Preparation in our Schools

All students having a Bar, Bat or B'nei Mitzvah at Wilshire Boulevard Temple must be enrolled in one of our schools for the duration of their B'nei Mitzvah year.

Preparation with Your Rabbi and Cantor

The clergy at Wilshire Boulevard Temple are committed to spending significant time with each and every B'nei Mitzvah student. There are three required appointments with the Rabbi who will be with you on your Bar, Bat or B'nei Mitzvah date as well as one group liturgy class with Cantor Gurney. 

1. Theology meeting 
2. D’var Torah meeting #1 
3. D’var Torah meeting #2 

In addition to the above meetings, questions, discussion and additional meetings are encouraged with your Rabbi. Please call Samantha at 213-835-2121 for Rabbi Leder or Rabbi Nickerson, and Edna at 213-835-2129 for Rabbi Eshel and Rabbi Shapiro.

All B'nei Mitzvah students will also meet individually with your assigned cantor. The Cantor will record your child’s Torah and Haftarah portions in an appropriate pitch for your child, and help with parent blessings and choosing honors. 

Preparation with Your B'nei Mitzvah Tutor

All B'nei Mitzvah candidates are required to attend 28, 30-minute individual sessions with their assigned tutor. Any necessary sessions beyond the allotted 28 will be at the expense of the b'nei mitzvah family. These sessions are required and critical to helping your child prepare for the Bar, Bat or B'nei Mitzvah. If the student can not attend a scheduled session, please notify your tutor at least 6 hours prior to the scheduled session and be prepared to schedule a make-up session. You will be charged for cancellations within the 6 hour cancellation window. One parent must be present during the first session, but we ask that parents don't participate beyond the first session as this disrupts the tutor-student rapport. If tutoring is taking place at home, an adult must be at home while tutoring is taking place. B’nei Mitzvah instruction will begin approximately seven months prior to the service date. If you would like to book additional tutoring sessions, please complete this order form.

Rehearsal Information

Rehearsals take place during the final three weeks before your service under the guidance of your cantor either virtually, or at the campus where your Bar, Bat or B'nei Mitzvah will take place. Parents are expected to be present for these three rehearsals. Students should bring the following with them to rehearsals:

• Hard copy of your Torah and Haftarah portions
• Hard copy of all speeches
• Aliyot chart

While you do not need to dress up for these rehearsals, we do encourage students to wear the shoes they will wear during the service so they can practice walking around with the Torah.

As your child prepares for the Bar, Bat or B'nei Mitzvah, they will study the Torah portion and learn the rituals, music, and prayers in order to feel fully prepared. Our goal is that during this process your family will feel supported, and that your child will feel challenged to learn and grow. It is also our goal that this process will connect your family more deeply with the clergy, staff, and community of Wilshire Boulevard Temple. We want you to know that we are here for you during these months and in the many years ahead. Thirteen years old is a beautiful age on the cusp of adolescence, a time of tremendous growth and transition. Together, we will instill your child with the wisdom and values of Judaism as he or she undoubtedly makes you and himself or herself proud on the bimah and long after.

L'shalom,

Rabbi Steven Z. Leder, Rabbi Elissa Ben-Naim, Rabbi David Eshel, Rabbi M. Beaumont Shapiro, Rabbi Joel Nickerson, Rabbi Susan Nanus, Cantor Don Gurney, Cantor Lisa Peicott and Cantor Kerith Spencer-Shapiro

There is a famous African proverb that teaches it takes a village to raise a child. At Wilshire Boulevard Temple, we understand it takes a congregation to make a Bar, Bat or B'nei Mitzvah journey possible. Our shared goal is to celebrate a sacred moment in the life of a young adult.

Below is a who’s who on your B’nei Mitzvah journey. Please don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions or concerns!

The Clergy Team:

Rabbi Steven Z. Leder, Pritzker Chair of Senior Rabbinics

Rabbi David Eshel

Rabbi M. Beaumont Shapiro

Rabbi Joel Nickerson

Cantor Don Gurney

Cantor Lisa Peicott

Cantor Kerith Spencer-Shapiro

Each student and their family will be assigned a Rabbi who will work closely with the family and guide them through the B'nei Mitzvah process. They will help each student explore the meaning of their Torah portion and work with them on their d’var Torah. Assignments are made approximately one year prior to the date of the Bar, Bat or B'nei Mitzvah and students are required to attend a minimum of three meetings with their Rabbi.

The Education Team:

Cathy Gordon, Head of Religious School

Rachel Waltuch, Principal, Irmas Campus

Rabbi Ashley Berns-Chafetz, Principal, Glazer Campus

Brandon Cohen, Head of Elementary School, Brawerman

Rabbi Elissa Ben-Naim, Head of Judaic and Hebrew Studies, Brawerman Elementary School

B’nei Mitzvah Tutors

Tutors work one-on-one with students to prepare them for their service (28 sessions total). Tutors are assigned by the Cantor's office approximately one year prior to the service, and sessions begin approximately seven months prior to the ceremony. All sessions are included in the B’nei Mitzvah fee.

