Thread by @JewWhoHasItAll

Dear Teachers,

Our Christian students may have undergone the “Confirmation” ritual last weekend as we all celebrated Shavuot.

This is an important moment in young Christians' lives so you may wish them mazal tov as they are now full adult members of the Christian klal!

1/25

It’s okay that it is a few days late— gentile tradition is to wait until another group’s special day has long been over before bestowing greetings upon them.

2/25

“Confirmation” doesn't occur at a precise age but is performed when kids are old enough to understand Christian theology & mitzvot. In most Christian minhagim they're eligible for “Confirmation” within a few years of b’nai mitzvah age, usually before graduating high school.

3/25

Since the age is not fixed, all of the Christian b’nai mitzvah for the year normally perform the ceremony at the same time as a group, not one by one at their birthdays.

The “Confirmation” ceremony is often but not always performed on the holiday of Christian Shavuot.

4/25

Unlike b’nai mitzvah, Christians don’t automatically become “Confirmed” and chayev Christian mitzvot simply by reaching a certain age.

Fun fact: Christianity considers people to be chayev in Christian mitzvot from birth!

5/25

Rather, the “Confirmation” is a person’s affirmation of their membership in the Christian klal.

They must undergo the ceremony to be considered officially "Confirmed."

6/25

Therefore, unlike b’nai mitzvah, in Medinat America “Confirmation” is generally done only by observant Christian families.

Secular Christian families seldom observe the ritual since “Confirmation” is official acceptance of Christian emunah & mitzvot upon oneself.

7/25

The “Confirmation” candidate may be assigned an adult Christian mentor to help their spiritual growth as an observant Christian.

8/25

It's traditional to perform this ceremony at the child’s local Christian shul; families don't generally travel to Vatican nor to their family’s ancestral village abroad to perform the rite.

9/25

Christian shuls usually have a special religious school for 1-2 years for kids who plan to be “Confirmed.” Classes may include group chesed projects, learning about Christian emunah, tefillah, & halachot, and study of Christian texts (“Scriptures”) in English translation.

10/25

These preparatory classes typically do not involve any language study.

Sadly, Christian children are seldom taught to read their holy texts in Ancient Greek, though of course Christian children all learn Hebrew in #PublicSchool with all the rest of their classmates.

11/25

“Confirmation” class doesn't teach leyning/trope, which aren't used in public readings of Christian texts— not even for reading the Christian Tanach. Christians do not have a minhag of making a siyyum at the conclusion, so the “Confirmation” ceremony wouldn't include one.

12/25

During the “Confirmation” ceremony at the Christian shul, “Confirmation” candidates may be led by a Christian rabbi through several nedarim that affirm their acceptance of Christian mitzvot and belief in Christian principles.

13/25

The Christian rabbi may give a short drash to inspire the candidates, and lead the kehilla in saying tefillot. The “Confirmation” candidates may read a few psukim or give a short drash. In some Christian minhagim there may be an anointing with oil by a Christian rabbi…

14/25

…and if the child being “Confirmed” was not yet “Baptized,” the “Baptism” may be performed on the same day (with water). Some minhagim also give the child “Communion” for the first time during this ceremony, others perform the “First Communion” at a younger age.

15/25

The “Communion” ceremony refers to the ritual consumption of bread/matzah with wine/grape juice as the body and blood of their prophet Yeshu. This is imbued with great importance in Christian theology.

16/25

The “Confirmation” ceremony doesn't typically involve the candidates leading davening, which is done by a Christian rabbi.

“Confirmation” is a spiritual status that will not change anything in the mitzvot that the candidate performs in their day to day life.

17/25

Being “Confirmed” does not make candidates eligible to receive aliyot or to be a baal koreh.

Christian shuls do not divide their texts into aliyot, and any Christian who can read and understand the text may be a baal koreh for the readings of their sacred texts in shul.

18/25

Christian families may celebrate “Confirmation” with a small seudah at home but it was traditionally rare to hold a formal party at an events space. Nowadays, some more assimilated Christian families may mimic a b’nai mitzvah party for their child.

19/25

Either way, the seudah isn't a seudat mitzvah and bread might not be served, though there will likely be some mezonot foods. If the family is frum they may be shomer treyf so the food may be catered by a special treyf caterer. Always ask before eating at Christian events!

20/25

If the family is assimilated and the meal is kosher, you should be aware that even at special occasions Christians normally bentch only before the meal, not after.

21/25

Some Christian minhagim bless a meal using a fixed bracha that does not vary for special occasions. Other Christian minhagim make a bracha in their own words at each meal and such brachot at a “Confirmation” meal may include some special additions in honor of the occasion.

22/25

Shabbat attire is appropriate if invited to a ceremony at a Christian shul & you choose to attend. Men should remove hats on entry but may keep the kippah. Women needn't doff their kisui. NBs should ask a Christian rabbi about head covering etiquette to not cause offense.

23/25

If a Christian friend invites you to a “Confirmation” party, a small religious gift is appropriate— but not for students at our #PublicSchool! As Christian gifts are hard to find you may give a traditional gift like a Tanach, book of tehillim, or volume of mikraot gedolot.

24/25

Have a great end of the school year and an early Shabbat shalom!

25/25