Bar and Bat Mitzvah

The practice

Bar mitzvah means son of the commandment, and bat mitzvah means daughter of the commandment. At thirteen, a Jewish boy becomes responsible for the commandments himself; a girl reaches the same standing at twelve or thirteen, depending on the community.

How it is kept

After months of study, the young person is called to the Torah in the synagogue, chants a portion of Scripture in Hebrew, often teaches from it, and leads parts of the service. Family and congregation celebrate together, and the day is marked as a public welcome into adult religious life.

What it means

The rite says that faith is not inherited passively. A child who was carried by the community's practice now carries it, standing before the congregation with the scroll open. It is one of the most widely kept Jewish observances, including by families at some distance from weekly practice.