From Flickr - volantwish

The Israeli idea of what constitutes the order of events for a Bar Mitzvah celebration is somewhat standardized in banquet halls. To me, at least, it does not sound too far off from the list of events I witnessed over the past 20 years or so spent planning, decorating and overseeing like events in the U.S. Chicago land area. Here is a summary of the event list I read in a recent article of Factoidz by Petal. It was entitled “How to Plan an Israeli Bar Mitzvah Israeli Bar Mitzvah Party Timeline.”

The Bar Mitzvah and his family have a meet and greet at the door to the banquet hall. There they receive their guests and accept gifts, generally envelopes. A buffet table with entrees is often located in a garden area where guests munch and mingle. Or the guests may be directed into a main hall where the awaiting tables have a variety of light munchies.

The first major occurrence is the grand entrance by the Bar Mitzvah. This can be either a grand entrance or subdued. After, guests are asked to join in dancing until the second course is offered. This is most likely “a choice of fish, liver or a savory pastry pie.”

The climax of the evening is the Bar Mitzvah ceremony. Guests are seated and the bar mitzvah boy and family heads for the DJ. The Bar Mitzvah boy reads his speech and a candle lighting ceremony takes place. Others may also speak about the celebrant at this time.

The lights are dimmed at the end of the speeches. The Bar Mitzvah and his mother share a slow dance. Soon they are joined by the father and siblings, followed eventually by the guests. More dancing follows, with a variety of Israeli as well as international music, including rock!

The main course consisting of rice, potatoes, salad and a variety of meat is then served. A film clip or picture montage may be shown. A dessert course or dessert bar follows. The Bar Mitzvah celebration which started about 7:30 or 8:00 PM, generally ends about midnight. The author cites there is greater flexibility from this routine if you do not use a banquet hall facility.

Read the entire article, with pictures at http://factoidz.com/how-to-plan-an-israeli-bar-mitzvah-israeli-bar-mitzvah-party-timeline/