Bar & Bat Mitzvah · Parent Speech Guide · Genesis

The Parent Speech for Parashat Chayei Sarah

If your child is reading Chayei Sarah, the speech you give that morning shouldn't be a book report on the portion — it should be about them, with the parsha giving your words weight. Chayei Sarah hands a parent three honest ways in: kindness as character, honoring those who came before, going the extra mile.

What happens in Parashat Chayei Sarah

Sarah's death, Abraham secures her burial place, and Rebecca is chosen at the well.

1. Kindness as character

Rebecca is chosen because she waters a stranger's camels unprompted — an act of generosity beyond what was asked.

The story to findWhen has your child done more kindness than was asked — quietly, without being told?

2. Honoring those who came before

Abraham insists on a proper resting place for Sarah — memory and honor are acted on, not just felt.

The story to findHow does your child connect to grandparents, family history, or someone they're named for?

3. Going the extra mile

Watering ten camels meant drawing hundreds of gallons — Rebecca's kindness took real effort, not just sentiment.

The story to findWhat's an example of your child putting real work behind their good intentions?

How a real parent speech comes together

The speeches that make a room go quiet aren't essays about the parsha — they're two or three true stories about your kid, with one Torah moment placed where it lands hardest. Pick the single theme above that made you think of a specific dinner-table moment, answer its question honestly, and resist the urge to attach a moral to every story. End with a blessing in your own words — that's the part everyone remembers.

Nachas writes it with you.

A ten-minute interview about your child, and you get a speech plan that pairs their real stories with Chayei Sarah — then three complete drafts in different voices, for every speaker in the family.

Start with Chayei Sarah — see your speech plan

The interview and speech plan are free. No signup.