Analysis Of The Jewish Bar Mitzvah

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The Jewish coming of age ritual, Bar Mitzvah, means “Son of Commandment” and is exclusive for the boy. In reform synagogues, a boy becomes a Bar Mitzvah on his 13th birthday and this is usually acknowledged in the form of a ceremony. However, some Jewish boys do not have a Bar Mitzvah celebration because the family may be too poor or do not belong to a synagogue (Bar Mitzvah, 2016). In this case, the boy automatically become a Bar Mitzvah upon reaching the age of 13. No ceremony is required to confer these rights and obligations. (Tracey T.R, 2011) The preliminal stage of the Bar Mitzvah celebration involves various things. For boys that do take part in a Bar Mitzvah celebration, there are many preparations that are for both the child and the ritual itself. Usually the child will begin preparations for his Bar mitzvah about a year before the big day (Bar and Bat Mitzvah 101, 2017). …show more content…

The service is usually led by a Rabbi, although, during different points of the ceremony, relatives and friends will come up to perform their section of the service (Jacob B, 2018). Throughout the ceremony, the rabbi will lead the congregation through various readings and hymns both In English and Hebrew (B’nei Mitzvah Service Order, 2018). The Bar Mitzvah will be called up for a special Aliyah which involves reciting the blessing both before and after the reading of the Torah and will normally also read from the Torah itself. In addition to this the boy will also chant the Haftarah, the blessings and reading from a passage of the Prophetic writings . In addition to this, the Bar Mitzvah is presented with a tallit as a sign of distinction. The strands and knots at each corner represent the Torah’s 613 regulations. He also receives a prayer book. The Aliyah and receiving of items is considered to be the most important part of the

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