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Honors Form Preview (Saturday morning)

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.  They need to remind all men to wear kippot, and they should offer non-members a copy of the Rabbi's Guide to the Service in addition to a program (if there is one). Greeters' names:
  

“CHAIN OF PASSING DOWN THE TORAH” (Optional)
You have the option of having grandparents and parents “pass down the Torah through the generations” when the Torah is first taken from the ark and handed to the teen.  (Relatives 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 for a few moments.
 If you would like do so, please list their English names in order for the Rabbi to call up:

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 (Teen or another):

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].”  Also, halakhically it is not necessary to call up a person by name, so if the name is hard to determine, the rabbi will call them up in Hebrew by the number of the aliyah.

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 (and the non-Jewish spouse stands at the bimah but does not recite the Hebrew blessing since it states that one accepts Judaism as their religion).

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:

Typically the Rabbi will introduce the haftarah, unless you request the teen do that.  Then the teen recites:

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

NOTE ABOUT PARENTS ADDRESSING THE TEEN: It is the policy of Beth Israel that parents do NOT address their teen during a Saturday morning service (while on Friday night and Saturday afternoon they may).   If you would like Rav Nadav to make an exception to this policy for you, please discuss with him directly.  In such cases, Rav Nadav must approve the text of these remarks in advance, they must not exceed one side of a page double-spaced per parent, and they may not total more than 3 minutes.)

Yekum Pohrkan:
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)

Copies of these prayers may be found in 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.

Kiddush from bimah
Adon Olam (p. 211): Please list all those you would like invited up to sing Adon Olam:

Afternoon Minchah Service Honors Form Preview

Beth Israel Congregation Saturday Afternoon Minchah Service

Timing: May start anytime between 2pm and one hour before sunset.

Directions:  
    Anything that starts in the left margin is a service part.  Rabbi Caine will lead any service part left blank, unless you write in a name (usually the teen).   Page numbers refer to the Lev Shalem Siddur.
    Anything that is indented is something that is an honor the family may assign and should be filled in.  (Anything not assigned will be dropped or covered by the rabbi.)

Shalom Aleichem and Welcome:  Rabbi Caine
Ashrei (p. 214):  
   Tallit Ceremony participants: 
   Line-Up of Passing the Torah through the generations:
Chatzi Kaddish (p. 217): Teen or Rav Nadav
   Ark is Opened:
Passing Down of the Torah takes place.
Shema (p. 171):  [the bar/t mitzvah teen]
   Torah Carrier for the Processional:  [the bar/t mitzvah teen or alternative please specify:]
Torah Processional:  Nuclear family follows the teen.

First Aliyah Torah Blessings
    English name(s):
    Hebrew/Yiddish name(s):*
First Torah Reader, verses       to         :
 
Second Aliyah Torah Blessings:  Parent[s]
    English name(s):
    Hebrew/Yiddish name(s)*
Second Reader, verses:
 
Third Aliyah Torah Blessings: [the teen]  
English name:
Hebrew name:  
Third Torah Reader, verses  

        * e.g. “Avraham ben Shmuel v’Gittel.”  In the case where three or more people are being called up, it is more efficient to skip the Hebrew names and instead Rabbi Caine can call up the group using a description such as “Mishpachat X [the X family]” or “Bnei Dodim [cousins]” or “Savim v’Savtot” [grandparents] or “Dodim v’Dodot [aunts and uncles].”

Blessing for the Teen:  Rabbi Caine
   Hagbahah (Lifting the Torah -- someone who knows how):
   Gelilah (Dressing the Torah):
Returning the Torah (p. 221):  Carrier:
   Closing the Ark (one or two people, or a family):
Optional English Readings:  Choose up to 3 of the following.
   Our Hope for You.
   Letter of Rilke.
   They are children no longer.
   Other Optional Reading selected from Bnei Mitzvah Readings Packet (download here):
   Prayer for Peace (p. 178):
   Prayer for our Country (p. 177):
   Prayer for Israel Hebrew (p.178):
   Prayer for Israel English (p.178):

D’var Torah:  Teen
   Parental Blessings/Charge:  
Chatzi Kaddish (p. 222): Rav Nadav or Teen
Amidah (p. 223ff): Rav Nadav or Teen
Kaddish Shalem (p. 230): Rav Nadav or Teen
Aleinu (p. 231): 
Mourners’ Kaddish (p. 232):  Rabbi Caine
    Will teen be saying Kaddish along with Rabbi Caine?
    English names (as you wish them read) of those Rabbi Caine should mention as being remembered by the Kaddish:
Adon Olam (p. 211): A group is fine: (with candy? yes/no) 

Friday Night Service Prayers

Sometimes the teen would like to lead the Friday night service or some of its prayers.  In this case, here is our Friday night prayer structure.  You can let the rabbi know which prayers the teen will lead:

Friday Night Service

Kabbalat Shabbat
1)      Shalom Aleichem
2)      Yedid Nefesh (first and last verses)
3)      L’khu Neranena – Psalm 95  (beginning and end)
4)      Psalm 96 (optional)
5)      Psalm 97 (optional)
6)      Psalm 98 (optional)
7)      Psalm 99 (optional)
8)      Psalm 29 (optional)
9)      Ana B’choach (optional)
10)   Lkha Dodi (all verses or first 3 and last 3)
11)   Psalm 92 (beginning and end)
12)   Psalm 93 (optional)
13)   Mourners Kaddish

Maariv
1)      Barekhu
2)      Hamaariv Aravim
3)      Ahavat Olam (whole paragraph or just chatimah)
4)      Shema with or without VeAhavta
5)      Mikhamokha through Ga'al Yisrael
5)      Hashkeveinu (Hebrew or English)
6)      V’shamru
7)      Chatzi Kaddish
8)      Vaychulu
9)      Konei Shamayim va'aretz + Magen Avot
10)    Eloheinu Veilohei Avoteinu (Hebrew or English)
11)    Kaddish shalem
12)   Kiddush
12)   Aleinu
13)   Mourners Kaddish
14)   Adon Olam or Yigdal

Tue, March 19 2024 9 Adar II 5784