The Family Torah Study
Session: Where we meet to discuss the portion, and decide which parts of it to study and chant
The Family Session is when, parents and students having read the entire traditional Torah portion in English,
as well as the Haftarah and any other Haftarah choices. At this meeting the student chooses what part of the Torah portion to study, and what Haftarah options, if more than one, to do. After this meeting the rabbi divides the part of the Torah portion we will be studying into separate "aliyot" (times to "coming up" to the bimah to bless and read each section of the Torah for that day). The rabbi also assigns the student her/his parts. Only after that meeting may the student start to learn her/his parts.
* At this time you will need (to have) hire(d) a tutor to teach your daughter/son their specific Torah and Haftarah portions, as well as those prayers they may need help leading. (Remember: the more they hear by attending services, the less tutoring they will need!)
Remember: Your tutor cannot teach those portionsuntil after you meet with the rabbi, for one of the main purposes of this meeting is to decide what portions the student will be reading from the Torah, and which Haftarah, if there is a choice, they will be doing.
Special Wording for your Invitations:
Helping the hungry
"To share our joy and good fortune with those who are less fortunate, we invite you to bring a can of food with you to our Shabbat service, and put it in the barrel in our congregational lobby."
Inviting members of the congregation
While all Etz Chayim congregants are encouraged to attend Shabbat services led by a Bar/t Mitzvah, as well as the Oneg following, we are extending this personal invitation to you and would be honored if you can join us.
THE STUDENT STARTS TO STUDY TORAH WITH THE RABBI
ABOUT 2 1/2 to 3 MONTHS BEFORE THEIR BAR/T MITZVAH
After each session with the rabbi, you and a parent will write up your notes, and add to them to make them fully understandable by anyone who would read them. You are not taking a test here. You are telling your family and friends a story about what you and the rabbi have talked about. (Here is Information again on How To Write Up and Email Your Torah Notes to the Rabbi)
Your notes will be edited: Each student's notes are copy-edited by a member of the rabbi's team of congregant copy editors.The rabbi edits their version & sends it to the family to approve or change before it is printed.
Once approved, the commentary is published in two ways.
First, it is emailed to the congregation during the week before the service.
Second, it is published in "Torah Program Booklets " to be given to those who attend the service. These are usually ready by the rehearsal.
What is the difference between the Torah Service Programs and the pamphlets that list people who will be reading Torah, etc?
Torah Service Programs are prepared by the rabbi &his staff. Families almost always prepare their own pamphlets describing our congregation and that list those who will be reading Torah, etc, and who will be having Torah honors.
These "family pamphlets" are totally optional, and are not edited by the rabbi or by his staff.
There is a link on the aliyah page to the words, transliteration, and MP3 (downloadable music file) of how to do an aliyah.
How Parents Help Create Their Daughter's/Son's Torah Commentary Booklet:
After the First Student-only Session With The Rabbi ("T1")
Parents will help create the Torah service program by looking up page numbers for the Torah readings in the six books available to the congregation during the service.
Each student produces, as the result of her/his study with the rabbi, two things:
a COMMENTARY and a D'VAR TORAH.
The COMMENTARY is the edited version of the notes the student takes while studying with the rabbi. It is published by email to the congregation, and in the Torah Program Booklet.
The D'VAR TORAH (Word of Torah) is the Hebrew name for a talk about the
Torah Portion. It can mean a sermon, but our students do not "sermonize," i.e. "preach" to the congregation. Instead, they explain a question of some moral or philosophical import that derives from the material studied with the rabbi. This material could be from the Torah, the Haftarah, the season of the year, or the prayers of the siddur. It is this talk that begins a congregational discussion of their ideas.
Preparing a Parent's Blessing of their daughter/son
Here is a page reminding parents AboutHow To Write Their Blessing or Prayer Remember, keep it short, and in the form of a blessing or prayer, not a eulogy. ☺
Special Responsibilities of Jewish Adults at Servicesin Their Own Or Any Congregation: Remember that the way you behave in services at one of your classmates' Bar/t Mitzvah is the way others will behave at yours. If you want them to pay attention to you, be sure you lead the way in showing your friends and family members and classmates how to act respectfully, all the way through the service.
☺