- Bar Mitzvah
- Coming-of-age for Jewish boys at 13.
- Literally 'son of the commandment.' At 13, a Jewish boy becomes responsible for observing the mitzvot (commandments). The ceremony marks it publicly.
- Bat Mitzvah
- Coming-of-age for Jewish girls at 12 or 13.
- 'Daughter of the commandment.' Reform, Reconstructionist, and Conservative communities mark it at 13; some traditional communities mark it at 12.
- Parashah
- The weekly Torah portion.
- The Torah is divided into 54 portions read across the Jewish year. Your parashah is the one read the week of your bar or bat mitzvah, and it's the subject of your D'var Torah.
- D'var Torah
- A short talk on the Torah portion.
- Literally 'a word of Torah.' A personal talk (5–10 minutes) exploring what the parashah means. It's the intellectual centerpiece of the ceremony.
- Haftarah
- A passage from Prophets, read after the Torah.
- A selection from Nevi'im (Prophets) paired with each parashah, chanted after the Torah reading. Bar and bat mitzvah kids often chant it themselves.
- Aliyah
- Being called up to the Torah.
- 'Going up.' An honor given during the Torah service — the person recites blessings before and after a section is read. On the day, the bar/bat mitzvah receives their own aliyah.
- Mitzvah
- A commandment — or a good deed.
- Technically one of the 613 commandments in the Torah. In modern usage, also any act of kindness or ethical action. Hence 'mitzvah project.'
- Mitzvah project
- A meaningful act of service tied to the ceremony.
- A community-service project the bar or bat mitzvah takes on in the months around the ceremony. Best when connected to something the kid actually cares about.
- Bimah
- The raised platform in a synagogue.
- Where the Torah is read and the D'var Torah is delivered. This is where you'll stand.
- Torah
- The Five Books of Moses.
- Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy. Handwritten in Hebrew on a parchment scroll. The center of Jewish sacred reading.
- Trope
- The musical marks that guide Torah chanting.
- Also called cantillation. A system of symbols above and below Hebrew letters that tells the reader which melody to use. Learning to chant trope is one of the hardest and most rewarding prep skills.
- Kippah
- The head covering worn during prayer.
- Also called a yarmulke. A sign of humility before God. Custom bar/bat mitzvah kippot are often given to guests.
- Tallit
- The prayer shawl worn during services.
- A shawl with knotted fringes (tzitzit) worn during morning prayers. Many kids receive their first tallit at their bar or bat mitzvah.
- Simcha
- A joyful celebration.
- 'Joy.' The word for a celebratory Jewish life-cycle event — bar/bat mitzvah, wedding, brit. Your day is your simcha.
- Shabbat
- The Jewish day of rest.
- Friday sundown to Saturday sundown. Most bar and bat mitzvahs happen on Shabbat morning, during the regular Torah service.