Online bar/bat mitzvah tutoring, and how to choose a tutor for your child
Your child needs to learn for their bar/bat mitzvah, and Jewtor, the online bar/bat mitzvah tutor, is an excellent way for him or her to prepare for that upcoming big day. Mazal tov! (If you’re looking for an adult bat mitzvah tutor, we do that, too.)
And you want an online bar/bat mitzvah tutor who can give your child personalized (and personal!) tutoring, to help them learn in a non-threatening and helpful program. Especially for families that aren’t affiliated with a temple or synagogue, Jewtor’s tutors specialize in getting kids up to speed gently, so they can learn both the skills for their bar or bat mitzvah day as well as the basics and more of Jewish learning that they can use throughout their lifetimes.
Bar/bat mitzvah tutor for NY, FL, or anywhere
You might live in New York or Florida, in a large Jewish population center, where everything, including bar/bat mitzvah lessons, is expensive. Or you might be in a small Jewish community in the Midwest or anywhere, where you don’t have a local teacher you can work with. (We’ve taught kids whose families were the only Jews around for hundreds of miles!)
Jewtor is here to help. Whether you’re part of a large Jewish community or you live far from one, your son or daughter can learn…
- how to have an aliyah
- how to read Hebrew
- how to chant from the Torah
- how to chant part or all of a Haftarah
- and how to write and deliver a dvar Torah (a word of Torah, or a brief sermon)
- Jewish values based on the Torah
- Jewish holidays
Jewtor – your online bar/bat mitzvah tutor
Jewtor – a one-on-one, personal, online bar and bat mitzvah tutor – can help your child, in a non-threatening, supportive learning environment. Your child will have one-on-one sessions with a gentle, supportive private Jewish studies tutor to prepare him or her for their bar or bat mitzvah. Every session is live, and 100% devoted to your child.
What are the requirements for a bar/bat mitzvah?
Let’s see…you have to jump through quite a few hoops. You have to have…
- Completely fluent Hebrew.
- Knowledge of how to chant Torah and Haftarah perfectly.
- Knowledge of all the Hebrew prayers and how to chant them.
- Perfect self-assurance while showing off these skills in front of a crowd.
- Perfect pitch and a beautiful voice.
Right?
Wrong.
The real requirements for a bar or bat mitzvah (kids, start reading here)
The requirements are simply to be Jewish, and to have a thirteenth birthday (some synagogues celebrate bat mitzvahs for girls at twelve.) You automatically become bar/bat mitzvah when you have your birthday, so if you know how to have a birthday, you pass the test!
Now that we got that cleared up, let’s talk about how to mark this wonderful event. You are now considered old enough to be allowed to do things in synagogue services that you couldn’t do earlier. A child cannot be called up to the Torah. A bar/bat mitzvah is considered an adult (well, a beginning adult) in the Jewish religion, and is beginning to take on responsibility for his/her religious life.
There are many different ways to celebrate your Jewish coming of age. While there are children who read the entire Torah portion and the haftarah (the selection from one of the Hebrew prophets), this is not required. There are many variations on what you can do, depending also on your synagogue and rabbi. (Note to parents: if you don’t belong to a synagogue, we can connect you with a rabbi, whether in the US and Canada, or in Israel, for your child’s bar/bat mitzvah.)
Starting where your child is now – the Jewtor bar/bat mitzvah tutoring experience
As experienced bar/bat mitzvah tutors, we usually start by teaching some small, simple part (like how to go up for an aliyah) and then, based on the child’s ability and interest, and how much time we have, we progress from there. You can read one short aliyah, or several aliyot, or the whole parsha. You can read haftarah (which, in some ways, is easier than Torah, because you don’t have to read from a scroll, and so you can see the vowels, musical notes, and punctuation, although a haftarah is generally longer than a Torah reading.)
On weekdays and on Rosh Chodesh, the service is shorter, has fewer and shorter readings, and usually the crowd is smaller. Some people really like that. And some don’t want that at all.
We’re used to working with kids and families who are Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, or unaffiliated, and we’re happy to work with your rabbi if you have one to make sure your learning will match what they want you to do.
What if you don’t belong to a synagogue?
Some families don’t belong to a Jewish community, and it isn’t obvious to them where they are going to celebrate their child’s bar or bat mitzvah. Sometimes, holding the event in Israel can be a meaningful solution. We can put you in touch with wonderful rabbis who can make it happen. (And see our blog for photos and videos of some of the kids we’ve worked with, including a twin bar/bat mitzvah in Israel.)
Bar/Bat Mitzvah Projects
Some children find it meaningful to do a mitzvah project. This might include volunteering in order to fulfill a Jewish value, or collecting money to donate to a cause. In my family, the children gave ten percent of their cash gifts to an organization they chose. This ranged from Mazon – The Jewish Response to Hunger, to NACOEJ – the North American Conference on Ethiopian Jewry, and the Israel Guide Dog Center for the Blind.
So you see that there is a smorgasbord of opportunities. Come to the table and taste a few samples!
Oh, and one more thing you should know about a bar or bat mitzvah: you really won’t be judged on your musical ability.
Wherever you are in the world, we bring our bar mitzvah and bat mitzvah tutoring to you online. Jewish tutoring customized to your needs is now available in the convenience of your home or office!
Now you know how to choose an online bar/bat mitzvah tutor. It’s all about focusing on your child and what they need. That’s what we do at Jewtor.