I'll start by defining the terms Bar Mitzvah and Bat Mitzvah.
"Bar" is the Hebrew word for son
"Bat" is the Hebrew word for daughter
"Mitzvah" has several definitions, however in this context it refers to commandments, or religious duties.
FYI: The other (and more commonly used) definition of mitzvah is” good deed”.
The literal translation of Bar Mitzvah – “son of the commandment” – or Bat Mitzvah – “daughter of the commandment” –means that once the Jewish child comes of age, they have the same religious rights and responsibilities of a Jewish adult. For example, once the young adult celebrates their Bar or Bat Mitzvah they can be counted as an adult toward the quorum of 10 (known as a "minyan") required for some prayer services.
Boys universally become Bar Mitzvah at the age of 13, however the age of Bat Mitzvah varies based on the affiliation of the congregation. Conservative and Reform congregations celebrate at age 13 regardless of gender, however Orthodox congregations celebrate Bat Mitzvah at age 12. Preparations for this milestone begin many months in advance. During their preparation, Jewish boys and girls take the time to understand the significance of the occasion, what Bar and Bat Mitzvah traditions are involved, why it’s observed, and the importance of their role in Judaism. Additionally, in the last three decades, an adult bar/bat mitzvah ceremony has been developed that is not a coming of age, but rather an affirmation of Jewish identity for Jews who did not have bar/bat mitzvahs as children.
Note that the Bar Mitzvah isn’t first and foremost an event, but a state of being. The ceremony is simply a way to celebrate and impress upon the boy the significance of his milestone. The inspiration for this challenge, my oldest grandchild (and only boy!) Penn, actually celebrated his 13th birthday in January, however due to practical concerns related to travel and winter weather he will be celebrating his Bar Mitzvah this month.
***Curious minds want to know: Did Jesus have a Bar Mitzvah?? No one knows for sure, but since Jesus was brought up in a Jewish household and considered himself Jewish, he certainly came into adulthood as a Jew. It is interesting to note that aside from stories of his birth, the only specific account of Jesus' childhood is in the Book of Luke when he stayed behind at the temple at age 12 to study with the teachers. It has been surmised by biblical scholars that this account may represent his ascent into Jewish manhood. However, the celebration of the Bar Mitzvah is a product of the 13th century and therefore it's unlikely that Jesus would have done anything close to what people consider a Bar Mitzvah celebration today.***
But we digress....
Now that we have discussed how the Bar or Bat Mitzvah is an important milestone in the Jewish live cycle, your first challenge will be a layout about a significant milestone - one that marks a "turning point" in life.
For my example, this layout is of my DGD's graduation from pre-school. She will be in Kindergarten in the fall!
Now for the boring, but important stuff:
1) For this challenge, only layouts can be submitted
2) This challenge will be due at midnight on 3/31.
3) All layouts must be NEW. You may combine this challenge with one other monthly challenge that permits it, (as well as the team challenge and the bimonthly prompt challenge) but you may NOT submit the same layout for 2 different Bar Mitzvah challenges.
4) Only one submission, per person.
5) MOST IMPORTANT: I hope that you learned something and that you HAVE FUN!
