The Coming of Age Event Will Get a Makeover, Tzvi Odzer Explains
The Jewish faith has always celebrated the coming of age for boys and girls with bar and bat mitzvahs. They include a large gathering of people, a confirmation ceremony, and a reading from the Torah. Tzvi Odzer explains that the pandemic has caused a significant amount of changes to the ritual process.
Post-pandemic, many families are still going to be hesitant to gather. While families themselves may be gathering in their homes and even at synagogue, there’s still the risk of inviting others. Extended families and friends can lead to a second wave of the pandemic, Tzvi Odzer fears.
As a man of the Jewish faith and an entrepreneur, he understands the importance of celebrating a bar mitzvah properly. “It’s something that every thirteen-year-old boy looks forward to,” Tzvi Odzer explains. While birthdays can be celebrated via car parades, this involves a number of different rituals. There are rights and obligations that follow with the celebration.
Once a boy turns 13, it involves wearing tefillin and participating in the synagogue. As for the bar mitzvah, there may be a speech that is delivered. Some may even choose to lead a service to show that they are taking their place within the Jewish community.
Although it’s going to be harder, Tzvi Odzer recognizes that there are still opportunities. Some of the celebrations can be done via Zoom or Skype. It will allow for the social distancing to be followed. Further, it will allow for the speeches and the Torah readings to still happen.
As for the party itself, these may be limited to smaller friends. There may also be the need to follow the same regulations that restaurants and other venues are talking about – wellness checks, temperature checks, and even requiring guests to show a health certificate before being allowed to attend the party. Tzvi Odzer says that he’ll support all of this if it means that kids can celebrate a bar mitzvah as close to “normal” as possible.
Tzvi Odzer explains that there has even been something created that is a “zoom mitzvah.” It takes all of the elements of a bar mitzvah and presents them on a Zoom call. It allows the 13-year-old to share the special moment with friends and family. Meanwhile, the element of social distancing is still maintained.
Further, Tzvi Odzer explains that many families spend months and even years preparing for this event. Delaying the festivities simply cannot be done. So, there are different ways to explore how to have a bar mitzvah celebration now and after the pandemic has subsided. The way the celebrations took place before may be a thing of the past. However, Tzvi Odzer explains that there are plenty of ways to hold onto as many of the rituals and traditions as possible.
