Planning Your Virtual Bar and Bat Mitzvah Service & Celebrations

NOTE: This post continues to be updated to speak about the advancements for online options for your events.

Back in the spring of 2020, families were forced to postpone their Bar and Bat Mitzvah services and celebrations due to the stay at home orders mandated to combat COVID-19. Not knowing the future and how long we would have to stay out of harms way, we advised to postpone to the summer or fall 2020 or beyond. Now that we know we cannot gather safely until our population has been vaccinated, we are still facing challenges and risks. Many families are facing tough decisions again. Many have already moved forward with their child’s B’Mitzvah services. However, do you further postpone or outright cancel your celebration? There are financial and health considerations, which are all mixed in with the sense of loss and grief. Check out our exciting online solutions for you to celebrate and move forward in your planning now.

The Zoom Mitzvah

In late spring of 2020, families began embracing online Bar and Bat Mitzvah services, now referred to as the Zoom Mitzvah. While their synagogues and venues were closed or limiting capacity, many families chose to hold private services at their homes. The services were broadcast to their relatives and friends using the Zoom platform. Many families asked a tech forward friend or family member to assist. These pioneers of the Zoom Mitzvah tell us it was the best decision made. Their child was able to read from the Torah in the comfort of their home, joined by their tutor, Rabbi, and Cantor, who were safe in their homes. They were able to connect to their relatives and friends up the street and all over the world on the virtual platform. We witnessed joy and confidence breaking through the flat screen, making these services memorable and rewarding. But in many cases, the traditional afternoon or evening celebrations were still postponed. Other than a drive by parade or street DJ, it felt like something was missing.

Working With You, Your Clergy and Vendor Team

In June of 2020, Innovative Party Planners began Zoom Mitzvah planning, facilitation and production. We work with you and your clergy to produce a welcoming and engaging B’Mitzvah service. Whether it is held at your synagogue or home, we collaborate to offer a multitude of services to elevate the online service experience.

Our inhouse graphic designers create introductory slides set to music as your Zoom Service or celebration opens. This will not only showcase your child, it will also subtly share Zoom etiquette to create a welcoming and instructive environment. Prior to your event day, we advise you on options for cameras, lighting and sound. In some cases this has lead to upgrading the team to include Videographers and AV companies to bring in additional gear, upgrading the live stream of your service. This may include higher resolution cameras, microphones, and specialized tech operators to create a high quality and more intimate cinematic production. Zoom Mitzvahs now go way beyond your office meetings.

We ensure your participants feel comfortable using cameras and microphones to perform comfortably for the screen. We coach and guide all your camera shy and not so shy online participants, offer styling of your service, give lighting tips, sound and video equipment guidance and set up a tech rehearsal for all your participants to prepare for the big day.

On the day of your child’s service, we facilitate and assist your virtual guests as they log on, moderate the chat, and keep everyone to the timeline working closely with the tech team. Our Innovative Virtual Events team includes several trained zoom facilitators with extensive virtual event experience to host your event, troubleshoot your guests’ needs, mute and unmute, spotlight participants and create a warm and welcoming guest experience, all while you enjoy witnessing your child as they become a Bar/Bat Mitzvah. Our team works on a backchannel line of communication with you audio and video tech to adhere to the event schedule, welcome and host your guests and produce a seamless event.

What About Your Celebration?

But something is still missing. What about your celebration? Will it feel right to ask all your family and friends to wait to celebrate until it is deemed safe? Will they feel comfortable attending a live event right now? Is it safe to ask them to travel? Will we be allowed to gather like we did pre-COVID-19? The answers may be different for each family. And while there is not a right solution, our team would like to offer you a way to celebrate safely now. We have created a virtual event division focused solely on virtual celebrations, Innovative Virtual Events.

Innovative Party Planners Can Take Care of It All

If all of this is starting to sound a bit overwhelming and you are thinking, “How can I pull all this off?”, we have solutions. Our team of planners is all set up to put together your service and celebration while you take care of your family and participate as your child becomes a Bar or Bat Mitzvah. So why should you cancel the celebration when you can celebrate now?

We have teamed up with incredible talent to offer a variety of virtual event experiences. We have several options and can arrange for virtual photo booths, game shows, dance parties, sing alongs, real casino nights, or a personal live show ranging from magicians and lip readers to mind readers, or perhaps your guests might like a chef or artist demo with instructions and guidance. These and many more can be assembled to create a unique virtual event celebration for your adults and teen guests to explore and enjoy with you.

Embrace all 5 Senses

Excite your guests before the big day and ship out party boxes! We can prepare, ship or deliver service kits, celebration kits, cocktail kits, and coordinate catered food delivery. And don’t forget the party favors. We also offer balloon installations and lawn signs to decorate your car parades and drive bys. We also set up fun and interactive photo stations, live music or DJs, or assist to create an intimate catered dining experience for your live guests while your child is engaging with their online guests.

Contact

Innovative Party Planners and Innovative Virtual Events are your resources for completed event design and planning in Maryland, Washington, D.C., Pennsylvania and Virginia. To learn more about our event planning services and how we can help make your event one of a kind, contact us by calling (410) 998-9999.