Milestones and Meaning: How does Bar/Bat affect the life of a Jewish child and their family?

Bar and Bat Mitzvah Key Questions : A or phylacteries, is Ceremonies are significant What rights and responsibilities does getting older bring? a set of small black leather because they are seen as the What happens at Bar/Bat Mitzvah? boxes containing scrolls of time of , when a How does a Jewish boy feel about Bar Mitzvah? parchment inscribed with child becomes an . How does coming of age in compare with another religion? verses from the . Bat Mitzvah ceremony Tefillin is worn by The Bat Mitzvah is only practised by Reform and observant adult liberal Jewish communities. The ceremony follows a during weekday morning prayers. similar pattern to the Bar Mitzvah and happens around a ’s 12th . During her Bat Mitzvah, a girl may read from the Torah or she may instead read a prayer from the . Traditionally, within Judaism, males and females are not thought to have the same responsibilities. As a result, in some Jewish communities, some rules (such as the requirement to read from the Torah) are less Bar Mitzvah ceremony strict for than they are for boys. A Bar Mitzvah happens around a boy’s 13th birthday and is part of a service in the . The boy Bat Chayil prepares by spending a lot of time studying the Torah, and then reads from the Torah during the means ‘daughter of valour’. ceremony. The boy also puts on the tefillin for the It is an Orthodox first time. Jewish ceremony for girls. The gives a talk, speaking to both the boy and The ceremony takes place his family and to the rest of the community. The boy close to a girl’s 12th birthday might also give a talk to the people gathered. in the synagogue, but not as It is traditional for the boy’s father to recite a prayer part of services. of thanks to God for bringing his son to maturity. The boy receives gifts and there is a celebratory meal. Main beliefs Jewdaism Key Vocabulary Jews believe in one God. They also try to live by the . Judaism began They include using God’s name with respect, around 4000 years ago Ner tamid (Hebrew- lamp that burns perpetually in remembering the Sabbath, respecting your in the Middle East. eternal light) Jewish before or near the ark. parents and not lying or stealing. is a place Jews believe God gave the Ten where many Jews go Commandments to Moses. the raised platform in the to on pilgrimage. The bimah (pronounced BEE- synagogue from which the Torah is read and services led. Key Vocabulary ma) siddur A prayer book Hebrew A language used by Jewish people a Jewish ritual pointer, used to The place where the follow the text during the Torah Ark reading Torah is kept in the synagogue The Shabbat The holy day for Jews Torah The Jewish holy book (Sabbath) rabbi Jewish religion leader The ten The important life rules for Jews and teacher commandments given to Moses by god synagogue Place of worship for Jewish people the ten men who are When Jews remember being led out of slavery by Moses needed for worship to proceed within the synagogue.