Life Cycle Events
Religious School B’nei Mitzvah
A bar or bat mitzvah is an important milestone for Jewish children as they reach their thirteenth birthday. Temple Emanuel’s comprehensive program for religious school students includes prayer classes, Haftarah classes and special parent/child meetings with the Rabbi, all in preparation for a meaningful and unforgettable bar or bat mitzvah.
Adult Bar/Bat Mitzvah
It’s never too late to become bar/bat Mitzvah. Join our study program and you’ll gather with other adults for an amazing experience culminating in a b’nei mitzvah ceremony. No previous education or Hebrew required — all you need is a commitment to learning.
Group study is offered every other year, and compliments a personalized course of study that you design with the rabbi.
Weddings
Weddings are joyous celebrations, the merging of two people and beginning of a new phase of life. Each wedding ceremony is unique, an expression of the tastes, energies, and values of the couple getting married. At the same time, each wedding partakes of Jewish culture, calling on the timeless symbols and words that turn two loving individuals into a family.
Funerals, Memorials and Unveilings
Funerals and memorials are sacred and powerful acts of love. They provide survivors the opportunity to say goodbye, and begin the grieving process. They pay tribute to a loved one. They acknowledge the end of a life with beauty, dignity, and respect, and in so doing they honor life itself.
About a year following a death, loved ones gather at the grave to dedicate a memorial at a simple ceremony called an “unveiling.” It provides the family and close friends an opportunity to reconnect with each other. They acknowledge the passage of time and the new shape their lives have taken.