Question on Chabad

[Secularbeliever]

I have always been a big supporter of Chabad and consider the local Chabad Rabbi here a personal friend.  I initially laughed at criticism that Chabad allows people to practice Judaism without putting anything into it as bitter Rabbis who can't stand the fact that they succeed without dues, building funds, etc. 

However a month or two ago I attended a Bar Mitzvah for a young boy at Chabad.  The Rabbi told me that he needed people for a Minyan and I sympathized based on my own experience with my son's Bar Mitzvah.  I came to the service and was called for an Alyah (not sure of spelling).  After reading it, I was still up at the Torah when the Bar Mitzvah boy was called up.  I was expecting a Torah portion reading but all the kid did was read an Alyah.  He did not even read the Hebrew, I was standing next to him and could see he was reading the English transliteration.

Shouldn't a boy be required to do some work for his Bar Mitzvah?  Did they just decide that it was easier to give him a Bar Mitzvah without any effort than to say no to him?

[Moshe92]

I'm not extremely familiar with Chabad, but I think that they try to reach out to all Jews regardless of their circumstances. Maybe that boy had learning issues or other problems so it was difficult for him to read Hebrew or learn a Torah portion. It's better for him to read from an English transliteration than to not have any sort of Bar Mitzvah ceremony.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but a "Bar Mitzvah" just means turning 13 and therefore being obligated to follow the mitzvot. Having a Bar Mitzvah ceremony where you read Torah is kind of like a birthday party. It is a celebration of the fact that you are now 13 and are obligated to follow the mitzvot. When a boy turns 13, he is a Bar Mitzvah and is required to follow the mitzvot whether he reads the entire parasha or reads an English transliteration of a blessing.

[muman613]

Last time I went to Chabad with my father {about a month ago} they held a Bar Mitzvah cerimony. The boy got an aliyah but he also read the entire Haftorah portion in hebrew. I remember in my Conservative Bar Mitzvah I had to learn the entire Haftorah portion with cantillation...

I don't know what the situation was which you witnessed. In general I believe Chabads standards to generally be good.

[Secularbeliever]

Moshe, you are correct.  My son was six months past his birthday when we had his ceremony so I noted with interest what you are saying.  I also told him that since he is now responsible for his own sins I am off the hook for things he does

[Baltimore]

I believe Moshe92 is close to being 100% correct. Good job Moshe.