Wikipedia

Barandbat mitzvah

Abar mitzvah(masc.) orbat mitzvah(fem.)[a]is acoming of ageritual inJudaism.According toJewish law,before children reach a certain age, the parents are responsible for their child's actions. Once Jewish children reach that age, they are said to "become"b'nai mitzvah,at which point they begin to be held accountable for their own actions. Traditionally, the father of abarorbat mitzvahoffers thanks to God that he is no longer punished for his child'ssins.

Barandbat mitzvah
Bar mitzvahboy wearingtallitandtefillin
Native nameBar mīṣvā:בַּר מִצְוָה‎
Bat mīṣvā:בַּת מִצְוָה‎
Time
TypeComing-of-age ceremony
ThemeReaching the age ofbarorbat mitzvahsignifies becoming a full-fledged member of the Jewish community

InOrthodoxcommunities, boys becomebar mitzvahat 13 and girls becomebat mitzvahat 12. In mostReform,Reconstructionist,andConservativecommunities, the milestone is 13 regardless of gender.[5]After this point, children are also held responsible for knowingJewish ritual law,tradition,andethics,and are able to participate in all areas of Jewish community life to the same extent as adults. In some Jewish communities, men's and women's roles differ in certain respects. For example, in Orthodox Judaism, once a boy turns 13, it is permitted to count him for the purpose of determining whether there is aprayer quorum,and he may lead prayer and other religious services in the family and the community.[6]

Bar mitzvahis mentioned in theMishnah[7]and theTalmud.Some classic sources identify the age at which children must begin to participate in the ritual at the age of 13 for boys and 12 for girls. The age ofb'nai mitzvahroughly coincides with the onset ofpuberty.[8]Thebar/bat mitzvahceremony is usually held on the firstShabbatafter the birthday on which the child reaches the eligible age.

Etymology

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Bar(בַּר‎) is aJewish Babylonian Aramaicword meaning 'son' (בֵּן‎,benin Hebrew), whilebat(בַּת‎), in Hebrew, means 'daughter'.Mitzvah(מִצְוָה‎) is Hebrew for 'commandment' or 'law'. Thus,bar mitzvahandbat mitzvahliterally translate to 'son of commandment' and 'daughter of commandment', respectively. However, in rabbinical usage, the wordbarmeans 'under the category of' or 'subject to'.Bar mitzvahtherefore translates to '[one] who is subject to the law'. Although the term is commonly used to refer to the ritual itself, the phrase originally refers to the person.[citation needed]

History

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The modern method of celebrating becoming abar mitzvahdid not exist in the time of theHebrew Bible,Mishnah,orTalmud.Early rabbinic sources specify 13 as the age at which a boy becomes a legal adult; however, the celebration of this occasion is not mentioned until the Middle Ages (from approximately 500CEto 1500 CE; seePost-classical history).[9][10]

Some latemidrashicsources, and some medieval sources refer to a synagogue ceremony performed upon the boy's reaching age thirteen:

  • Simon Tzemach Duranquotes aMidrashinterpreting the Hebrew wordzo( "this" ) inIsaiah43:21 ( "These people have I formed for myself, they shall speak my praise" ) as referring by itsnumerical valueto those that have reached the age of 13.[11]This seems to imply that, at the time of the composition of the Midrash the bar mitzvah publicly pronounced a blessing on the occasion of his entrance upon maturity.
  • TheMidrash Hashkem:[12]"The heathen when he begets a son consecrates him to idolatrous practices; theIsraelitehas his son circumcised and the rite of 'pidyon haben' performed; and as soon as he becomes of age he brings him into thesynagogueandschoolin order that he may praise the name of God, reciting theBarechu."
  • Masseket Soferim(18:5) makes matters even more explicit: "InJerusalemthey are accustomed to initiate their children to fast on theDay of Atonement,a year or two before their maturity; and then, when the age has arrived, to bring the Bar Mitzvah before thepriestor elder for blessing, encouragement, and prayer, that he may be granted a portion in theLawand in the doing of good works. Whosoever is of superiority in the town is expected to pray for him as he bows down to him to receive his blessing. "
  • Genesis Rabbah:[6]"Up to 13 yearsEsauandJacobwent together to the primary school and back home; after the thirteen years were over, the one went to thebeit midrashto studyLaw,the other to the house of idols. Regarding this, Rabbi Eleazar remarks, 'Until the 13th year it is the father's duty to train his boy; after this, he must say: "Blessed be He who has taken from me the responsibility [the punishment] for this boy!"'"

