Bar (בַּר‎) is a Jewish Babylonian Aramaic word meaning 'son' (בֵּן‎, ben in Hebrew), while bat (בַּת‎), in Hebrew, means 'daughter'. See more

Reaching the age of bar or bat mitzvah signifies becoming a full-fledged member of the Jewish community with the responsibilities that come with it. These include moral responsibility for one's own actions; eligibility to be called to read from the See more

The obligation to lay tefillin begins when a boy reaches bar mitzvah age. The common custom is for the bar mitzvah boy to begin putting on tefillin one to three months before his bar mitzvah. This way, by the time he is obligated in the commandment, he … See more

The modern method of celebrating becoming a bar mitzvah did not exist in the time of the Hebrew Bible, Mishnah, or Talmud. … See more

The widespread practice is that on a Sabbath shortly after a boy turns 13, they are called up for an aliyah, the ceremony of reading a portion of the Torah section of the day.
There are seven main sections, plus an eighth, known as … See more

As the first mention of a party associated with a synagogue bar mitzvah was in the 13th century, hosting some sort of party is traditional and frequently considered necessary. See more

Today many non-Orthodox Jews celebrate a girl's bat mitzvah in the same way as a boy's bar mitzvah. All Reform and Reconstructionist, … See more