The service is open to the public and people of all faiths may attend and will likely find in interesting. The Bar Mitzvah child has prepared for a year to lead it.
The party is only for those named on the invitation.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Cash or gift card in multiple of 18 is common, if they aren't close friends I would just aim for the rough level of what you would spend on a birthday present and not stress about it

A bar mitzvah is not just a birthday.

True but not every family can afford to drop $200. It’s not as important to some of the guests as it is to the host family.

Mits not about the guests. It’s about the child going through a religious rite of passage that takes tons of preparations. Respect the process.

I can respect the process but am not dropping $200 in order to “respect” it.

If your DC is invited to bar mitzvah they go to both service and party, not just party. If your DC is unable to sit through a service without supervision you stay for the service to help them, but only those named on the invite go to the party. $54 or $72 is a standard amount if only your DC attends party, but honestly whatever you want to do is fine. If your whole family is invited to the party, you give more. If you are like us you will attend quite a few of these the year your DC turns 13 so you have to pace yourself on the gifts.