Later on are references to a festive celebration on this occasion:

  • "It is amitzvahfor a person to make a meal on the day his son becomes Bar Mitzvah as on the day he enters thewedding canopy."[13]

Age thirteen

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Bar Mitzvah in a SynagoguebyOscar Rex

The Bible does not explicitly specify the age of 13. Passages in the books ofExodusandNumbersnote the age of majority for army service as twenty.[14]Machzor Vitrinotes thatGenesis 34:25refers toLevias a "man", when a calculation from other verses suggests that Levi was aged 13 at the time.[15]

The age of thirteen is mentioned in theMishnahas the time one is obligated to observe the Torah'scommandments:"At five years old one should study theScriptures,at ten years for the Mishnah, at 13 for the commandments... "[16][9]

Elsewhere,[17]the Mishnah lists the ages (13 for boys and 12 for girls) at which a vow is considered automatically valid; theTalmudexplains this as a result of the 13-year-old being a "man", as required inNumbers6:2.[18](For one year before this age, the vows are conditionally valid, depending on whether the boy or girl has signs of physical maturity.[17])

Other sources also list thirteen as the age of majority with respect to following the commandments of the Torah, including:

  • "Why is theevil inclinationpersonified as the great king (Ecclesiastes9:14)? Because it is thirteen years older than the good inclination. "That is to say, one's good inclination begins to act upon reaching the age of majority.[19]
  • According toPirke Rabbi Eli'ezer26,Abrahamrejected the totalidolatryof his father and became a worshiper of God when he was thirteen years old.[20]

The term "bar mitzvah"

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The term "bar mitzvah" appears first in theTalmud,meaning "one who is subject to the law", though it does not refer to age.[21]The term "bar mitzvah", in reference to age, cannot be clearly traced earlier than the 14th century, the olderrabbinicalterm being "gadol" (adult) or "bar 'onshin" (one legally responsible for own misdoings).[20]

Significance

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Reaching the age of bar or bat mitzvah signifies becoming a full-fledged member of the Jewish community with the responsibilities that come with it. These includemoralresponsibility for one's own actions; eligibility to be called to read from theTorahand lead or participate in aminyan;the right to possess personal property and tolegally marry on one's own according to Jewish law;the duty to follow the613 lawsof the Torah and keep thehalakha;and the capacity to testify as a witness in abeth din(rabbinical court) case.

Many congregations require pre-bar mitzvah children to attend a minimum number of Shabbat prayer services at the synagogue, study at aHebrew school,take on a charity or community service project and maintain membership in good standing with the synagogue. In addition to study and preparation offered through thesynagogueand Hebrew schools, bar mitzvah tutors may be hired to prepare the child through the study of Hebrew, Torah cantillation and basic Jewish concepts.[citation needed]

According to Rabbi Mark Washofsky, "The Reform Movement in North America has struggled over the bar/bat mitzvah. At one time, this ceremony was on the verge of extinction in Reform congregations. Most of them preferred to replace bar/bat mitzvah with confirmation, which they considered a more enlightened and appropriate ceremony for modern Jews. Yet the enduring popularity of bar/bat mitzvah prevailed and today, in our communities, bar/bat mitzvah is 'virtually universally observed' by Reform Jews."[22]

In 2012, concern about the high post-bar/bat mitzvah drop-out rate led theUnion for Reform Judaismto launch the B'nai Mitzvah Revolution, an effort to shift Reform congregations away from "the long-held assumption that religious school is about preparing kids for their bar/bat mitzvah" and focus instead on teaching them how to become committed and involved members of the Jewish community.[23]

Aliyah to the Torah

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An 1839 description of an upcoming Manhattan bar mitzvah reported in theNew York Herald
Bar mitzvah at theWestern WallinJerusalem

The widespread practice is that shortly after a boy turns 13, they are called up for analiyah,[24]the ceremony of reading a portion of the Torah section of the day.[25]

On the Sabbath, there are seven main sections, plus an eighth, known asmaftir,which is also connected to the reading of that day'shaftorahsection.[26]It is most common to give the child themaftirreading.[25]

