Bat Mitzvah
Bat Mitzvah
Just as boys look forward to their 13th birthday and bar mitzvah, girls look forward to their bat mitzvah. They become religiously mature at 12 years old. The beginnings of this tradition appear relatively late. Not until 1922. A certain American rabbi organized a bat mitzvah celebration for his daughter. And he held it in the synagogue. Some mentions of bat mitzvah celebrations had previously occurred in places like Italy or France.
How we celebrate: The ceremony is not held in the synagogue, as it is for boys, but much more often in the comfort of home and often in larger numbers. The girl should prove that she knows Jewish laws and customs. Because the bat mitzvah celebration is often associated with Reform Judaism, gifts for the girl also have a religious character. Such a young lady can then unwrap a tallit or even tefillin prayer straps.
What we eat: What will be on the tables again depends on the organizers. Most often, therefore, on the parents of the girl or girls. But since girls at this age usually have a clear idea of what a girl's celebration should look like, there is no shortage of cute cake, currently popular treats, sodas of all colors and flavors, or a bowl of fruit.
What we wish: For such a beautiful age, there is nothing left but to congratulate. So "Mazel Tov!" is appropriate.
Large Ashkenazi Torah scroll (ktav Beis Yosef). The scroll comes from Poland around 1900, and after World War II it was used in a synagogue in the USA, as evidenced by the...
