Under Jewish law, a young girl becomes a woman on her 12th birthday. At this point, she is obligated under law to obey the commandments laid out in the Torah. To celebrate this, most families host a bat mitzvah, which is Hebrew for "daughter of the commandments." Depending on the branch of Judaism, this could range anywhere from a simple party to a very ceremonial gathering similar to the bar mitzvah for a boy on his 13th birthday.
Instructions
1. Talk to your rabbi about the bat mitzvah date. The party is usually on the first Saturday evening after the girl's 12th birthday, but you might need to wait a weekend or opt for a Saturday or Sunday afternoon if there are calendar conflicts for the rabbi or synagogue.
2. Set a budget for the reception, based on what your family can afford. This will affect each of the future planning steps because you will need to choose cost-effective options.
3. Book a location for the date you have selected. Places to consider include the synagogue, your local Jewish Community Center or a nearby reception hall.
4. Enroll your daughter in bat mitzvah classes at the synagogue. She will need to perform several ceremonies at her party, including reciting a blessing, reciting the Haftarah, leading some of the prayers, reading a passage from the Torah and giving a Drash, which is a short speech.
5. Select a caterer and menu for the kosher meal you will serve.
6. Book a DJ and work with the reception location to set up a dance floor. Your daughter might want to help with these steps to ensure that she and her friends enjoy the dancing portion of the party.
7. Book a photographer for the bat mitzvah. Talk to other families in your synagogue about who they used. If you don't mind slightly lower-quality photos, you could have an amateur who would be attending anyway act as the photographer.
8. Create a guest list and order invitations. The guest list can be as large as you can afford, and can include people from your synagogue, friends, family members and anyone else who might want to celebrate. Mail the invitations about two months before the bat mitzvah.
9. Purchase a dress and shoes for your daughter. Select a modest design that is approximately knee-length.
10. Purchase decorations unless the venue is handling them. Recruit people to help you decorate the evening before or the morning of the party.
Tags: 12th birthday, guest list, might want, will need, your synagogue