In most synagogues, a designated officiant, theba'al korei,reads all of the Torah portions, and the people receiving eachaliyahonly say the blessings before and after their portion is read.[20][27]A bar mitzvah boy may learn to act as theba'al korei,either for the entire service, for just hisaliyah,or any range in-between.[25]He may also be ba'al korei for thehaftorahportion if he receives themaftir,or may only be ba'al korei for the haftorah, without reading from the Torah at all.[25]Any of these undertakings involves a steep learning curve and much practice, possibly taking a year of study, and is an impressive accomplishment.[28]

Girls may have an aliyah in Reform, Reconstructionist, and Conservative Jewish synagogues. In Orthodox synagogues, aliyot were and typically still are restricted to boys, with a girl potentially giving ad'var Torahat the end of the service. Some Modern Orthodox girls give aliyot at women's services, with fewer than ten men (so as not to constitute aminyan).

In Orthodox circles, the occasion is sometimes celebrated during a weekday service that includes reading from the Torah, such as a Monday or Thursday morning service.

Some communities or families may delay the celebration for reasons such as availability of a Shabbat during which no other celebration has been scheduled, or to allow family members to travel to the event. However, this does not delay the onset of rights and responsibilities of being a Jewish adult which comes about strictly by virtue of age.

Tefillin

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Bar mitzvah ceremony at aReformsynagogue

The obligation to laytefillinbegins when a boy reaches bar mitzvah age. The common custom is for the bar mitzvah boy to begin putting on tefillin one to three months before his bar mitzvah. This way, by the time he is obligated in the commandment, he will already know how to fulfill it properly.[29]

Bar mitzvah at theWestern WallinJerusalem

Parties

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As the first mention of a party associated with a synagogue bar mitzvah was in the 13th century, hosting some sort of party is traditional and frequently considered necessary.[30]

A boy at his bar mitzvah participating in the traditionalhoradance

Bar mitzvah festivities typically include a joyousseudat mitzvah,a celebratory meal with family, friends, and members of the community, the bar mitzvah boy delivering on this occasion a learned discourse or oration at the table before the invited guests, who offer him presents, while the rabbi or teacher gives him his blessing, accompanying it at times with an address.[20] Some Jews celebrate in other ways such as taking the bat or bar mitzvah on a special trip or organizing some special event in the celebrant's honour. In many communities, the celebrant is given a certificate.

In some times and places, local Jewish leaders have officially limited the size and elaborateness of mitzvahs.[30]For example, only ten men were permitted to attend the party in 1730 inBerlin,and music was banned at these parties in 1767 inPrague.[30]These rules were usually meant to avoid offending non-Jewish neighbours, and to maintain the rule that it be a smaller celebration than a wedding.[30]

Bar and bat mitzvah parties among wealthy Jewish families in North America are often lavish affairs held at hotels and country clubs with hundreds of guests.[31][32][33]The trend has been mocked, most notably in the movieKeeping Up with the Steins.These lavish parties were also heavily featured in the filmYou Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah.In the 1950s, Rabbi Harold Saperstein of New York described them as too often being "more bar than mitzvah".[30]RabbiShmuley Boteachsays that over-the-top bar mitzvah parties were already common when he was growing up inMiamiin the 1970s.[34]

In 1979, the Responsa Committee of the Central Conference of American Rabbis addressed the Reform attitude toward bat/bar mitzvah: "Every effort should be exerted to maintain the family festivities in the religious mood at the bar/bat mitzvah. Some of the efforts of early Reform in favor of confirmation [and] against bar mitzvah were prompted by the extravagant celebration of bar mitzvah, which had removed its primary religious significance. We vigorously oppose such excesses, as they destroy the meaning of bar/bat mitzvah."[23]

In May, 1992, the board of trustees of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations (now the Union for Reform Judaism), the synagogue arm of the Reform Movement, unanimously passed a resolution decrying "excesses of wasteful consumption...glitzy theme events, sophisticated entertainment...and expensive party favors", calling instead for "family cohesion, authentic friendship, acts oftzedakah(righteous giving), and parties suitable for children. "[23]

The cost of the party depends upon what the family is willing and able to spend. Some families spend tens, or even hundreds, of thousands of dollars on the party.[30]Generally speaking, these celebrations are less costly and elaborate than a wedding in that family.[30]In addition to food and drink for the guests, the money at an elaborate party is mostly spent on renting and decorating a venue and hiring staff, from the catering team toemcees,DJs,entertainers, and dancers (also called "motivators" ) to encourage the guests to dance or play games.[30]

Bat mitzvah customs

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Egyptian Alexandria Jewish girls during bat mitzvah
AConservativebat mitzvah in Israel
Reading from theTorah(Sephardi custom)

Today many non-Orthodox Jews celebrate a girl's bat mitzvah in the same way as a boy's bar mitzvah. AllReformandReconstructionist,and mostConservativesynagogueshave egalitarian participation, in which women read from the Torah and lead services. In Orthodox communities, a bat mitzvah is celebrated when a girl reaches the age of 12.

