Parents Train on Preparing Kids for Bar Mitzvah

As parents of the sixth-grade boys in Oholei Torah begin preparing for their sons’ bar mitzvahs, the school hosted an informative event, led by Rabbi Yehoshua Lustig, who laid out everything they need to know when planning their son’s milestone event.

By Anash.org reporter
Photos: Oded Kaizerman/Anash.org

Rabbi Yehoshua Lustig, menahel of Oholei Torah’s 5th, 6th and 7th grades, gave a presentation to the sixth grade parents at a ‘Bar Mitvah Meeting’, laying out everything they need to know when planning their son’s milestone event.

A full house of parents attended the ‘Bar Mitzvah Meeting’ at Oholei Torah, listening as Rabbi Lustig addressed common questions related to a bar mitzvah. How do we prepare? What should be our priorities? From the hanochas tefillin to the event, the tefillin and the ma’amor, everything was clearly itemized and discussed.

As principal of sixth grade in Oholei Torah, Rabbi Yehoshua Lustig has been assisting parents in all situations deal with the practical, emotional and spiritual aspects of a bar mitzvah. He is personally familiar with the common pitfalls and questions that come up. He compiled all the information and lessons learned into a through and informative presentation that he shared with the parents, providing clear markers on a road that may otherwise feel like unchartered territory.

Rabbi Lustig stressed how the entire meaning and focus of a bar mitzvah is that it marks the beginning of a new stage in a boy’s life, when he is given the great privilege, ability and responsibility to keep the mitzvos. All the other details revolve around that central theme. He quoted the Rebbe who wrote to a parent that the celebration should be “a Torah’dike, chassidishe event, where participants will bless your son to be a chossid, yirei shamayim and lamdan.”

“It was a beautiful, beautiful presentation,” one parent told Anash.org. “Rabbi Lustig explained what a bar mitzvah is all about and how to prepare for it. It was an extremely helpful and informative evening.”

Five parents in attendance were the lucky winners of valuable bar mitzvah related prizes that were raffled off at the event, sponsored by Prestige Embroidery, Bellissimo’s hats, Hasofer and Machon Stam.

All participants also received the first edition of the Bar Mitzva ma’amar ‘Isa Bimedrash Tehilim’ published by Sichos in English printed in honor of this event.

Parents left the meeting with clear guidance to ensure that their son’s bar mitzvah will be the meaningful and joyous celebration it was meant to be, with memories and inspiration to last a lifetime.

AUDIO:

Oholei Torah Bar Mitzva Handbook:

Slides from the presentation: