Holidays and Events

Archive for the ‘Bar Mitzvah / Bat Mitzvah’ Category

According to Jewish law, when Jewish children reach the age of majority (generally thirteen years for boys and twelve for girls) they become responsible for their actions, and become a Bar or Bat Mitzvah.

The terms are also commonly used to refer to the ceremony celebrating this coming of age.

There is a common misconception that the Bar Mitzvah ceremony causes a change in status from youth to adulthood. The rights and responsibilities vest solely because of age, and thus, the change happens on the child’s birthday. The Bar Mitzvah ceremony is typically an ordinary Sabbath service in which the boy or girl participates for the first time as an adult.