What to write on a bat mitzvah invitation
A custom that varies a great deal from one community to the next: seven ways to announce it, fitted to what you are really planning.
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A bat mitzvah marks a girl’s entry into the age of the commandments: at 12 according to most traditional customs, sometimes 12 or 13 depending on the family and the movement. But unlike a bar mitzvah, the form the event takes varies enormously. In some Orthodox communities it is a family party or a small gathering with no active role at the synagogue. In other streams (Masorti/Conservative, Reform, Liberal, or some Sephardic families), the girl may read from the Torah, give a drasha (a talk on the parashah), or even be called to the Torah like a boy. There is no single universal practice. The wording of the invitation just has to reflect faithfully what you are organizing: do not borrow language that suggests a religious role that will not take place, and do not play down one that will.
What the invitation should always include
- The full name of the bat mitzvah
- The names of the parents, who traditionally “invite”
- The date, with the weekday
- If there is a service or ceremony: the exact time and place, and what she will actually do there (reading, drasha, aliyah…)
- If there is no religious ceremony: do not invent one, and phrase the invitation directly as an invitation to the party
- The time and place of the reception, if different
- The reply link
Depending on your community or movement, the right word is not always “service”: some families prefer “ceremony,” others simply “bat mitzvah celebration.” Use the term that matches exactly what will happen, rather than a formula copied from a bar mitzvah invitation.
Example wordings
Mr. and Mrs. Benhamou are delighted to announce the bat mitzvah of their daughter Leah who will speak and read a passage from the Torah Saturday, June 19, 2027 at 10:00 a.m. [Name] Synagogue, [address] Kiddush following the ceremony The celebration will take place on Sunday, June 20 at 8:00 p.m. · [venue] Please reply by May 1
Leah is celebrating her bat mitzvah! No service that day, just a big party to celebrate her 12th birthday and the start of a new stage. Sunday, June 20, 2027 at 7:30 p.m. [Venue], [address] Please confirm your attendance by May 1
בס״ד Mr. and Mrs. Barzilay have the honor of announcing the bat mitzvah of their daughter Leah who will give a drasha in honor of the day Sunday, June 20, 2027 at 6:00 p.m. [Venue] Reception to follow Mazal tov!
בשעה טובה ומוצלחת With great joy, the Ohana family invites you to the bat mitzvah celebration of Rachel Sunday, June 20, 2027, 6:00 p.m. [Venue, address] Dinner and evening celebration to follow Kindly reply by May 1
בס״ד Mr. and Mrs. Sharabi are delighted to invite you to the bat mitzvah celebration of their daughter Tamar bat Yosef Sunday, June 20, 2027 at 6:30 p.m. [Venue, address] Festive meal to follow Mazal tov!
Leah Benhamou · Bat Mitzvah Sunday, June 20, 2027, 7:30 p.m. [Venue] RSVP: [link]
Twelve years ago, Leah arrived with strong opinions about everything. On June 19, 2027, she officially becomes a bat mitzvah, and she has a few things to tell you (she has prepared a speech, so brace yourselves). Ceremony at 10:00 a.m., [synagogue]. The party is the next day, Sunday, June 20, from 8:00 p.m., [venue]. Please reply by May 1.
Honorifics
A girl’s Hebrew name is said “X bat (daughter of) Y” (בת), Y usually being the father’s name: for example “Leah bat Yosef”. If one of the grandparents named in the text has passed away, add z"l after the name: zichrono livracha for a man, zichrona livracha for a woman (“of blessed memory”). For a rabbi, a rabbanit or any religious authority named in the text, shlit"a remains the traditional honorific. These formulas apply whatever form the celebration takes.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Using “aliyah to the Torah” or “reading of the parashah” when the celebration includes none: this is the kind of error that can surprise or offend guests who know your community’s customs.
- The opposite: playing down or leaving out a real religious ceremony because it might not be “the norm.” If your daughter reads from the Torah or gives a drasha, say so clearly and proudly.
- Assuming every guest knows your movement’s customs: one line of context (“ceremony at the synagogue” vs. “family party”) prevents misunderstandings.
- Leaving out the weekday when the event falls on Shabbat: it changes the plans of many observant guests.
Checklist: don’t forget
- Full name of the bat mitzvah (plus parents)
- Date with weekday
- The exact nature of the event (religious ceremony or family party)
- Time and place of the ceremony, if there is one
- Time and place of the reception (if different)
- Reply link and deadline
What’s next?
An invitation true to your traditions.
In 4 languages, with Hebrew set the way it should be and replies tracked household by household.
Related pages
- Bar mitzvah
What to write on a bar mitzvah invitation
From the first Torah reading to the party that follows: seven ways to announce it, and what a bar mitzvah invitation has to spell out.
- Birthday
What to write on a birthday invitation
A birthday has no fixed ritual, which leaves all the room for the right tone. Six examples, from understated to festive.
