In Jewish life, immersing in the mikvah (ritual bath) marks moments of transition large and small. The mikvah ceremony takes place sometime during the month prior to your B’Mitzvah. Every student will participate in this ritual, and for some students it will be the final stage in conversion, an opportunity to affirm their Jewish identity halakhically (legally).  During this ceremony you immerse every part of your body in sacred water.  Your Limudim class takes a trip to the Mikvah in the spring of 6th grade so you have an idea of what the ceremony will be like. 

• We coordinate with the Mikvah at American Jewish University (15600 Mulholland Drive; [email protected]) to schedule an appointment before your celebration. 

• A few weeks prior to your appointment, Rachel Marcus, the Mikvah Director, will contact you and your parents about everything you need to know to get you to the mikvah well prepared (including what to bring and payment arrangements for the mikvah fee).  

• A Mikvah guide will walk you through the process, which is very private – any family and friends you invite will stand behind a curtain and only one person who you choose will witness your immersion.  All you do is dunk under the water – making sure that every inch of you is immersed, including your hair – and recite two blessings and Shema. Don’t worry – the water is warm! 

• During the ceremony your family and your rabbis will be encouraged to offer blessings for you.  It’s also traditional to sing the mazal tov song that you’ll next hear when people are throwing candy at you on the day of your B’Mitzvah ceremony. 

We strongly urge you to take very good care of yourself and preserve the experience by leaving plenty of time to get to the mikvah, have after‐school snacks available, and take some restorative breaths before you immerse. 

Your Shabbat Service Booklet is created to be used on the morning of your B’Mitzvah. Your guests and our community will learn about your hopes and dreams, your most meaningful educational moments, your concerns about the world, as well as finding out about your family’s honors and blessings. Three months before your celebration, the B’Mitzvah Assistant will email the B’Mitzvah Booklet Questions to you. Take your time with these questions – we want you to give people an idea of who you really are. We will share the booklets with our community during the service on Zoom and the IKAR website.  

Honors for Family and Friends 

You and your family will participate actively in the Shabbat morning service.  

You will be called to the Torah for one Aliyah. 

The following honors are available for family and friends over the age of 13 (honors marked * require at least one of the honorees to be Jewish): 

1. *Aliyah – recite the blessing over the reading of the Torah (can be a group)  

1. *Aliyah – recite the blessing over the reading of the Torah (can be a group) 

1. *Aliyah – recite the blessing over the reading of the Torah (can be a group) 

1. Open and close the Ark before the Torah service. 

1. Open and close the Ark after the Torah service. 

1. Parent Blessing – Parents are invited to offer either the traditional words of the Priestly Blessing or a three-sentence interpretation of the blessing. (See Appendix B). 

1. Tallit Holders during the Parent Blessing 

1. Chair Lifters 

Children may participate in some of these honors – please speak with clergy in your meetings leading up to the B’Mitzvah. 

B’Mitzvah at IKAR are fully integrated into our service and our community. As such, it is our tradition that the B’Mitzvah family participates in hosting Shabbat lunch for the community. You can choose from IKAR’s in‐house caterer or from a list of pre-approved outside caterers. We have tables, chairs, and linens for approximately 300 people as well.  

Our basic bagel lunch for the community plus 50 guests costs $2000.  However, if you order additional items having committed to using our in-house caterer, Del Cielo Catering, your total lunch price can be reduced.  

Please contact [email protected] for menus and other information. 

Some families choose to order special kippot for the B’Mitzvah service. It’s an opportunity to see a sea of your favorite color or style on guests and community members’ heads. Options include everything from suede or knit to recycled cans or seed bombs – it’s your choice!

We ask you to keep Jewish values central as you prepare for the B’ Mitzvah simhah (celebration). 

Inclusion 

Becoming a B’Mitzvah is also about being part of a community. If you are having an event outside of services, please invite the whole class. 

Tzedakah 

Please think about how your simhah can contribute to making life more kind and more just for others.  

There are many wonderful organizations (including IKAR) that support the sacred work of building and nurturing community and restoring dignity to all human beings. This is a great opportunity for parents to work with their children to identify tzedakah priorities and make an offering in honor of the student’s achievement. This will also help ensure that the student remains focused on what the B’ Mitzvah is truly about. 

Many students request that their families and friends make donations to specific funds in lieu of gifts. Some young adults donate a portion of the money that they receive as a gift. 

In addition to whichever organization you choose to contribute to, we encourage you to consider a gift of 3% of the cost of your B’Mitzvah celebration to MAZON (www.mazon.org) to fight hunger in the United States. 

Bal Tash’hit 

Put simply, this is the commandment to live without being wasteful. Make this celebration a reflection of the kind of Jew and human being you want to be in the world. Please think about how your event can rest lightly on our earth.  

You can also work with different organizations on creative justice-oriented centerpieces. For example, Fromsoil2soul curates locally grown, non-GMO plant-based centerpieces which are planted to support food sovereignty efforts. Click Life Cycle Centerpieces to see a flyer or go to www.fromsoil2soul.com for more details. SOVA creates centerpieces made up of food items, which can then be donated to those who are food insecure. The contact for SOVA is Ligia Miranda (818) 988-7682.