Back in the 1940s a well-worn joke portrayed the bar mitzvah boy as beginning his speech with the words, "Today I am a . The spirit of every Jew working together will be what brings Mashiach, right? Or are you excited (read: terrified) because youd like to give your son/daughter a nice Bar/Bat Mitzvah speech, but you have NO IDEA what to say (or where to start)? My Rachel is smart. Your growth this past year in school has been absolutely remarkable. By submitting this form, you are granting: The Shafer Center, 11500 Cronridge Drive, Owings Mills, Maryland, 21117, United States, http://www.theshafercenter.com permission to email you. This is a speech given by Ronny, a father from Hartford, CT, who gave this speech on his sons Bar Mitzvah. Or you can consult with funny people you happen to know. The competition was caused by the parents' favoritism. . Dont try to sound like someone youre not. We may talk about our parents being old fashioned too. An outline gives your speech shape and logical flow, much like a blueprint tells a construction team where to put the doors, windows, and walls when they build a home. The reason for this is clear. Once that's done, create a smooth segue into the conclusion. SMS Shabbat Times. And, if done well, even sarcasm, cynicism, incredulity and envy can be spun into comedy gold in such a speech. When you put on tefillin, you are winning! Long before she started preparing to become a daughter of the commandment, she was a daughter of your family. We almost made today business casual.. [emailprotected]. Jewish Journal September 9, 2009 Practice giving your speech several times in front of the mirror, until it sounds right. Even though you are now free to make more decisions on your own, you still have us, your family and your community to be here to help you when you get stuck. When it comes to the delivery, it doesnt hurt to recite the whole document at least a few times beforehand, carefully noting the best places for specific word emphasis and dramatic pausing, which you can notate on the page. Twice exceptional (2e) stands for gifted with disabilities or learning differences. 2. [Upcoming Webinar] Effectively Scale Content With Outsourced Resources. (The Talmud is discussing stray fruits which fall from an orchard.) If youre sharing a sad story, speak gently (and wipe that smile off your face). And this creates a problem if we want to give our set to our younger children to fulfill the mitzvah. How outsourcing saves time and thousands of dollars, How to write a job description that attracts top talent, What types of content are most effective for your business (and why). People will give you different recommendations for speech length, but you can't go wrong by keeping it short. I dont know which week your nephews event is, so Ill leave that as an exercise for the reader! Have you been asked to give a salutatorian speech, and you're not sure how to start? If that isn't the model of spiritual adulthood, I don't know what is. Emails are serviced by Constant Contact. Now, some of you may know that Hannah is named after the woman in the Torah. Dont make the classic error of mixing the two of them together youll just slow yourself down and drive yourself crazy. By Tess Weinreich April 24, 2023. Note 2:I also wrote a similar guide that helpsBnai Mitzvah write their speech. Thats what made the experience meaningful to me. Of course relationships are hard work, and a part of us would always prefer to take it easy and only think about ourselves. Her position in the lineup doesnt make things any easier. Does anyone know where the Ark of the Covenant is today? Likewise, he is not considered capable of forgiving wrongs done to him. A girl in her class had been sent home for violating the dress code. Bar Mitzvah Speech The parasha I am reading in the Torah is called Tol'dot. This is a weird and difficult enough time as it is, with changing voices, hormones and friends. But as someone who was born already possessing the abilities the Tefillin will help you acquire, let me tell you it is worth it. Here are a few ideas to get you started: If you come up with a different theme, that's completely fine. Now my spider senses tell me that youre wondering: OK, genius how do I create an outline?. (I said no.) Then, any time a story comes to you, you can jot it down. But does that mean you have to be a stand-up comedian to not be boring? More like entry to pre-algebra and the local mall. Now, when I read this aloud to her I had to because I didn't know which embarrassing stories would get me in trouble anyway, when I read this for her, she almost vetoed my saying that. Match your body language and tone of voice to the words youre saying. Right now, though, I'm going to talk about you and how wonderful you are. Firstly, I want to thank you all for coming and more . I am so proud of you and may you be blessed with health and happiness for all the days of your life! Youre celebrating your coming of age today and because of that, look what happened you forced your family from all over the world to come to your Bar Mitzvah. Your Neighbors. So here goes. Thank you Yaya for babysitting me and for giving me food. Back