Ceremony Setup in Photos:
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If your student will be reading from the parchment Torah, the standard setup is:
- Table in front the student and Rabbi.
- Another table behind where the student and Rabbi are standing (to hold the Torah when it is not being read).
Parchment Torah Layout
If the parchment Torah is used, then the parchment Torah will be placed under a Tallis on the back table. (No liquids are able to be on the back table if you are using the parchment Torah.)
Please note the two tables (front and back), as well as two chairs off to the side.
Please make sure to bring tablecloths for both tables. The parchment Torah is not read unscrolled in a circle.
This Bar Mitzvah ceremony was on the great lawn of Chautauqua Park in Boulder, Colorado:
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| Here's a wider angle view of the chairs; they are arranged in a semi-circle and have an aisle down the middle: |
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| If you are reading from the Parchment Torah, it will be read on the front table: |
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| Reading from the parchment Torah from the front table: |
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| Up close view of the student reading from the parchment Torah on the table: |
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| If you are reading from the parchment Torah, liquids need to be placed on a separate table, such as below, or can be on the front table but will be moved during the reading: |
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Backpacker Torah
If your student is going to instead use the backpacker Torah, then we will usually bring the portable wooden Ark. This is placed on the table behind the student. Please make sure there is a tablecloth for the table.
In this case, the Srk is on the table, and the student is using a podium to lead the service. The Rabbi is using a music stand for music.
This setup is used when the backpacker Torah will not be read on a table at the front of the room, but instead when it is read in a circle (see below).
This is in the Community House at Chautauqua, in Boulder, Colorado: |
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| This is a wide angle view of how the chairs are set up in a semi-circle, leaving an aisle down the center, and room along the sides as well: |
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| If the backpacker Torah is going to be read while the scroll is unrolled and held by members of the congregation, this is how it will look (indoors): |
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| Here is how reading from the Torah outside looks: |
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Outdoor Hiking Ceremony - Drybag
If you have a service where you are hiking into the location, the backpacker Torah will be carried in a dry bag (the REI Ark). In this case, it will often be placed on a tree branch: |
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| In this case, the service will be led from a music stand and doesn't require a table; this is on the trail in Boulder, Colorado at the Bluebell Shelter: |
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