The ceremony of Bar/Bat Mitzvah is a significant one. It is, chiefly, a religious act, celebrating a young person’s commitment to Jewish life and his or her ability to master the prayers of the service and the reading of Torah. While this is important, it is, of course, only one facet of Jewish education. The fact is that Bar/Bat Mitzvah deals in only a limited way with the crucial matters of what it means to be a Jew and how one lives as a Jew, i.e., with the experiential questions which are at the heart of Jewish life.

Recognizing this fact, Reform Judaism, has long held that lifelong learning is the goal for every Jew and that Bar and Bat Mitzvah is an important milestone on this journey. It is clear that the post-Bar/Bat Mitzvah years are the most important of all the years of Jewish education and the most valuable for establishing a positive identity with the Jewish people.

Accordingly, Community Synagogue’s Religious School Committee and the Board of Trustees have adopted the following policy with regard to Bar/Bat Mitzvah:

The Bar/Bat Mitzvah observances take on lasting significance for the family, only when it is one of many opportunities to affirm and strengthen their commitment to Jewish life. All candidates are required to have a minimum of 5 years of Religious School and commit themselves to continue in Religious School through 12th Grade.