INTRIGUE
FINEST MUSIC &
ENTERTAINMENT
celebrate
a guide to simchahs
continued from page C33
Scott Katz, 11, of Farmington Hills practices being placed in a chair and held
high by party goers.
Wedding Receptions & Ceremonies
European Destination Weddings
— Planning & Entertainment
Corporate
Charities
Bar/Bat Mitzvahs
Listed in Top 150 Hottest Bands
in the nation.
Provided Music &
Entertainment for the
following Clients:
Heather Kerwin and
Jeffrey Vieder
Alexandra Gordon and
Andrew Sherman
Emily Fellows and
Brandon Gorge
Heather Bonin and
Steven Duke
Nicole Mandel and
Andrew Nathanson
Contact Stella Actis Aldo: 248.879.2373 • www.intrigue-online.com
Collection
Of Day into Evening
For all Your
Special Occasions.
on the Boardwalk
248.932.5253
C 3 4
celebrate! I March 2014
bat mitzvah date and Torah por-
tion. Others will tell me how they
recently attended a bar/bat mitz-
vah and to avoid getting "bored,"
they actually made an effort to
follow along with the service and
the Torah reading. Or look up their
Torah reading. This is music to a
Hebrew school teacher's ears.
Continuing to focus on the ritual
aspect of the b'nai mitzvah, Rabbi
Rachel Shere led the students
through a question-and-answer
session of how to conduct oneself
at Shabbat services.
She advised the students to tell
their friends that it is acceptable
to arrive to synagogue an hour
later than indicated on the invita-
tion. It is not acceptable to use
any electronics in the building on
Shabbat, so students accustomed
to being constantly wired may
have to arrange pick-up times
with parents earlier or, at least,
"Always remember to introduce
yourself to the parents of your
friend and thank them for invit-
ing you to this very happy family
occasion," she said.
After the more serious lessons,
it was time to have some fun.
Students played roles of the
"bar mitzvah family," in a mock
candle ceremony and were then
taught the hora and other dance
moves.
According to Jasgur, dancing
at a b'nai mitzvah party is not
optional.
"Dancing for your friend is a fun
obligation that shows your friend
how happy you are to celebrate
with them on their big day,"
Jasgur said.
At Temple Israel in West
Bloomfield, Rabbi Marla Hornsten
said that Joe Cornell Entertainment
offered similar workshops to ado-
lescents, and proper dress and
use their phones outside the
behavior in the sanctuary are dis-
cussed in the classroom.
building or in a quiet corner.
"We know that cell phones are
a fact of life. But on Shabbat we
try to avoid these distractions as
much as possible so we can pray
with our community. If you must
use a cell phone to contact your
parents for a ride home, please be
discrete about it," Shere said.
Shere added that options for
"boredom" during services include
taking a short break outside the
sanctuary in the synagogue's
youth lounge, where there will be
snacks to fend off mid-morning
hunger. It is also expected of them
to be gracious guests.
"Most of all, I hope this is a
conversation parents are having
with their children long before
they are dropped off for the morn-
ing service," Hornsten said.
Andre Douville, executive direc-
tor of Temple Shir Shalom in West
Bloomfield, said the congregation
prepares the entire bar mitzvah
family for the occasion with a few
meetings with the clergy that start
18 months prior to the big day.
At these meetings, families are
encouraged to come to services in
the months leading up to the bar
continued on page C36