2. What is Bar/Bat Mitzvah?
a boy and a girl are
A Bar or Bat Mitzvah is when
recognized as having the same rights as an adult in Jewish
tradition.
Bar means “Son” and Bat means “Daughter” in Aramaic
Mitzvah means “Commandment” in Hebrew
Bar /Bat mitzvah means the son / daughter of
Commandment.
3. Responsibilities as a Bar Mitzvah
As a Bar mitzvah a boy is now morally and ethically
responsible for his decisions and actions.
He has the rights of a full grown man but is still not
considered to be one himself.
Bar mitzvah is simply the age when a person is held
responsible for one’s actions and is minimally qualified to
marry.
It’s the moment in which the boy has become obligated to
observe the Mizvot (commandments).
4. Commandment examples
To know that God exists
To honor the old and the wise
To pray to God
To give to charity according to one’s means
To honor father and mother
5. Responsibilities as a Bar Mitzvah
Cont’d
It is now religiously compulsory for the person to wear the
Tefilin
The Tefilin are two small boxes, one worn around the head
and the other worn around the arm; it contains pieces from
the Torah which symbolises one’s connection with god;
fasting on Yom Kippur and performing acts of tzedakah
(charity) and other forms of worship are now expected
from the celebrant.
7. How is it celebrated?
Prior to a Bar / Bat Mitzvah the child works with a rabbi a couple
of months and sometimes even years prior to the actual event in
order to be prepared when called upon for the aliyah.
The celebration of a Bar Mitzvah takes place on the first Torah
service in a synagogue right after the boy’s 13th birthday
Traditionally a bar mitzvah is the celebrants first aliyah; the
celebrant is called upon to the Torah to recite a blessing over
the weekly reading.
The celebrant is usually required to make a speech as well, which
traditionally begins with the phrase “today I am a man”.
8. How is it celebrated? Cont’d
The celebrants father then makes a speech thanking god
for releasing him of the burden of being responsible for the
sin’s his son committed as he is now solely responsible for
the decisions he makes.
To fully confirm that the boy has indeed become a Bar
Mitzvah he must be in the presence of at least ten men.
Nowadays, the religious ceremony is usually followed by a
reception in the evening or within the week after the
religious ceremony.
10. Cont’d
Other practices done throughout a Bar Mitzvah may
include:
Leading specific prayers during a Shabbat service
Reading the haftarah (excerpts taken from the writings of
Prophets) portion which is followed by the reading of the
Torah during Shabbat
The completion of a tzedekah project to raise money for
charity organization of the Bar Mitzvah’s choice.
11. Bar Mitzvah’s & The Jewish culture
To the Jewish culture, a Bar Mitzvah symbolizes the age
where a boy is old enough to differentiate right from wrong.
(e.g. when a boy reaches the age of 13).
During the era where the Jewish religion was still being
“developed”, boys at the ages of 13 were already
considered to be fully grown men, physically as well as
mentally as one’s life expectancy was much lower than that
of today’s. Thus, around the Middle Ages where one’s life
expectancy slowly began to increase, the thought of a young
boy having to take upon the role of a fully grown man was
decreasingly expected.
12. Bar Mitzvah’s & The Jewish culture
Cont’d
Bar mitzvah was now simply considered to be the age
when a person was morally and ethically responsible for
one’s decisions and actions; it’s the moment in which the
person has become obligated to observe the
commandments and apply them.
Nowadays, it is considered to be the moment in which the
person should have gained an awareness that he or she is
transitioning into adulthood.
13. The Demonstration of Values
Bar Mitzvah’s do not only include boys but girls as well, the
only two sole differences are that it is not called a Bar
Mitzvah but a Bat Mitzvah for a girl and that the ceremony
is already celebrated when the girl has reached the age of
12 not 13.
Bat Mitzvah’s only occurred in the 19th century.
Even nowadays most Orthodox Jews do not allow women
to have a Bat Mitzvah.
14. The Demonstration of Values Cont’d
Bar/ Bat Mitzvah’s further display the importance that the
Jewish culture lay’s on:
Knowledge
Learning
Leadership
Hard work
Dedication
Poise
Community.
15. The Demonstration of Values
It must be further added that one is not obligated to have a
Bar / Bat Mitzvah to be considered a Jew, as well as being
officially aware that one is in this specific rite of passage.
However, it is still strongly encouraged that boys and girls
do practice this religious ceremony as it implies the
development of maturity on the person’s part as well as
further emphasizes the importance of the traditions in the
Jewish culture.
16. Anthropological Questions
Do the differences between the Ashkenazim and
Sephardim customs affect the Bar / Bat Mitzvah?
Did Bar Mitzvah’s evolve and change over time?
Does the Bar Mitzvah affected the child physically?
17. Sociological Questions
Are there expectations that the child behave in a certain way after
the ceremony?
Does it become socially mandatory for the girl or boy to practice
their religion?
Are there consequences if the child does not practice its
mitzvoth’s after the ceremony?
Is there a distinct difference when putting value on a Bat Mitzvah
as opposed to a Bar Mitzvah?
18. Psychological Questions
Does the child feel more aware and responsible?
Does the child feel more pressured after going through this
religious ceremony?
Do Orthodox Jewish women lie under the impression that
they are of lesser value?
19. Bibliography
“History of Bar/Bat mitzvah and Confirmation" (03/03/2012)
<http://www.myjewishlearning.com/life/Life_Events/BarBat_Mitzvah/History.shtml>
“Important Jewish Objects and Symbols.” Web. 05 Mar. 2012.
<http://www.waupun.k12.wi.us/Policy/other/dickhut/religions/14%20Jewish%20Symbols.ht
ml>.
"Jewish Weddings." Ashkenazi and Sephardic Differences -. Web. 05 Mar. 2012.
<http://www.netplaces.com/jewish-weddings/couples-from-different-backgrounds/ashkenazi-
and-sephardic-differences.htm>.
"Judaism 101: Bar Mitzvah, Bat Mitzvah and Confirmation." 302 Found. Web. 05 Mar.
2012. <http://www.jewfaq.org/barmitz.htm>.
"Tefillin." Jewish Virtual Library. Web. 05 Mar. 2012.
<http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/tefillin.html>.
What Is a Bar Mitzvah?" About.com Judaism. Web. 06 Mar. 2012.
<http://judaism.about.com/od/lifeevents/a/whatisabarmitzvah.htm>.
"What Is a Bat Mitzvah?" About.com Judaism. Web. 06 Mar. 2012.
<http://judaism.about.com/od/lifeevents/a/What-Is-A-Bat-Mitzvah.htm>.u"