Logistics

Logistics for kiddush lunches and more are handled by Cheryl Mandel Garland, Planning and Events Manager. She can be reached at (213) 835-2167 or cgarland@wbtla.org.

Please note: The dates listed below are prior to the date of the child’s Bar, Bat or B'nei Mitzvah.

Three years:

• Families receive the service date and location
• Families are asked to pay $800 toward the $2,800 B’nei Mitzvah fee (fee includes B’nei Mitzvah materials and B’nei Mitzvah instruction)
• Students participate in Wilshire Boulevard Temple religious school or elementary school

Three years-two years:

• Families are invited to attend various family learning opportunities
• Students participate in Wilshire Boulevard Temple religious school or elementary school

12 months - 9 months:

• Families attend the B’nei Mitzvah Orientation. At the dinner, families are assigned a Rabbi who will work with your family for the remainder of the process, and officiate at the Bar, Bat or B'nei Mitzvah service. Your family will meet with the Rabbi at least three times over the course of several months to discuss theology and the service, and to begin the process of writing the D’var Torah (Torah speech)
• The student and family attend a private meeting with Cantor Gurney, Cantor Peicott or Cantor Spencer- Shapiro
• Families are invited to attend various family learning opportunities
• Students participate in Wilshire Boulevard Temple religious school or elementary school

Seven months:

• The student meets with their assigned B’nei Mitzvah instructor to begin learning his or her materials. Weekly meetings with the instructors commence (28 sessions total)

One month:

• The student and family has three dress rehearsals with Cantor Gurney, Cantor Spencer-Shapiro or Cantor Peicott

B'nei Mitzvah Checklist

The following are required for every B'nei Mitzvah student:

• Attend religious school through their 7th grade year.
• B'nei Mitzvah Orientation- You and your student will be invited to a B'nei Mitzvah orientation evening ten months prior to your service when you will meet your assigned clergy, receive your Torah portion booklet, and learn about the B'nei Mitzvah process.
• Theology Class - Theology classes are taught by our Rabbis. You will receive a list of dates to choose from. We encourage you to sign up for your assigned clergy, but you are welcome to attend any class works within your schedule.
• Liturgy Class - Taught by Cantor Gurney, you will receive a class date at orientation.
• D'var Torah- Your student will meet with your Rabbi at least three times to work on their D'var Torah, their B'nei Mitzvah speech.
• Hineni - Required enrichment program for students having a 4:30 PM service or those families who wish to delve deeper into the B'nei Mitzvah journey.
• Rehearsals - There will be several rehearsals scheduled within three weeks of your B'nei Mitzvah service.  Parents are required to attend.

Options to consider:

• Kippot for guests - Families contact outside vendors and order personalized kippot with their child's name and date of service.
• Tallit for B'nei Mitzvah Child - Purchasing a Tallit for your B'nei Mitzvah child is always a nice way to commemorate the special ritual of becoming a B'nei Mitzvah. Some families choose to have their child wear a Tallit of someone special in the family. The Temple has a small selection of Tallit you can borrow, but please let us know in advance.
• Parent Speeches - Parents are encouraged to give a short blessing or speech during the B'nei Mitzvah service. The clergy recommend no more than one page per parent.
• Friday night Shabbat Services- Your family is expected to join our Temple's Friday night Shabbat serivces where you will participate with other B'nei Mitzvah families. The service location is on a rotating schedule so please reach out to Jen Kaufman at jkaufman@wbtla.org for specific dates. If you are interested in hosting a Shabbat dinner for your guests following the service, please contact Cheryl Garland (Glazer) at cgarland@wbtla.org or Bonnie Kebre (Irmas) at bkebre@wbtla.org. 
• Kiddush Luncheon/Grab N' Go - Families have the option to host a luncheon or grab 'n go following the 10 AM service. If interested, please contact Cheryl Garland (Glazer campus) at cgarland@wbtla.org or Bonnie Kebre (Irmas campus) at bkebre@wbtla.org.
• Audrey Irmas Pavilion - If you are interested in having your party at the new Audrey Irmas Pavilion on the Glazer campus, please reach out to Kim Supple at ksupple@wbtla.org for availability and pricing information.
• Buses - If you have 4:30 PM service and you choose to hire buses to take your young guests to your party location please contact Cheryl Garland (Glazer) at cgarland@wbtla.org or Bonnie Kebre (Irmas) at bkebre@wbtla.org.
• Additional Tutoring- Please speak to your child's B'nei Mitzvah tutor if you feel extra tutoring sessions are necessary.
• Additional Musicians - You have the option of adding additional musicians to your service.
• Live Stream - You now have the option of live streaming your B'nei Mitzvah service for a nominal fee.

Please contact Jen Kaufman with any questions at jkaufman@wbtla.org.