Bar/Bat Mitzvah - Contents

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The bar/bat mitzvah ceremony (bar mitzvah for boys / bat mitzvah for girls) celebrates an event that occurs even if it goes unnoticed. When a Jewish child turns thirteen (twelve for girls according to Orthodox Jews), his or her parents are no longer responsible for the child's lapses. From that point on, the child assumes adult responsibility for fulfilling Jewish law. The child affirms his or her readiness through the bar/bat mitzvah rituals: reading the Torah portion and/or haftorah, delivering a sermon on the reading and saying the blessings. More generally, these rituals give the child a way to embrace the Jewish tradition as his or her own.

For the child (or adult) about to become a bar/bat mitzvah, here is information on the components of the ceremony, and also guidance on how to used Navigating the Bible to prepare for the event.

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What the ritual signifies

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Torah and haftorah readings

Portions and Haftorahs | The Text | Cantillation

The sermon on the Torah portion or haftorah

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Prayers recited publicly

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