Bar and Bat Mitzvahs
Bar and Bat Mitzvahs are fundamentally Jewish coming of age rituals which symbolically mark passage into adulthood. Jewish young people celebrate Bar Mitzvahs and Bat Mitzvahs with their families as they enter into puberty. Boys celebrate Bar Mitzvahs at the age of thirteen, whereas girls celebrate their Bat Mitzvahs a little earlier at age twelve. These ages were selected to roughly coincide with the onset of puberty. A young Jewish girl or boy is not considered to be responsible for his or her actions prior to the celebration of their Bar or Bat Mitzvah.
After their Bar or Bat Mitzvah is over, a Jewish girl or boy is deemed to be a responsible member of the Jewish community. He or she will be held responsible for upholding and honoring Jewish traditions, morality and ritual law. A young person who has experienced their Bar or Bat Mitzvah is also expected to be an active participant in Jewish community activities and functions.
The term Bar and Bat Mitzvah literally means a "daughter or son of obligation." In essence, this means that the young person has reached the age of responsibility and adulthood in accordance with Jewish tradition. In other words, a young Jewish boy or girl who has successfully celebrated a Bar or Bat Mitzvah is expected to uphold the Jewish faith, traditions and the commandments according to the Torah. Particular emphasis is placed on following the Torah, which is the Jewish text of commentaries on Biblical passages because it is supposed to guide the daily and religious lives of Jewish people.
In many Jewish congregations, a young person may spend a year or two preparing for this important coming of age ceremony. Many Jewish congregations may require the young person to attend Hebrew school regularly, engage in a community service project and be an active member in good standing with his or her Jewish congregation in order to be eligible to participate in a Bar or Bat Mitzvah. During the ceremony, the young man or woman is called upon by the presiding rabbi to read the Torah or the Haftarah (a series of selections from the Hebrew Bible). The young person may also be asked to lead a discussion of the portion of the Torah that he or she just read to the congregation.
After the solemnity of the Bar/Bat Mitzvah ritual, the young person's family and friends celebrate with the newly appointed adult member of their community. Often, this celebration comes in the form of a formal luncheon or dinner with both family and community members present. Some Jewish families may even celebrate this important coming of age ritual with a family trip to Israel and the Middle East. After completing their Bar or Bat Mitzvah, the young Jewish person will be expected to think about his or her actions and responsibilities in a deeper and more community-connected manner. According to Jewish tradition, a new level of a person's soul called the "Neshama" enters the young person after they have their Bar or Bat Mitzvah. "Neshama supposedly engenders maturation within the young man or woman, and they are then ready to take on the adult roles of wisdom, contribution to and responsibility in the Jewish community once this maturation occurs.
Bar and Bat Mitzvahs are fundamentally Jewish coming of age rituals which symbolically mark passage into adulthood. Jewish young people celebrate Bar Mitzvahs and Bat Mitzvahs with their families as they enter into puberty. Boys celebrate Bar Mitzvahs at the age of thirteen, whereas girls celebrate their Bat Mitzvahs a little earlier at age twelve. These ages were selected to roughly coincide with the onset of puberty. A young Jewish girl or boy is not considered to be responsible for his or her actions prior to the celebration of their Bar or Bat Mitzvah.
After their Bar or Bat Mitzvah is over, a Jewish girl or boy is deemed to be a responsible member of the Jewish community. He or she will be held responsible for upholding and honoring Jewish traditions, morality and ritual law. A young person who has experienced their Bar or Bat Mitzvah is also expected to be an active participant in Jewish community activities and functions.
The term Bar and Bat Mitzvah literally means a "daughter or son of obligation." In essence, this means that the young person has reached the age of responsibility and adulthood in accordance with Jewish tradition. In other words, a young Jewish boy or girl who has successfully celebrated a Bar or Bat Mitzvah is expected to uphold the Jewish faith, traditions and the commandments according to the Torah. Particular emphasis is placed on following the Torah, which is the Jewish text of commentaries on Biblical passages because it is supposed to guide the daily and religious lives of Jewish people.
In many Jewish congregations, a young person may spend a year or two preparing for this important coming of age ceremony. Many Jewish congregations may require the young person to attend Hebrew school regularly, engage in a community service project and be an active member in good standing with his or her Jewish congregation in order to be eligible to participate in a Bar or Bat Mitzvah. During the ceremony, the young man or woman is called upon by the presiding rabbi to read the Torah or the Haftarah (a series of selections from the Hebrew Bible). The young person may also be asked to lead a discussion of the portion of the Torah that he or she just read to the congregation.
After the solemnity of the Bar/Bat Mitzvah ritual, the young person's family and friends celebrate with the newly appointed adult member of their community. Often, this celebration comes in the form of a formal luncheon or dinner with both family and community members present. Some Jewish families may even celebrate this important coming of age ritual with a family trip to Israel and the Middle East. After completing their Bar or Bat Mitzvah, the young Jewish person will be expected to think about his or her actions and responsibilities in a deeper and more community-connected manner. According to Jewish tradition, a new level of a person's soul called the "Neshama" enters the young person after they have their Bar or Bat Mitzvah. "Neshama supposedly engenders maturation within the young man or woman, and they are then ready to take on the adult roles of wisdom, contribution to and responsibility in the Jewish community once this maturation occurs.
