There comes a time in every young Jewish person’s life when they have a monumental jump in circumstances to make. This is the time of the Bar, if a boy, or Bat, if a girl Mitzvah. At the age of thirteen, they become embedded into the faith and are expected to take more responsibility for themselves. Before that, any actions that they did were answerable to their parents. Thirteen might seem like a very young age to start to take responsibility for yourself but it’s based on the ancient Jewish society when the mortality rate was much lower than it is today. What actually happens at the ceremony?
Firstly, the sending of Bar Mitzvah Cards, like those available from cazenovejudaica.com/uk/cards/bar-mitzvah is a great way to celebrate the big day and if you can’t make it it will show the young man or lady that you care for them.
The young celebrant attends the synagogue and reads out relevant sections of the Torah. It’s now something that they can become involved in at home and take the place of a parent as a representative of the family. Time-honoured rituals are observed and a speech from the Rabbi is made. Then a glass is broken and the celebrations can begin This is usually in the form of a meal or more commonly a big party.
