Rabbi Paul Offenkrantz D.M.

When a young person raised in the Jewish faith reaches the age of thirteen, their status within the Jewish community changes. They are no longer viewed as a child and are now considered a young adult. By embracing their heritage and accepting the responsibilities of Jewish life, boys become a Bar Mitzvah (“son of the commandment”) and girls become a Bat Mitzvah (“daughter of the commandment”).

 

Acknowledging and celebrating this important milestone publicly allows for family, friends and members of the community to share in the joy of the occasion, and act as a witness to the acceptance of the privileges and obligations that go along with being an responsible member of the community.

 

To demonstrate this commitment, the student will usually participate in a worship service. They might lead some of the prayers and blessings, recite verses from the appropriate Torah portion and/or Haftarah (an additional reading taken from the writing of the Hebrew prophets) and deliver a personal speech based on lessons they have learned from their Torah portion, or about the meaning of becoming a Bar /Bat Mitzvah.