B'nai Mitzvah Handbook

What does it mean to celebrate a Bar/Bat Mitzvah?

Bar/Bat Mitzvah is a beginning. Jewish law has fixed the age of thirteen for boys and twelve for girls as the beginning of adulthood. Therefore, a child legally enters the stage of “responsibility” at that time and becomes a Bar or Bat Mitzvah. Being a Bar/Bat Mitzvah means reaching the age of Jewish maturity and assuming the privileges, obligations and responsibilities of following the Mitzvot, the commandments of Jewish law.

This period of training and preparation can be a time of growth and enrichment, not only for the student, but also for the family as a whole. The Bar/Bat Mitzvah should be treated as a catalyst in your child’s life—the time for grappling with ideas and identities, both Jewish and secular. It is a time that can have deep significance, and be of vital importance to your child’s development as an individual and a Jew.

All information for your child's B'nai Mitzvah can be found in our B'nai Mitzvah Handbook