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B'nai Mitzvah

Your child grows up so quickly. Before you know it, you will be celebrating his bar mitzvah or her bat mitzvah.

These pages will provide you with a brief summary of what you need to know as you prepare to celebrate this joyous occasion at Tikvat Israel.

The Meaning of Bar Mitzvah and Bat Mitzvah
"Bar mitzvah" literally means "son of the commandment," while "bat mitzvah" means "daughter of the commandment." What is important is the connotation: obligation and responsibility.

When a boy reaches the age of thirteen years plus one day, according to the Jewish calendar, he reaches the age of Jewish maturity and his status in the Jewish community changes - he becomes a bar mitzvah, and is "subject to the obligation to observe the commandments." For girls in Conservative congregations, this happens at age thirteen as well, although in some circles a girl becomes a bat mitzvah at age twelve and one day.

A child is trained by his or her parents, and by the community on behalf of the parents, to understand and fulfill Judaism's religious precepts.