in the days of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, turning 13 might have meant moving out into your own tent, taking a spouse, buying a reliable used donkey and farming the land not exactly laughing matters. Dont force the joke spare us the a Jew and a Muslim walk into a bar kind of jokes. Life-long skills. For admissions or tour information, contact us at: Al-brect, friends, and family. The body of the piece will take up about 80 percent of your speaking time and will include the most detail, so start there. Mazel tov. Religion has to evolve. Now, its time to edit it. Rabbi Rosenfeld's son Zvi recently published his first book, The Ring of Fate, a riveting, fast-paced fantasy novel which is also completely kosher in both language and subject matter. Your Sheep. This pertains primarily to matters of ownership. Required fields are marked *. Lots of essays. Hello everyone and thank you so much for joining us for Michaels Bar Mitzvah. But now Michael is 13! But there is nothing as fulfilling and rewarding as growing outside ourselves and building a true relationship with someone we love. This enables you to get a sense of what hits, thus providing you with the necessary confidence when its time to deliver at the big event. When you write write. If you dont mind, Id like to say a few words to Yosef. There's no need to dive right in like that. Thank you to my Shafer Center team, like Amanda, Mark, Devin and Caroline. For instance: Bubbie Nadine acts incredibly youthful, like shes a fraction of her age. Just last seder she read the Four Questions. In fact, to edit your speech effectively all you have to do is remember RRRR (the 4 Rs): Finally, proofread your speech to make sure it sounds good. 2 0 obj Let us make content marketing easier for you. If need be, watch and listen to some excellent speech-givers or roasters for an idea of timing and attitude. We better be nice to her, or shes going to report my savings bonds., Specific anecdotes are great, but dont write about painful injury, serious crime, horrendous loss or anything else that may lead to gasps, murmurs and down-turned eyes. JFIF H H Exif MM * J R( i Z , , 8Photoshop 3.0 8BIM 8BIM% B~XICC_PROFILE HLino mntrRGB XYZ 1 acspMSFT IEC sRGB -HP cprt P 3desc lwtpt bkpt rXYZ gXYZ , bXYZ @ dmnd T pdmdd vued L view $lumi meas $tech 0 rTRC. Rachel is compassion personified. The synagogue kids have a traditional bar/bat mitzvah at their congregation, while the JCC ones can either plan a private bar/bat mitzvah or participate in the Brit Atid program. 4 Pages. Instead of talking about love and faith and strength, we spent our family bonding time reassuring Hannah that no, she was not going to become a human sacrifice. And its that structure that can save you hours of staring at a blank piece of paper trying tofigure out what to write (or say). Use exaggerated or mixed-metaphor comparisons. But how does one write a funny bar mitzvah speech? It takes a little work, but it is certainly doable for those with the least bit of comedic abilities. It's a time when people look back, each on her or his own Bat Mitzvah or Bar Mitzvah. Are you excited because its your childs Bar/Bat Mitzvah? Yes, she was quiet because she'd witnessed sexism first hand, for the first time. I also learned that the Torah is the Jewish book of laws and teachings. We probably should have left out the sacrifice part. Bar/Bat Mitzvah Gift Amount: How Much Money Should You Give? Otherwise, your guests will get impatient and bored (otherwise youll have to make it up to them with some pretty cool Bar/Bat Mitzvah souvenirs). Some of my favorite Jewish traditions with my family are celebrating Rosh Hashanah and Hannukah. Start with writing the body, then write the intro & wrap up, This is the 80/20 rule in practice: the body of your speech will be around 80% of your speech, so you better start there. Thank you Mimi and ZZ, for making great dinners. We wish the world was a more peaceful place and that everybody respected your rights. 8 /Filter /DCTDecode >> Traditionally, a Bar or Bat Mitzvah celebrates a boy or a girl coming of age surrounded by friends and family. And your hands often end up involved in something completely foreign to both of them. Two, that if you're going to ask a hypothetical question, you shouldn't ask it of a 95-year-old without someone there to help. M&H, which stands for milk and honey, is Israels first whisky distillery, and the only one that has won awards. For those who may not know what a bar mitzvah is, its the point in a young males life when he is spiritually accepted into the Jewish community through a ceremonious reading of the Torah and a subsequent, slightly less ceremonious, devouring of food and awkward dancing. She said she'd be willing to sacrifice for us, but she'd never give us up. Required fields are marked *, Bar/Bat Mitzvah Speech from Parents & Family: Step by Step + Examples. At 12 years old, years from voting or even driving, a girl becomes a bat mitzvah a daughter of the commandment. It will probably surprise none of you that Rachel chose Dara for her Hebrew name. You know, I remember becoming bar mitzvah, and even though I was entrenched in