Bnei Mitzvah Honors Form

Rabbi Caine will customize the following honors in a shared Google doc unique to your bar/t mitzvah.  Here is a preview:

HONORS PLANNING SHEET FOR BAR/BAT MITZVAH SERVICE
For each honor, write in your assignee or write in “BIC Assigns.”

• I will prepare my honorees for their honors.
• I understand that the b' mitzvah is a part of the service, not the other way around.

ENGLISH AND HEBREW NAMES OF TEEN:
Preferred Pronoun(s):

FRIDAY NIGHT SERVICE:
If you are attending Friday night services, you are welcome to do a Parental Charge, and/or a Grandparent(s) blessing (usually under a minute), and/or a family candle lighting, from the bimah.  A Parental Charge normally is 3 minutes [one side of a page].  The charge should focus on what it’s been like to be in the company of this soul for the past 13 years more than focusing on hard work of the bar/t mitzvah process.  (Some prefer to do this during a party or dinner instead.)

Will you be in attendance at Friday Night services? (Yes or No)
Would you like to do a Parental Charge? (Yes or No)
Would you like a grandparent(s) to address the teen for a minute? (Yes or No)
Would you like to have a candle lighting, and if so, who should be called up to do so? (Yes or No)

SATURDAY MORNING SERVICE:
GREETERS
Greeters must be adult members of the congregation, preferably the parent(s) of another student in your class. Greeters should arrive by 9:30 a.m. Greeters' names:  

TALLIT
Would you prefer the teen to wear the tallit from the beginning of the service (with no blessing or mention), or would you like to present it to them publicly before the Torah Service on page 168 and they recite the tallit blessing?
PRESENT TALLIT TO TEEN:  (Yes or No, and Who Will Do So):
WHEN WE PRESENT IT, WE WILL SAY SOMETHING FIRST (Yes or No): (A sample presentation can be found in the FAQ on the website.)

“CHAIN OF PASSING DOWN THE TORAH” (Optional)
You have the option of having grandparents and parents “pass down the Torah through the generations” at the beginning of the Torah Service.  (They need not be Jewish as long as they have been supportive of a Jewish education, which is the meaning behind this symbolism.) The weight of the scroll is borne by Rabbi Caine while each relative embraces it.) If you would like do so, please list their English names in order for the Rabbi to call up:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Others:

FIRST ARK OPENING/CLOSING (Page 168):
This should be someone from the Chain of Passing Down the Torah or siblings.  If you are not doing the Chain, then it may be someone else.
TORAH CARRIER:

ALIYOT (Torah Blessings, page 172 -- can be found online at: https://sidduraudio.com/torah-aliyah-blessings/

For each aliyah, list the English and the Hebrew or Yiddish name of the individual (and indicate if a Levi or Kohein).  [Example:  1. Joseph and Doreen Cohen, uncle and aunt, Yosef ben Yitzchak haKohein V’Rachel, Dorit bat Herschel v’Gittel.]  In the case where three or more people are being called up, the rabbi could skip the Hebrew names and instead can call up the group using a description such as “Mishpachat Shapiro [the Shapiro family]” or “Bnei Dodim [cousins]” or “Savim v’Savtot” [grandparents] or “Dodim v’Dodot [aunts and uncles].”

There are 8 aliyot in total.  Since #8 is the bar/t mitzvah teen and #7 is the parent(s), that leaves six remaining.  For these six remaining, you may assign four to relatives/friends and you must write in “BIC Assigned” for two of them.  If a non-Jewish spouse is joining a Jewish spouse for the Torah blessings, only list a Hebrew name for the Jewish spouse.

1.  (Kohein-only aliyah:) Torah reading:              Blessings:
2.  (Levi-only aliyah:)  Torah reading:              Blessings:
3.  Torah reading:             Blessings:
4.  Torah reading:             Blessings:
5.  Torah reading:             Blessings:
6.  Torah reading:             Blessings:
7.  Torah reading:           Blessings: [Parent(s):]
8.  Torah reading:           Blessings: Bar/t Mitzvah name in Hebrew:

LIFTING AND WRAPPING TORAH (page 174)
One individual is needed to dress the Torah (Gelilah). You may designate someone as well to lift the Torah (Hagbaha). However, please only assign hagbaha to someone who has done it before and is confident about their ability to do it properly.  If that is not possible, write in “BIC assigns.”
Hagbaha:
Glilah:

HAFTARAH INTRODUCTION --> HAFTARAH BLESSING --> HAFTARAH --> BLESSINGS AFTER HAFTARAH --> SIMAN TOV --> D'VAR TORAH  --> Rabbi Caine does Priestly Blessing

Yekum Pohrkan and ASHREI (181):
YES/NO  Teen leading END OF TORAH SERVICE:
END OF TORAH SERVICE ARK OPENING/CLOSING (Page 183):
TORAH CARRIER:

ENGLISH PRAYERS
You may assign these to family/friends or write in “BIC Assigned.”

Prayer for our Country (Siddur Lev Shalem, page 177):
Prayer for State of Israel - Hebrew (Siddur, page 178):
Prayer for State of Israel - English (Siddur, page 178):
Prayer for Peace (Siddur, page 178)
Optional:  additional prayer chosen by you (e.g. "A Blessing") from the prayer packet: www.dropbox.com/s/d5iugika6grsss9/BNEI%20MITZAH%20SERVICE%20READINGS.pdf?dl=0

Rabbi’s Remarks
YES/NO: Teen leads Musaf Prayers  184-203
YES/NO: Ein Keloheinu 204
YES/NO: Aleinu 205

Mourner’s Kaddish:
Rabbi Caine encourages the child to co-lead the Mourner’s Kaddish (for the first time) to honor the memories of relatives (known and unknown).  Would you like the child to do so, and if yes, are there any specific names you would like mentioned at this time (it need not be their yahrzeit)?
YES/NO:  Teen stands with Rabbi Caine and co-leads Mourner's Kaddish
NO/YES - Names Rav Nadav mentions at this time:

Candy:
Would you like candy tossed at the end of Adon Olam?  If so, please list at least three who will be passing it out:
1.
2.
3.

Adon Olam (p. 211):
Please list all those you would like invited up to sing Adon Olam:
Kiddush from Bimah (recommended):  Family Comes Up