The majority ofOrthodoxand some Conservative Jews reject the idea that a woman can publicly read from the Torah or lead prayer services whenever there is aminyan(quorumof 10 males) available to do so. However, the public celebration of a girl becoming bat mitzvah in other ways has made strong inroads intoModern Orthodox Judaismand also into some elements ofHaredi Judaism.In these congregations, women do not read from the Torah or lead prayer services, but they occasionally lecture on a Jewish topic to mark their coming of age, learn a book ofTanakh,recite verses from theBook of Estheror theBook of Psalms,or say prayers from thesiddur.In some Modern Orthodox circles, bat mitzvah girls will read from the Torah and lead prayer services in awomen's tefillah.RabbiMoshe Feinstein,a prominent Orthodoxposek,described the bat mitzvah celebration as "meaningless", and of no greater halakhic significance than a birthday party. However, he reluctantly permitted it in homes, but not synagogues,[35][36]as the latter would be construed as imitating Reform and Conservative customs; in any case, they do not have the status ofseudat mitzvah.[37]RabbiOvadiah Yosefholds that it is a seudat mitzvah.[38]

There were occasional attempts to recognize a girl's coming of age in eastern Europe in the 19th and 20th centuries, the former in Warsaw (1843) and the latter in Lemberg (1902). The occasion was marked by a party without any ritual in the synagogue.[39]

There are documents that record an Italian rite for becoming bat mitzvah, known as an "entrance into the minyan" ceremony, in which boys of thirteen and girls of twelve recited a blessing, since the mid-19th century.[40]There were also some bat mitzvah rituals held in the 19th century in Iraq.[41]However, it was the American rabbiMordecai M. Kaplanheld the first public celebration of a bat mitzvah as we understand it in modern times for his daughter on March 18, 1922, at theSociety for the Advancement of Judaism,his synagogue in New York City.[42][43]Kaplan was unaware of the earlier Italian precedent and learned of them several months later, while on holiday in Italy.[44]Judith Kaplanrecited the preliminary blessing, read a portion of that week's Torah portion in Hebrew and English, and then intoned the closing blessing.[42][45]Mordecai Kaplan, an Orthodox rabbi who joinedConservative Judaismand then became the founder ofReconstructionist Judaism,influenced Jews from all branches of non-Orthodox Judaism, through his position at theJewish Theological Seminary of America.At the time, most Orthodox rabbis strongly rejected the idea of a bat mitzvah ceremony.[46][47][36]

As the ceremony became accepted for females as well as males, many women chose to celebrate the ceremony even though they were much older, as a way of formalizing and celebrating their place in the adult Jewish community.[48]

Alternative ceremonies

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Bar mitzvah for 1,000 immigrant boys from Russia at the Western Wall, 1995
Bar mitzvah at the Western Wall

Instead of reading from the Torah, someHumanist Jewsprefer a research paper on a topic in Jewish history to mark their coming of age.[49][50][51]Secular Jewish Sunday schools and communities—including those affiliated with the Congress of Secular Jewish Organizations andThe Workers Circle—encourage the youngsters to select any topic that interests them and relates to the Jewish part of their identities.

