Celebrate

 

Jewish Life Cycle Events

 

Our clergy, staff, and buildings and grounds are always available to help you mark all of your Jewish life cycle events. From our magnificent sanctuary to our elegant social hall, Temple Shaaray Tefila provides a unique spiritual setting for any milestone. You can learn more about our event spaces. 

 

Brit Milah & Baby Naming

 

We frequently conduct brit milah and baby naming ceremonies at the Temple. Our rabbis and staff are a great resource to help you navigate your way through the entire process—from obtaining a certified mohel/mohelet, to arranging honors for various family members, to arranging a party in our beautiful space.

 

Additionally, we often welcome a new baby into the covenant of the Jewish people at our Friday night services with a special blessing and an oneg afterward in honor of the simcha.

 

And for those families that chose to mark this occasion at an off-site location, our rabbis are happy to chat with you to make the necessary arrangements.

 

B’nai Mitzvah

 

Our synagogue offers an outstanding program designed to guide our bar and bat mitzvah students through the process of becoming active and well-educated members of the Jewish community. Building on the educational foundation of Religious School, the B’nai Mitzvah program focuses on reading, chanting, and understanding Torah and Haftorah portions. Our B’nai Mitzvah students lead our congregation in worship during a memorable B’nai Mitzvah ceremony.

 

The B’nai Mitzvah experience at Shaaray Tefila also focuses on the student’s parents and other family members, whose participation we view as key to making the service a truly memorable occasion.

 

Each of our rabbis is involved in the preparation process, which begins in Fifth grade with family workshops. During the year before the Bar/Bat Mitzvah, students receive individual instruction by a superb tutoring staff supervised by Rabbi Jason Nevarez. B’nai Mitzvah preparation also includes individual meetings with one of the rabbis to discuss the Torah portion, prepare each student’s speech, and a family meeting to ensure that participation by family members reflects your needs and desires.

 

Finally, our B’nai Mitzvah retreat, now in its 4th year, has become a signature Temple Shaaray Tefila event. During the course of an overnight at an off-site location, students and their parents, discuss what it means to become a bar/bat mitzvah, the challenges of such a busy year, and have an opportunity to create their own yad to use during their torah reading. This has proven to be a really wonderful, well-received opportunity to create connections amongst other temple families, and helps both parents and kids foster a deeper understanding of why this simcha means more than just a party.

 

Confirmation

 

For those that are interested, we start working with students towards this incredible milestone event at the completion of their bar or bat mitzvah. Students learn with our educators and clergy and delve deeper into their own Jewish growth and individuality. Upon reaching the 10th grade, a special confirmation service is held, allowing our students to lead the service from beginning to end thereby “confirming” their identities as part of this experience.

 

Weddings

 

Our rabbis officiate at many of our congregants weddings which are inclusive of premarital counseling sessions toward this incredible lifecycle event.

 

Funerals & Mourning

 

Our rabbis and staff work very hard to guide every family through this time and are always available to guide and support congregants wherever and whenever needed. We also have a Caring Community group that offers meals and other practical support to families in need.