WHAT IS A BAT MITZVAH ?

 

Becoming a Bar/Bat Mitzvah marks the beginning of a young man or woman’s transition from childhood to adulthood.  It offers a family and their community the chance to leave behind the everyday and focus on the miracle of life and human maturation.  As a young person makes his/her way into adulthood, the ritual celebration of Bar/Bat Mitzvah allows him/her to demonstrate readiness to begin taking on adult Jewish responsibility.  It indicates that they recognize that the wisdom of our Jewish heritage is a tool to building a life partnership with God.

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The phrase “Bat Mitzvah” means “daughter of the commandments.”  For a boy, the phrase “Bar Mitzvah” is used for “son of the commandments.”  The phrase "B'nai Mitzvah" is used for twins. The term refers to the person and not the event, although the term is often used to describe the event as well.  As Jewish children reach the age of 13, they are considered adults within the Jewish community and can enter the circle of public prayer. At that point they can be counted in the minyan, the group of ten adults that constitute a quorum and can participate in the privilege of reading from the Torah.

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At the service Sophie will, for the first time, help lead the prayers and read directly from the Torah. As Sophie participates in the service, the community acknowledges her adult status and, along with that, her increased responsibility toward the community and the world. As the blessings and prayers are recited, Sophie reaffirms her commitment to fulfilling “mitzvoth” (commandments or good deeds) and promises to accept responsibility for her actions.