Bas Mitzvah

With a bat mitzvah many aspects are similar to a bar mitzvah, just have to be tweaked a bit.

Ceremony ideas 

1) For the Bas Mitzvah service, we pick a time- either after the entire Shabbos service is over (Musaf, Adon Olam announcments etc).

 If it is the right time of year, Havdalla one could make the ceremony then. 

The girl reads a passage in Hebrew- ( 13 Principles of Faith). At a daughter's bas mitzvah, which included a singer etc  it was women only. As she read each principle, another female member got up and read the translation of it, gave her a kiss, shed a tear and sat down. You can have the family members up there already or come up as the principle is read.

Another passage, depending on the time of year could be the Ten Commandments, Aishes Chayil or for someone who wants less Hebrew, a D'var Torah on the Parsha with quotes in Hebrew from the parsha. This allows them to show off their Hebrew Reading skills.

One of the things to stress to the parents is that the girls actually learn more than the boys, because the boys are to busy learning how to sing a long Haftorah.

If the girl has a nice to semi-decent voice, perhaps she can lead the Women in some Jewish songs. 

(If all that fails start a tie-dye Tallit making program)

2) You can make a meaningful program around Mincha, Shalah Seudos and

Havdalah. Daaven Mincha and give the family aliyahs, At Shaloh Seudos have the girl speak and then daaven Marriv. Afterwards make Havdalah, have the girl hold the candle, explain the service and maybe do an English reading.

3) Some people do a candle-lighting ceremony. Our twist is to have the mother and grandmother pass the torch of Shabbos candle-lighting to the daughter

We had a table beautifully set up with two big silver candelabras (enough for

one candle per girl) and some flowers etc... in the front of the room on a

platform. Then we had a ceremony where the girls came up with their mothers

and someone spoke about the specialness of girls & women lighting shabbos

candles and then each girl lit a candle with her mother and said "Yehi

Ratzon... Sheyiboneh Beis Hamikdash..." and it was a very moving and

meaningful ceremony. And then each girl came up to the mike and said her

resolution in honor of her bat mitzvah and a personal prayer.

4) Its called the wine ceremony, after davening, whether in the shul or in the kiddush room (were not discussing halacha here) have 13 small cups of wined filled alongside the empty silver kiddush cup, then announce, with pomp and circumstance, that we will be inviting the women in the child's life (the men were taken care of by the aliyos) to each come up and pour another cup of blessing into the cup. Invite 13 women, the first to pour the cup of good life, the 2nd the cup of success, the 3rd the cup of mazel & nachas, etc into the kiddush cup. As each concludes pouring, the congregation says together : lchayim!, inevitably each will go over and kiss the bat/bar mitzvah, and stand nearby till the ceremony. then, you make kiddush, explaining that the child will also drink from this cup of blessings, etc

added shtik could be 13 smaller silver cups, poems read by the child or parents introducing each person - much like the "candle lighting ceremony" hayodua umefursom, etc. it works wonders, everyone feels involved and honored.

5) We did a beautiful havdallah ceremony at The Shul.

I made Havdallah, everyone had little spice packets and one nice fancy

Havdallah candle for each little group. She held the main candle.

She made a speech from the Bimah as did I and it was So "spiritual". This

was obviously nothing to do with Tefillah so the men and women were all

downstairs.