Coming of Age: Adult Bat Mitzvah
Encyclopedia
Coming of Age: Adult Bat Mitzvah, is a
documentary
produced in 1989
and directed by Bonnie Burt
, Coming of age: Adult Bat Mitzvah takes a candid look at this twist on a relatively new tradition
and what it says about the push for equality of the sexes in synagogue
life.
Coming of Age sits down with a group of women, aged 32 to 83, from different walks of life, to find out why, after all these years, they’ve decided to learn Hebrew and study to receive their bat mitzvahs. Sharing their excitement at being included in the less-than-century-old tradition
, the women explain what their faith
means to them.
Rabbi
s began to experiment with the idea of a bat mitzvah in the 1920s, but for decades it was still generally believed that men ran a synagogue — and a woman had no place on the bimah [synagogue podium]. It’s only with the recent feminist movement
that girls have been invited to study Jewish texts and, in some sects, are encouraged to be active members of the synagogue.
Interestingly, as they prepare to be welcomed into their faith, many of the women interviewed reflect on their relationships with their fathers. Their bonds with the important male figures in their lives seem to represent many of these women’s connection to what has traditionally been a male-dominated faith.
In fact, many of the women have faced great perils that make their bat mitzvahs all the more meaningful and achievement. One woman says she’s grateful to be alive after her dramatic recovery from open-heart surgery, and with the bat mitzvah ceremony is celebrating her second chance at life. Another woman came from a family of seven sisters and was one of the few to survive the Holocaust. After making it through these trying experiences that tested their faith, these women value Judaism in a way they never could have at the age of twelve or thirteen.
Ultimately, the adult bat mitzvah is still a coming-of-age ceremony, but, at an older age, these
women are coming at the milestone
from a more self-aware and appreciative perspective.
documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
produced in 1989
and directed by Bonnie Burt
Summary
Bat mitzvahs are not only for pre-teens anymore. Exploring women’s place in JudaismJudaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
, Coming of age: Adult Bat Mitzvah takes a candid look at this twist on a relatively new tradition
Tradition
A tradition is a ritual, belief or object passed down within a society, still maintained in the present, with origins in the past. Common examples include holidays or impractical but socially meaningful clothes , but the idea has also been applied to social norms such as greetings...
and what it says about the push for equality of the sexes in synagogue
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
life.
Coming of Age sits down with a group of women, aged 32 to 83, from different walks of life, to find out why, after all these years, they’ve decided to learn Hebrew and study to receive their bat mitzvahs. Sharing their excitement at being included in the less-than-century-old tradition
Tradition
A tradition is a ritual, belief or object passed down within a society, still maintained in the present, with origins in the past. Common examples include holidays or impractical but socially meaningful clothes , but the idea has also been applied to social norms such as greetings...
, the women explain what their faith
Faith
Faith is confidence or trust in a person or thing, or a belief that is not based on proof. In religion, faith is a belief in a transcendent reality, a religious teacher, a set of teachings or a Supreme Being. Generally speaking, it is offered as a means by which the truth of the proposition,...
means to them.
Rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
s began to experiment with the idea of a bat mitzvah in the 1920s, but for decades it was still generally believed that men ran a synagogue — and a woman had no place on the bimah [synagogue podium]. It’s only with the recent feminist movement
Feminist movement
The feminist movement refers to a series of campaigns for reforms on issues such as reproductive rights, domestic violence, maternity leave, equal pay, women's suffrage, sexual harassment and sexual violence...
that girls have been invited to study Jewish texts and, in some sects, are encouraged to be active members of the synagogue.
Interestingly, as they prepare to be welcomed into their faith, many of the women interviewed reflect on their relationships with their fathers. Their bonds with the important male figures in their lives seem to represent many of these women’s connection to what has traditionally been a male-dominated faith.
In fact, many of the women have faced great perils that make their bat mitzvahs all the more meaningful and achievement. One woman says she’s grateful to be alive after her dramatic recovery from open-heart surgery, and with the bat mitzvah ceremony is celebrating her second chance at life. Another woman came from a family of seven sisters and was one of the few to survive the Holocaust. After making it through these trying experiences that tested their faith, these women value Judaism in a way they never could have at the age of twelve or thirteen.
Ultimately, the adult bat mitzvah is still a coming-of-age ceremony, but, at an older age, these
women are coming at the milestone
Milestone
A milestone is one of a series of numbered markers placed along a road or boundary at intervals of one mile or occasionally, parts of a mile. They are typically located at the side of the road or in a median. They are alternatively known as mile markers, mileposts or mile posts...
from a more self-aware and appreciative perspective.