Coming of Age in Judaism
Within Judaism there is the well-known ceremony of Bar Mitzvah for a boy when he turns thirteen years old and becomes recognized as a "man". For a girl at twelve years of age she becomes a "woman". In Judaism it is recognized that girls mature slightly ahead of boys. Judaism recognizes that these ages coincide with puberty, which in past times made them eligible for marriage.
The coming of age ceremony called a bar mitzvah ("son of the commandment" in Aramaic) is held on the Saturday (Shabbat) after a Jewish boy's thirteenth birthday. A similar ceremony called a bat mitzvah (or bas mitzvah which is for "daughter of the commandment") is held on the Saturday closest to a Jewish girl's twelfth birthday. However, the female coming of age ceremony is not as commonly practiced as the bar mitzvah. The bat mitzvah is recognised mostly by Reform Judaism, Conservative Judaism, and Modern Orthodox Judaism. Haredi Judaism and Hasidic Judaism only celebrate bar mitzvahs.
What happens during the ceremony
During the ceremony, several important events take place.
- The boy is called forward, for the first time to read, in Hebrew, from the Torah scroll. Since only adult males (in the Orthodox community) are allowed to read from the Torah. This is a public announcement that the boy has come of age.
- The boy will receive his father's blessing. The father thanks God that he has now been freed from responsibility for the boy's sins and rejoices that his son is now a man.
- The parents will arrange a meal (the Seudah) for all the boy's family and friends after the ceremony at which the boy will deliver a sermon of thanks. Gifts will be given to the boy at this time by his family and friends.
What does the Bar Mitzvah mean?
There are three main reasons why the Bar Mitzvah is so important for every Jewish male:
- The boy who has come of age is given the full religious responsibilities of the adult male. He is allowed to wear the ritual clothes the Tallit and the Tefillin, he can make up the minimum 10 males who must be present for a service to take place (the minyan), and he can take part fully in the worship in the synagogue.
- At any time in the future he can be called upon to read from the Torah. All Jews consider this to be a great privilege.
- In many synagogues this is seen as a serious statement of faith by the young adult. They acknowledge their faith and acknowledge that the responsibility for their spiritual life now passes from their parents to them.
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Info for Mill Plain Road Limousine Services in Connecticut
Mill Plain Green is located northwest of Fairfield in an area that has always been known as Mill Plain. It is situated at the intersection of Sturges and Mill Plain Roads and bordered by Mill Plain Green on the north. On the north and west are residences built during the 18th and 19th centuries. The most visually distinctive structure is the large Sturges Cottage, a fine and early example of American Gothic architecture. It was built in 1840 for Jonathan Sturges, a successful New York City businessman and a summer resident of Stratford. To the west of the green is a complex of one- and two-story structures that are all part of a chronic convalescent hospital. The offices are in a large, two-story Colonial Revival structure. The rest are in flat-roofed institutional buildings. They are all set back from the road to allow for parking in front. The only redeeming feature is a stone wall along the street in front of the parking lots that helps to provide boundaries for the green.
The green is flat and somewhat uneven. It is randomly planted with shade trees except for one evergreen near the center.