learning and studying for this day, I was just much more excited on the partywhat can I . As soon as she found out she'd been assigned Parshat Noach, she started looking up everything she could find about it. As someone who has a terrible time remembering things, I find this feat to be extraordinary. A special shout-out to my sister who like 75% of the time is annoying, but is pretty chill the other 25%. Michael has been studying Hebrew and the Torah for pretty much his entire life. How has your Jewish faith and community shaped your daughter's life? What you can do is keep accepting congratulations from all of these people who came out to celebrate you today. Bar and/or Bat Mitzvah speeches are a wonderful chance to celebrate the coming of age and a milestone life event in Jewish life. endobj We listen to you struggle, complain and protest loudly with new challenges. A person who cares only for himself and is forced to serve another will not come closer to him. The professor nodded enthusiastically. The first formal bat mitzvah ceremony in the US was held in 1922 at the coming-of-age of Judith Kaplan, the oldest daughter of Reconstructionist Judaism founder Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan. Alissa at her batmitzvah. Mazal tov on the event first of all and may your speech go well! Owings Mills, Maryland 21117 % I think my family likes it when I hang out with them. But I think she went a little far when she kept the afikomen money. Or, Brian is pretty oblivious to Jewish stuff. So you put on Tefillin. Or, rather, Im proud that you are my son, Ill always be in your corner and be your biggest cheerleader (I might even dance like one and embarrass you in front of your friends if I drink too much tonight). Much. Youre a very talented young man but talent can only get you so far in life. She thought about the Torah reading, she asked people with more experience than she had, and she drew informed conclusions. Whatever your daughter's bat mitzvah ceremony entails, it is a time for your entire family to reflect on and honor the history of its mothers and daughters, while also celebrating your daughter's childhood and her passage into spiritual adulthood. Here is a speech from a dad that falls unquestionably into the latter category. I am especially delighted to be the friend who gets to speak on this special day. But I DO know that if you continue to study and learn Torah, continue to be a good person and choose the right thing to do, you will eventually level up with your commitment and connection to G-D. And THAT is really something! Yehudis Fletcher at her batmitzvah. And then when you go out to meet the world, all your actions find harmony in a single coordinated purpose.. The haftarah can be as they say in show business a tough act to follow. Dont force jokes if theyre not funny! 2. I know how much you care for me. Ill share with you what I feel is the most significant message of a Bar- and Bat-Mitzvah. A huge project. %PDF-1.3 What is the lesson that it teaches? But use it as a helper, not as a guide. Thank you Dad for the best things you give me and for all the good things you do for me. In second grade, she came home crying because she had told her best friend that they could be buddies for the field trip, so when her other classmate didn't have a buddy, she couldn't be his buddy because she'd make her friend feel bad. When we celebrate Shabbos every Friday night and make the prayers on the candles and bread and wine, were connecting to every other Jewish person on the earth who are also doing the exact same thing we are doing. Mitzvot would not bring such a person closer to God. (Now, I can tell who here knows Hannah best, because all of you are looking very surprised right now.) Your speech should sound authentic, not like a 1980s radio news report. Yes, I smiled through the comments and endured, but they did affect me. Make your speech short & sweet, not long & tedious. We both know that is ok, because at the back of everything we do we are supported by our Faith. Look your stories over and see if you can identify some common threads. Ready to write a speech thatll make Stephen Kings novels look like childrens books? Is Uncle Joe extremely tall? Thank you, everyone, for joining us tonight in celebrating our beloved son's Bar . Does one story flow smoothly into the next? Thank you everyone for coming to my Bar Mitzvah! Writing your son's bar mitzvah speech is a great honor, and you want to get it right. Every time you read your speech aloud, time yourself. After talking to some of my friends with younger siblings who have gone through this process already and getting confirmation that no self-respecting sibling starts her speech til the day of, I started to feel a lot better about my situation, since I plan on starting mine tonight. >> Brainstorming: Collecting Notes, Ideas & Stories (and Jokes), 20+ Best Bar Mitzvah Invitations for Your Boys Big Day (2022). They are called (in ascending order) Nefesh, Ruach, Neshama, Chaya, and Yechida. Stand in front of a mirror or, better yet, find yourself a small live audience and rehearse your speech as though it were the day of the bat mitzvah ceremony.