Bar and Bat Mitzvahs
The Beach Shul is a popular bar and bat mitzvah venue for member and non member families alike. The child must be Jewish according to religious law, i.e., the child's birth mother must be Jewish by birth or by conversion. If not, you may wish to consider a ritual conversion for your child. Please contact Rabbi Michal Shekel, Executive Director, Toronto Board of Rabbis, at ro.deraj@lekehsm or phone 416.631.5373.
The events may be booked for incorporation into regular Saturday morning services or special services including Saturday afternoon or evenings, on weekdays (generally Monday or Thursday mornings).
We require that all events follow the Conservative tradition and use the Shul's prayer book. There is no fee for children or family members who have their Bar/Bat Mitzvah on a Saturday morning. For any other time, you must make arrangements with our cantor as to his availability and the fee is $350. For non-members' children the fee is $600 and, as above, arrangements need to be made with our cantor. The cantor may be reached at at ac.etutitsniwerbehhcaeb@rotnacihb or by phone at 416.277.4222.
The reservation fees are $350 for members and $600 for non members. Half the fee will be returned if you cancel at least two months prior to the event. The reservation fee includes use of the Shul's basement social hall. We hope that you will sponsor a congregational kiddush to celebrate your simcha, either on Shabbat morning of your event or at some other date. The cost is $150, unless the family wishes to arrange catering. The shul is dairy kosher.
Reservations are generally booked between nine and fifteen months ahead. The most popular times are in the fall and spring, another reason to book early. Certain times of the year are ‘blacked out’ for religious reasons, generally periods of mourning. In addition, it is our practice not to hold bar/bat mitzvahs between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
All inquiries are encouraged. These may range from booking a date, finding a tutor, local parking availability, throwing candies, to making sure you get the Hebrew names of everybody called up to the torah. Click here if you wish to email the person who books reservations. Otherwise, leave a phone message on the Shul's answering machine at 416.694.7942.