Thekibbutzmovement in Israel also encouraged the celebration of the bar mitzvah. All those coming of age in the community for that year would take on a project and research in a topic of Jewish or Zionist interest. Today many kibbutz children are opting for a more traditional bar mitzvah celebration.[citation needed]

Among some Jews, a man who has reached the age of 83 will celebrate a second bar mitzvah, under the logic that in the Hebrew Bible it says that a normal lifespan is 70 years, so that an 83-year-old can be considered 13 in a second lifetime.[52]This ritual is becoming more common as people live longer, healthier lives.[53]

Abark mitzvahis a pseudo-traditional observance and celebration of a dog'scoming of age,[54][55]as in the Jewish traditional bar and bat mitzvahs. The term has been in use since at least 1958, when Beverly Hills couple Janet and Sonny Salter held a bark mitzvah for their 13 year old dog, Windy.[56][57]Bark mitzvahs are sometimes held as an adjunct to the festival ofPurim.[58]

Gifts

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Bar or bat mitzvah celebrations have become an occasion to give the celebrant a commemorative gift. Traditionally, common gifts include books with religious or educational value, religious items, writing implements, savings bonds (to be used for the child's college education), gift certificates, or money. Gifts of cash have become commonplace in recent times.[when?]As with charity and all other gifts, it has become common to give in multiples of 18, since thegematria,or numerical equivalent of theHebrewword for "life", ( "chai"), is the number 18. Monetary gifts in multiples of 18 are considered to be particularly auspicious and have become common for the bar and bat mitzvah. Many b'nai mitzvah also receive their firsttallitfrom their parents to be used for the occasion andtefillinwhere this is appropriate. Jewelry is a common gift for girls at a bat mitzvah celebration. Another gift for the bat mitzvah girl is Shabbat candlesticks because it is the duty and honor of the woman to light the candles.[59]

In adults

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Main article:Adult bar and bat mitzvah

While the traditional age to hold a bar or bat mitzvah is 13 for boys and 12 or 13 for girls, some adults choose to have a bar or bat mitzvah if they do not have them as adolescents, alongside the previously mentioned non-traditional ceremony of having a second bar mitzvah when one turns 83.

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^Barandbatmeaning 'son of' and 'daughter of' respectively;mitzvahmeaning 'commandment' or 'law'. The plural ofbar mitzvah(Hebrew:בַּר מִצְוָה), used for both all-male and mixed-gender groups, isb'nai mitzvah,also transliteratedb'nei mitzvah(בְּנֵי מִצְוָה). The plural ofbat mitzvah(בַּת מִצְוָה;Ashkenazi pronunciation:bas mitzveh) isb'not mitzvah(בְּנוֹת מִצְוָה;Ashkenazi pronunciation:b'nos mitzvah). In English,b'nai mitzvahis also sometimes used in the singular as a gender-neutral term, including fornonbinaryyouth;[1][2]other gender-neutral terms includesimchat('celebration of')mitzvah,kabbalat('reception of')mitzvah,b'mitzvah(alsobamitzvahorb-mitzvah,[3]all meaning 'in' or 'subject to' mitzvah), andbrit('covenant of')mitzvah.[4][1]

