Keywords
Judaism, Bar Mitzvah, Bat Mitzvah
Abstract
A bar mitzvah or bat mitzvah, meaning "son/ daughter of the commandment" in Aramaic, refers a Jewish series of rituals performed by adolescent males at age 13 and females at age 12. The ceremony of becoming bar mitzvah or bat mitzvah is not required by Jewish law but is held sacred. The ceremony consists of, among other things, leading part of a worship service and reading the sacred text in front of the assembly. This paramount event in the life of a Jewish youth has evolved over the centuries, but the origins of the ritual date back as early as the 1st century C.E. Many Jewish parents of past and present view this rite of passage as an important step in the life of their adolescent progeny.
Original Publication Citation
Hatch, T. & Marks, L. (2014). Bar mitzvahs and bat mitzvahs. In L. Ganong, M. Coleman, J. G. Golson (Eds.), The Social History of the American Family (pp. 104–105). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE. (1,200 words; my contribution was about 80 percent).
BYU ScholarsArchive Citation
Hatch, Trevan and Marks, Loren, "Bar mitzvahs and Bat mitzvahs" (2014). Faculty Publications. 3037.
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/facpub/3037
Document Type
Peer-Reviewed Article
Publication Date
2014
Permanent URL
http://hdl.lib.byu.edu/1877/5851
Publisher
The Social History of the American Family
Language
English
College
Religious Education
Department
Ancient Scripture
Copyright Status
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