Accessible B'nei Mitzvah Resources - Gateways: Access to Jewish Education

Create deeply meaningful b’nei mitzvah paths for students with diverse learning needs, using tools, curricula, and resources from Gateways.

Discover: B’nei Mitzvah Resources

Gateways Programs
Prayers and Blessings with Visual Supports
Learning the Torah Portion
D'var Torah Guides
For the Day of the Service
Other Resources for Clergy
Frequently Asked Questions (Clergy)
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Gateways Programs

B’nei Mitvah Academy Program

Learn about the Gateways B’nei Mitzvah Preparation Program, which prepares students for b’nei mitzvah with a combination of individual tutoring, classroom activities, and a weekly prayer service. Read stories from families who worked with Gateways to achieve this important milestone.

boy sitting with Gateways bar mitzvah tutor

Learning to Read Hebrew

Learn more about the unique multi-sensory approach to teaching Hebrew decoding at Gateways.

Prayers and Blessings with Visual Supports

Prayers with visual supports were created to help make prayers simple, accessible, and understandable for students with a variety of disabilities. In these files, each Hebrew phrase is illustrated by a simple picture symbol (we use Mayer-Johnson Boardmaker symbols). Students with learning needs can follow along with each prayer and learn to understand its meaning using symbol prayers. Assemble these prayers into a Siddur, or use them to create file folder activities.

Learning the Torah Portion

Sample Torah Portion Instruction Page

Gateways students learn to chant one trope phrase at a time. First they read the phrase in large text with vowels and musical notes. Then they gradually transition to chanting from the Torah script.

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Sample Torah Portion with Symbols

Some students learn to read Torah portions that are illustrated using Boardmaker’s Picture Communication Symbols®. The colored dots above each symbol represent the trope notes.

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Sample Translated Torah Portion with Comprehension Questions

This Torah portion was turned into a booklet illustrated with Picture Communication Symbols®. Reading comprehension questions were added to help assess how well the student understood their Torah portion.

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student and teacher rolling a torah together

student and tutor studying Hebrew together

D’var Torah Guides

These guides can be used to support students in writing the D’var Torah for their bar/bat mitzvah by giving them tools and guidelines to express and orgainze their thoughts.

Multiple Choice D’var Torah Guide

To help a student prepare for the D’var Torah at his/her bar/bat mitzvah, this simple multiple choice worksheet asks questions about different aspects of a child’s Judaism through visual representations. This guide will allow a family or teacher to craft a meaningful d’var Torah with a student who has difficulty expressing him/herself.

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D’var Torah Graphic Organizer

Graphic organizers allow learners to visually organize known information. This graphic organizer can be used to help a bar/bat mitzvah student write a d’var Torah. It prompts the student with questions presented in logical sequence about the Torah portion itself as well as the student’s understanding of the portion.

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For the Day of the Service

Sample B’nei Mitzvah Schedule

When students know what to expect on the day of their b’nei mitzvah, it can reduce their anxiety and help keep them on track.

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B’nei Mitzvah Expected Behaviors

Students sometimes need reminders of behavior that is expected in synagogue. This is a sample template of a list that can be used to prompt them to follow the expected behaviors.

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Other Resources for Clergy

Consultation

You can work directly with a Gateways coach to make your synagogue’s b’nei mitzvah program more inclusive and accessible. Discover our customizable coaching and consultation options.

Inclusive B’nei Mitzvah 101: Begin the Process

Self-reflection questions for clergy to help you get started in your inclusive B’nei Mitzvah journey.

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Frequently Asked Questions (Clergy)

Can every child have a bar/bat mitzvah?

With the proper support, all Jewish children, regardless of ability, can receive their birthright of a Jewish education and find their place as full adult members of the Jewish community. While you may have to find the right way to adapt your service for a child with learning needs, you can still create a meaningful and accessible b’nei mitzvah experience for all families in your community.

How long should I expect it to take to prepare a child with learning differences for a bar/bat mitzvah?

At Gateways, our b’nei mitzvah class is a two-year program. Yet, because each child has their own unique set of strengths and challenges, the process for may look very different from individual to individual. When planning for a student’s bar/bat mitzvah, it is important to begin by thinking about a child’s prior experiences and knowledge and to ask them and their family members what their goals and expectations for their ceremony are.

How can we structure a bar/bat mitzvah for a child who has difficulty participating in a typical service?

Some common ways of making services more accessible for children who have difficulty participating include shortening the service, incorporating additional music, and creating opportunities for children to move around or take breaks. Gateways can work with cantors, rabbis and other clergy to discuss adapting your synagogue’s typical service in order to allow a student to participate meaningfully or to build a new service around a child’s needs.

How can a child who is nonverbal participate in a service?

There are several meaningful ways that children who are not able to speak can recite prayers and participate in services. Some students may learn to recite prayers using sign language, while others lead prayers using dedicated electronic communication devices or communication apps on a smartphone or tablet. Students who are non-verbal can also actively participate in parts of the service that do not require speech, such as opening and closing the ark, carrying the Torah, and dressing and undressing the Torah.

Have more questions about inclusive B’nei Mitzvah at Gateways? Check out our B’nei Mitzvah Preparation Program FAQ.

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Categories: Featured Resources, Professional Development Resources, Resources for Diverse Learners

Tags: Accessible B'nei Mitzvah

Gateways Programs

B’nei Mitvah Academy Program

Learning to Read Hebrew

Prayers and Blessings with Visual Supports

Ma Tovu

Barchu

Shema

Gadlu

Blessing before Torah Reading

Blessing after Torah Reading

Vi’zot HaTorah

Ki Mitzion

Learning the Torah Portion

Sample Torah Portion Instruction Page

Sample Torah Portion with Symbols

Sample Translated Torah Portion with Comprehension Questions

D’var Torah Guides

Multiple Choice D’var Torah Guide

D’var Torah Graphic Organizer

For the Day of the Service

Sample B’nei Mitzvah Schedule

B’nei Mitzvah Expected Behaviors

Other Resources for Clergy

Consultation

Inclusive B’nei Mitzvah 101: Begin the Process

Frequently Asked Questions (Clergy)

Like our resources?

Let’s connect!

Gateways: Access to Jewish Education