References

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  1. ^abPerleberg, Ellen; Dy, Grace Elizabeth C. (May 25, 2022). "Growing Up on the Wrong Side of theMechitza:A Case Study of Contemporary Queer Jewish Language ".Journal of Jewish Languages.10(1):120–139.doi:10.1163/22134638-bja10019.
  2. ^Dolsten, Josefin (March 1, 2018)."This teen had a gender neutral b'nei mitzvah".Jewish Telegraphic Agency.RetrievedMay 5,2023.
  3. ^Krueger, Alyson (March 27, 2019)."Bar or Bat Mitzvah? Hey, What About a Both Mitzvah?".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.RetrievedMay 18,2024.
  4. ^"Celebrating the Age of Mitzvah: A Guide for all Genders".Keshet.RetrievedMay 5,2023.
  5. ^"Origins of the Bar/Bat Mitzvah".ReformJudaism.org.October 19, 2012.Today in almost all non-Orthodox congregations, all children mark symbolic entry into Jewish adulthood through b'nai mitzvah (bar or bat mitzvah) at age 13.
  6. ^abGenesis Rabbah63:10 (commenting uponGenesis25:27)בראשית רבה סג י(in Hebrew)
  7. ^Pirkei Avot,5:21
  8. ^Niddah45b
  9. ^abOlitsky, Kerry M.An Encyclopedia of American Synagogue Ritual,Greenwood Press, 2000.ISBN0-313-30814-4p. 7.
  10. ^"History of the Bar Mizvah".Jewish Encyclopedia.RetrievedApril 13,2013.
  11. ^Magen Avoton the Baraita on Avot 5:21
  12. ^Midrash Hashkem on Shemot;alsoGrünhut's "Sefer ha'Likkutim",i. 3a
  13. ^Orach Chayim225:2,Magen Avraham4
  14. ^Bazelon, Emily (May 19, 2005)."Saving the Bar Mitzvah".Slate.Archivedfrom the original on October 13, 2007.RetrievedOctober 5,2007.
  15. ^Machzor Vitri on Pirkei Avot,also found atMachzor Vitryמחזור ויטרי(in Hebrew). p. 549.RetrievedMarch 7,2018.
  16. ^Pirkei Avot5:21
  17. ^abNiddah 5:6
  18. ^Niddah 46a
  19. ^Abot de-Rabbi NatanA. 16, B. 30; MidrashTehillim9:2;EcclesiastesRabbah 9:15
  20. ^abcdMarcus Jastrow;Kaufmann Kohler(1906)."Bar Miẓwah".InSinger, Isidore;et al. (eds.).The Jewish Encyclopedia.New York: Funk & Wagnalls.RetrievedFebruary 4,2018.
  21. ^Baba Metzia 96a
  22. ^Washofsky, Mark (2001).Jewish Living: A Guide to Contemporary Reform Practice.UAHC Press.ISBN978-0-8074-0702-8.
  23. ^abcReform Judaismmagazine,Winter 2012.
  24. ^Calling someone up to say the Torah blessings during a service is called anAliyah,from theHebrew:עֲלִיָּה, from the verbla'alot,לעלות, meaning, "to rise, to ascend; to go up"
  25. ^abcd"How the Bar/Bat Mitzvah Child Participates in the Service".My Jewish Learning.RetrievedMay 20,2022.
  26. ^Talmud Bavli.Vol. Megila. pp. 21a.
  27. ^"Chapter 4: The Baal Korei – Shulchanaruchharav.com".RetrievedMay 20,2022.
  28. ^"Great Doings in the Jewish Synagogue".New York Daily Herald.June 11, 1839. p. 2.RetrievedMay 13,2022.
  29. ^"Some Laws of Tefillin – The Basic Laws and the order of Putting on the Tefillin".Chabad.org.RetrievedAugust 13,2012.
  30. ^abcdefghDoll, Jen (December 9, 2017)."The Bar Mitzvah Party Starters".Topic.RetrievedDecember 23,2017.
  31. ^Cohen, Stefanie (April 18, 2010)."$1 Million Parties – Have NYC Bar Mitzvahs Gone Too Far?".New York Post.Archivedfrom the original on April 20, 2010.RetrievedApril 18,2010.
  32. ^Al (January 18, 2011)."Saturday Night Live Mocks Over-The-Top Bar Mitzvah".Jewish Humor Central.RetrievedAugust 13,2012.
  33. ^Allison Hoffman (December 9, 2007)."Big bucks and pink thrones".The Chicago Jewish News.Archived fromthe originalon November 20, 2012.RetrievedAugust 13,2012.
  34. ^RabbiShmuley Boteach(August 23, 2010)."Extravagant Weddings and Bar Mitzvahs Humiliate the Jewish Community".The Huffington Post.
  35. ^Eleff, Zev (2020)."Chapter 2: How Bat Mitzvah Became Orthodox".Authentically Orthodox: A Tradition-Bound Faith in American Life.Wayne State University Press.ISBN978-0-8143-4482-8.
  36. ^abEleff, Zev; Butler, Menachem (January 2016)."How Bat Mitzvah Became Orthodox," Symposium on Masorah, May 2016 (TorahMusings.com) ".Torahmusings.com.
  37. ^Iggros Moshe OC 1:104 and OC 2:97
  38. ^Yabia Omer 2:29
  39. ^Marcus, Ivan G. (2004).The Jewish Life Cycle: Rites of Passage from Biblical to Modern Times.Seattle and London: University of Washington Press.ISBN0-295-98440-6,p. 105.
