Testimonials
So I heard you sing "Let it Be" in Hebrew that is to die for... Love what you have put together and love the way you work with Brandon!! Working with you was the easiest and best thing we ever did. You made Brandon's Bar Mitzvah our Bar Mitzvah and understood exactly who we are as a family and what we needed. You worked with Brandon perfectly and kept him calm so he enjoyed his Bar Mitzvah. You made the stress that usually goes along with the "religious part" go away! - Shari I was feeling disenfranchised by traditional synagogues and their joyless Hebrew schools. I'd tried Conservative, reform and No Form options, and made my kids miserable in the process. When Dan entered 7th grade, I panicked. I was nowhere in the process of giving him a Jewish education and had only just realized that it was important to me that he become bar mitzvah. He hardly knew the Hebrew alphabet and thought the Torah was a Jewish wedding dance! Enter Amy, who assured me that I could do my own thing, design a service that was legit (had the important elements) and yet personal and appropriate for my child, giving him a feeling of engagement and accomplishment. She sat down with me and explained the basic elements of a service (the parts that must be included) and engaged Dan and me to consider how we could use readings, beautiful and contemporary melodies for well known prayers and even Beatles and Led Zeppelin tunes to enrich and personalize the service. She engaged Daniel as a musician by bringing in a fellow guitarist and mandolin player to accompany Dan, adding her violin to the mix. The result was that Dan was able to connect to Judaism in his own way and to his forefathers in sharing a common rite of passage. Amy made all this possible and left an indelible impression on my family -- memories for a lifetime. - Lisa Thanks for making it all happen. You were such a strong leader and the entire group thought you were incredible. You really helped Adam every step of the way and taught him a lot about his past and how to meet the future. Personally you communicated a spirit and spirituality that is a truly unique gift. We all appreciate you and we feel lucky to have been guided by you through this experience. Thank you again. - David |
I am an experienced lay service leader. For over 15 years, working outside the synagogue setting, I have been creating and leading unique Bar and Bat Mitzvah services. Each ceremony, while based in traditional Jewish prayer, is also a personal expression of the unique family's experience with Judaism and its wishes for how to celebrate the ancient rite of passage.
Working together, I craft a service and an approach to becoming Bar/Bat Mitzvah that engages the whole family. Many interfaith families, as well as Jewish families who may be uncomfortable in the traditional synagogue setting or are not members of a temple, find unexpected meaning, warmth, and joy in this process. Children who might otherwise not experience and learn something of their Jewish heritage can have a supportive, meaningful, and personalized experience. The family is a part of the entire planning process. Together we explore the family's experience with Judaism and desires for the Bar/Bat Mitzvah. The family as a whole is often deeply affected by the experience, finding a comfortable place and an individual identification within the process itself. The preparation process is typically about six months. I weave familiar and traditional melodies together with new and beautiful tunes. A typical service might include Native American poetry and quotes from Albert Einstein and Shel Silverstein in addition to traditional Jewish blessings and prayers. The ceremonies are musically, lovingly, deeply, joyfully Jewish. Some families have their children read their parts in English or in transliteration only. Some prefer to have their children read Hebrew. For those who choose to learn Hebrew, I can refer the family to a small, skilled group of tutors. 
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email: amy@amyattias.com mobile: 914.841.3019