Adult bar and bat mitzvah

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An adult bar/bat mitzvah is a bar or bat mitzvah of a person older than the customary age. Traditionally, a bar or bat mitzvah occurs at age 13 for boys and 12 for girls. Many adult Jews who have never had a bar or bat mitzvah, however, may choose to have one later in life, and many who have had one at the traditional age choose to have a second.[1] An adult bar or bat mitzvah can be held at any age after adulthood is reached and can be performed in a variety of ways.[2]

The adult and child bar/bat mitzvot differ in that the former is planned by the person becoming b' mitzvah and the latter by the child's community, caregiver, and/or parent. Due to it taking place at an advanced stage of life, many relatives who were present at a child's bar/bat mitzvah are often deceased, and the person is often married and/or has children and sometimes grandchildren. Many men have second bar mitzvot at age 83; representing 70 years since their first.[3]

Reasons[edit]

There are many reasons adult Jews choose to have a bar or bat mitzvah:

  • Many adult women do not have a bat mitzvah as children due to lack of popularity and/or restrictive gender norms.
  • Individuals with learning disabilities that made the process of preparing for their bar or bat mitzvah too difficult during childhood.
  • Adults who have converted to Judaism may want a bar or bat mitzvah.
  • Many non-religious Jews who had little or no Jewish education as children.
  • Those who have had a bar or bat mitzvah as children decide to undergo renewal.
  • Transgender Jews who had a bar or bat mitzvah as their gender assigned at birth may wish to have the other one as an adult using their new gender and name.
  • Many Holocaust survivors didn't have the opportunity to become a bar or bat mitzvah.

History[edit]

Rabbi Albert Axelrad of Brandeis University officiated the first adult bar and bat mitzvahs in the early 1970s. He encouraged the practice in all denominations of Judaism.[4]

Between 1995 and 2001, Hadassah held group adult Bat Mitzvah ceremonies for 180 women.[5]

In 2001, the Union for Reform Judaism created a guide on adult bar and bat mitzvah programs which was adopted by 900 congregations. In 2002, the Conservative Movement adopted this guide as well.[5]

Process[edit]

The process of becoming a bar or bat mitzvah for adults involves studying for a year or longer. It consists of Hebrew language, Jewish rituals, Torah readings, and Haftorah readings. Many synagogues provide classes for adults.

Notable adult bar and bat mitzvahs[edit]

In popular culture, there have been depictions of adult bar mitzvahs on TV shows:

References[edit]

  1. ^ Marcus, I.G. (2013). The Jewish Life Cycle: rites of passage from biblical to modern times. University of Washington Press. p. 121. ISBN 9780295803920. Retrieved 2015-02-13.
  2. ^ "Bar Mitzvah for an Adult? – Bar Mitzvah". chabad.org. Retrieved 2015-02-13.
  3. ^ "Adult Bar Bat Mitzvah". My Jewish Learning. Retrieved 2015-02-13.
  4. ^ "History of Adult Bar/Bat Mitzvah – My Jewish Learning". My Jewish Learning. Retrieved 2015-02-13.
  5. ^ a b "Finding My Religion". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 2015-02-13.
  6. ^ "Paula Abdul Celebrates Bat Mitzvah In Safed, Israel Known For Kabbalah (VIDEO)". HuffPost. 6 November 2013. Retrieved 2015-02-13.
  7. ^ "No Western Wall bat mitzvah for Paula Abdul after all | Jewish Telegraphic Agency". Archived from the original on 2013-11-09. Retrieved 2015-02-13.
  8. ^ "Armand Hammer Dead at 92 on Eve of His Bar Mitzvah | Jewish Telegraphic Agency". jta.org. 12 December 1990. Retrieved 2015-02-13.
  9. ^ Simpson, Kaitlin (21 December 2022). "Stars Who've Had Bar and Bat Mitzvahs: Mason Disick, Drake, More". Us Weekly. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  10. ^ "World's oldest man, Yisrael Kristal, 113, to hold bar mitzvah". BBC News. 2016-09-15. Retrieved 2017-04-21.
  11. ^ "World's oldest man marks bar mitzvah, 100 years late". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 2017-04-21.
  12. ^ "She's Sarah Silverman's Sister — and Just Officiated Tiffany Haddish's Bat Mitzvah".
  13. ^ Simpson, Kaitlin (21 December 2022). "Stars Who've Had Bar and Bat Mitzvahs: Mason Disick, Drake, More". Us Weekly. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  14. ^ Armstrong, Megan (25 October 2017). "Drake Holds a Star-Studded 'Re-Bar Mitzvah' For His 31st Birthday". Billboard. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  15. ^ Bandler, JTA and Aaron (9 November 2017). "Rapper Drake Throws a Re-Bar Mitzvah Party on His 31st Birthday". Jewish Journal. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  16. ^ Simpson, Kaitlin (21 December 2022). "Stars Who've Had Bar and Bat Mitzvahs: Mason Disick, Drake, More". Us Weekly. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  17. ^ Simpson, Kaitlin (21 December 2022). "Stars Who've Had Bar and Bat Mitzvahs: Mason Disick, Drake, More". Us Weekly. Retrieved 13 November 2023.

External links[edit]

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