After the boy has become a bar mitzva, he may be called up to the Torah reading for an aliya, and it is customary to celebrate his first aliya.

Many have the custom that the boy is called up for his first aliya on a Shabbat. Others do so on one of the weekdays on which the Torah is read, such as Monday, Thursday, or Rosh Hodesh. The advantage of this practice is that it enables the family and friends to arrive from afar by car without violating Shabbat. Similarly, on these days one can take pictures to commemorate the occasion.

Most people opt to have the aliya to the Torah in a synagogue close to home, or in the synagogue where the family generally prays. In Israel, some choose the plaza of the Western Wall, which adds a special dimension to the ceremony. In such a case, it is more practical to hold the ceremony on a weekday. The Western Wall Heritage Foundation helps arrange the aliya ceremony of bar mitzva boys, free of charge.

There are several possibilities regarding the boy’s aliya to the Torah:

(1) He may be called up to the Torah solely to recite the blessings at the beginning and end of a subdivision of that day’s Torah reading.

(2) He may be called up to the Torah to recite the blessings and also to read the passage from the Torah that comprises his aliya.

(3) On Shabbat, he may be called up last to the Torah, for the aliya known as maftir, which also includes reading a passage from the Prophets [the haftara]. Reading the haftara is easier than reading from the Torah scroll, as a Torah scroll has no vowels or cantillation notes, and these must therefore be memorized, whereas the haftara is usually read from a book which includes both.

(4) On Shabbat, a boy who enjoys a challenge may read the entire weekly portion of the Torah, serving as the Torah reader for the congregation on that Shabbat.

Further reading: For more on how and when a person is called up to the Torah, see p. 492.

It should once again be emphasized that there is no need to pressure the boy to read from the Torah for his bar mitzva. It takes a lot of preparation and practice, which might come at the expense of more important things. If the boy is motivated and capable, it is a nice practice. But if it is difficult for him, it may be preferable to forego it. It would be unfortunate for him to remember his first aliya to the Torah as being a stressful event.

The bar mitzva boy should be prepared in advance, and he should practice his aliya to the Torah, in whichever of the above options was agreed upon. In virtually every Jewish community there are people who specialize in teaching and preparing boys for this event.

If the boy plans to read the haftara, he must learn to do so correctly, with the proper pronunciation of the words and rendition of the cantillation notes. If he intends to read from the Torah itself, his preparation must be even more thorough, as the entire congregation will be fulfilling its obligation to hear the weekly Torah portion through his recitation, and he must therefore read it properly.

Everything must be coordinated in advance with the individual who oversees the synagogue services [gabbai]: what exactly the bar mitzva boy intends to read, how many guests are expected to come, which guests will be called up to the Torah, and so forth.

Prior consultation with the rabbi or gabbai will also ensure that the bar mitzva boy will have prepared the correct Torah portion and/or haftara. Sometimes additional sections from the Torah are read on Shabbat, or two adjacent Torah portions are read.

It should be noted that the first Shabbat on which the boy may be called to the Torah is the one after his bar mitzva day, not the one preceding it, though in some congregations a boy may receive the aliya for maftir even before his bar mitzva.

In many synagogues it is customary for the boy’s parents to invite the congregants to a kiddush to be held following the services. For this purpose, they provide wine, light refreshments, and drinks. Those present partake and congratulate the boy and his family. It is important to coordinate this event with the gabbai, who will provide direction to the family about the appropriate products and the synagogue’s kashrut standards.

After the boy’s aliya to the Torah and the conclusion of the blessing after the Torah reading, his father recites the blessing:

“Blessed is He who has released me from the punishment of this [child].”

There are minor variations in the Hebrew formula, which do not affect the meaning.

Some recite it with the formula of a full-fledged blessing:

“Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has released me from the punishment of this [child].”

The reason for reciting this blessing is that until the bar mitzva, the father bears responsibility for the sins of his son. From that point onward, the responsibility for the son’s actions rests on his own shoulders, and the father is relieved from this liability.