What is a Bat Mitzvah
Bat Mitzvah girls, photos courtesy of Rebecca Kowalsky (http://www.imagesthroughtime.com) and Lucas Cantor.
A Bat Mitzvah is one of the most important landmark occasions in the life of a Jewish girl.
At the age of 12, the bat mitzvah girl enters the world of Jewish adulthood; she now assumes responsibility for herself as a member of the Jewish community. The word “bat” is the Hebrew word for “daughter of”, the word “Mitzvah” means “commandment”. According to Jewish law, from the time of her bat mitzvah, the Jewish girl is bound by the mitzvot that were not considered obligatory until now.
Different ways of celebrating
The Bat Mitzvah celebrations vary according to ones religious Jewish affiliation. In some communities, the batmitzvah girl will be called up to read from the weekly Torah reading in the synagogue. In other communities the Bat Mitzvah occasion will be marked by a ceremnony in the synagogue, a hall or somewhere else. Sometimes a number of bat mitzvah girls will choose to celebrate their bat mitzvah together.
An opportunity for creativity
Owing to the fact that the concept of celebrating a bat mitzvah for a Jewish girl is relatively modern, and it is less proscribed than the bar mitzvah celebration, there are many wonderful and creative avenues in which to mark the occasion.