, as well as the content of his Torah portion, which will form the basis for his Bar Mitzvah speech

As they become adults in the eyes of the community, giving back to the community becomes an even greater value. We encourage between 5-10 hours of community service leading up to the ceremony. This can include volunteering, visiting the elderly, helping feed the poor and more. It will be discussed more extensively with the Rabbi during a session.