  40. ^Marcus, p. 106.
  41. ^Barkat, Amiram (May 27, 2003)."Coming of age a little later than usual".Haaretz.RetrievedApril 13,2013.
  42. ^ab"The First American Bat Mitvah".Jewish Virtual Library.March 18, 1922.RetrievedApril 13,2013.
  43. ^Waskow, Arthur Ocean and Phyllis Ocean Berman. Excerpt fromA Time for Every Purpose Under HeavenFarrar, Straus and Giroux, LLC at"History of Bat Mizvah".Archivedfrom the original on October 13, 2007.RetrievedOctober 10,2007.
  44. ^Marcus, pg 112.
  45. ^Peiser, Jaclyn; Lyons, Eve; Chafetz, Marisa (April 27, 2019)."Becoming a Woman Before Their Eyes".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.RetrievedApril 27,2019.
  46. ^Eleff, Zev (2020)."Chapter 2: How Bat Mitzvah Became Orthodox".Authentically Orthodox: A Tradition-Bound Faith in American Life.Wayne State University Press.ISBN978-0-8143-4482-8....the rabbinate in the United States had already decided on the halakhic impropriety of the Bat Mitzvah ritual...
  47. ^Eleff, Zev; Schacter, Jacob J. (2016)."Chapter 9: The Orthodox Synagogue and Rabbinate. Section 1: Rites of Passage".Modern Orthodox Judaism: A Documentary History.University of Nebraska Press.ISBN978-0-8276-1289-1....Orthodox leaders resisted the "innovation" and impulse to be "with it." In fact, as late as the 1970s, only the most accommodating Orthodox rabbis permitted bat mitzvah ceremonies, and they allowed just the most modest sort of occasions...
  48. ^Maag, Christopher (March 22, 2009)."Having a Bat Mitzvah in Their 90s Because It's a Hoot".The New York Times.RetrievedMarch 31,2010.
  49. ^Arking, Linda (June 1, 2000)."Molly's Unforgettable Bat Mitzvah".Sh'ma, A Journal of Jewish Ideas.RetrievedAugust 15,2011.
  50. ^"Bar/Bat Mitzvah Program".City Congregation for Humanistic Judaism.Archived fromthe originalon April 20, 2008.
  51. ^Carolyn Slutsky (July 15, 2009)."At This Bar Mitzvah, Dylan's The Only Prophet".The Jewish Week.New York. Archived fromthe originalon July 20, 2009.
  52. ^"LifeCycle Events: Bar and Bat Mitzvah".
  53. ^Amy Oringel (October 19, 2017)."Why 83 Is The New 13 For Bar Mitzvahs".Forward.com.RetrievedJanuary 31,2018.
  54. ^Lily Koppel (December 20, 2004)."Today He Is a Dog; Actually He Always Was".The New York Times.
  55. ^Shari Cohen and Marcelo Gindlin.Alfie's Bark Mitzvah.Chandler, Arizona:Five Star Publications, 2007. Book with audio CD.ISBN1-58985-055-6,978-1589850552.
  56. ^Salter, Janet; Salter, Sonny (2009).Beverly Hills Gothic.Beverly Hills: Salter Lipsky Press. p. 290.RetrievedJuly 25,2021.
  57. ^Rabbi Charles A. Kroloff (January 19, 1997)."A Rabbi's View Of a 'Bark Mitzvah'".The New York Times.
  58. ^Maryann Mott (October 6, 2006)."Pets Gaining Recognition in Places of Worship".National Geographic News.Archived fromthe originalon October 18, 2006.
  59. ^"Bat Mitzvah: What It Is and How to Celebrate".RetrievedMay 16,2020.

Further reading

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  • Goldberg, Harvey E. "Rites of Passage: Jewish Rites".Encyclopedia of Religion.Ed. Lindsay Jones. 2nd ed. Vol. 11. Detroit: Macmillan Reference, 2005. pp. 7818–7824.Gale Virtual Reference Library.
  • Golding, Nora.Bat Mitzvahs in America.Lulu, 2015.ISBN978-1-312-92108-5.
  • Hilton, Michael.Bar Mitzvah: A History.University of Nebraska Press, 2014.
  • Kaplan, Zvi, and Norma Baumel Joseph. "Bar Mitzvah, Bat Mitzvah".Encyclopaedia Judaica.Ed. Michael Berenbaum and Fred Skolnik. 2nd ed. Vol. 3. Detroit: Macmillan Reference, 2007. pp. 164–167.Gale Virtual Reference Library.
  • Oppenheimer, Mark.Thirteen and a Day: The Bar and Bat Mitzvah across America.New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2005.
  • Vinick, Barbara andShulamit Reinharz.Today I Am a Woman: Stories of Bat Mitzvah around the World.Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press, 2011.ISBN978-0253356932.
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Bar mitzvah

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Bat mitzvah

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