Welcome to our Hebrew Birthday and Bar/Bat Mitzvah Calculator! This tool helps you discover your Hebrew birthday and find the parasha (weekly Torah portion) that will be read on your Bar or Bat Mitzvah.
What is a Hebrew Birthday?
Your Hebrew birthday is determined by the Jewish calendar, which is based on lunar cycles. There are 365 Days in a Jewish Year. Unlike the Gregorian calendar, the Hebrew day begins at sunset, not midnight. This means your Hebrew birthday may be one of two days depending on if you were born after sunset.
Why Location Matters
Sunset times vary depending on where you were born. If you were born before sunset, your Hebrew birthday is that Hebrew date. If you were born after sunset, your Hebrew birthday is the next Hebrew date. This calculator accounts for your birth location to determine the correct Hebrew birthday.
What is a Bar/Bat Mitzvah Parasha?
A Bar Mitzvah (for boys at age 13) or Bat Mitzvah (for girls at age 12 or 13) marks the time when a Jewish child becomes responsible for their own actions. The parasha is the weekly Torah portion that is read in synagogue on the Shabbat (Saturday) that falls on or after your Hebrew birthday when you reach the appropriate age. If you are to celebrate your bar mitzvah on a Monday or a Thursday (the other days when the torah is read in shul), then your parasha that you read on that day will be the first monday or thursday on or following your Hebrew Birthday.
Israel vs Diaspora
Parasha readings can differ between Israel and the diaspora (Chutz L'Aretz - outside Israel) due to different holiday schedules. In Israel, some parashiot are combined differently during certain holidays, which affects the weekly reading schedule throughout the year.
Different Traditions
This calculator shows you all three possible scenarios:
- Bar Mitzvah (Male, Age 13): Traditional age for boys
- Bat Mitzvah (Female, Age 13): Conservative/Reform tradition for girls
- Bat Mitzvah (Female, Age 12): Traditional age for girls
