Bar and Bat Mitzvah

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Bar and Bat Mitzvah
QFL Can I define Bar Mitzvah? Can I describe
what happens during a Bar Mitzvah ceremony?

Homework SAM learning KS3 Religious Education
Why is Bar/Bat Mitzvah important? Due Next lesson
Starter Describe a day which was very special in
your life. What was it that made it so special?
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Key Term Meaning
Torah
Rabbi
Shabbat
Synagogue
Tefillin
Hebrew
Kosher
Shema
Tallit
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Which is the correct definition for each key term?

• Two small leather boxes wound by straps around
  the forehead arm. They contain 4 passages from
  the Torah.
• Teacher or master.
• Food which Jews are allowed.
• Ceremony which marks the coming of age of a
  Jewish boy at 13 years of age.
• Jewish holy day of rest.
• Language in which Jewish scriptures are written.
• Jewish place of worship.
• Jewish scriptures.
• Jewish prayer shawl

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• At what age do you think a person becomes an
  adult?
• What makes a person an adult? and not a child
  anymore?
• In the Jewish there are two answers to when does
  a person become an adult?
• A girl is recognised by the Jewish community as
  an adult when she reaches her twelfth birthday.
• A boy has to wait a year longer before the Jewish
  community accepts that he has become an adult.

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• When a boy reaches his thirteenth birthday, he
  is considered old enough to take personal
  responsibility for living out the commandments of
  the Torah in his own life. Until now his father
  has taken on the responsibility for his sons
  spiritual welfare. But from now on he carries
  that responsibility himself.

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• From a very early age each Jewish boy is taught
  about he history of his religion, his religious
  faith and the Hebrew language. He is taught both
  at home by his father and in the synagogue by the
  rabbi.

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The ceremony

• His Bar Mitzvah is a great and important day in
  the life of every Jewish boy. There are several
  parts to the celebrations

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• A calling up to the front during the synagogue
  service. It is always a great honour for a Jewish
  man to take part in a synagogue service. A boy is
  given this honour on his Bar Mitzvah. He can be
  invited to read from the Torah in public for the
  first time or to lead prayers.

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• The fathers blessing. The father gives thanks
  to God that his son has reached adulthood. Until
  now the father has accepted responsibility for
  his sons spiritual welfare. Now the son must
  take that responsibility on himself.

• Blessed is the One who has freed me from the
  responsibility
• for this childs conduct.
• What do you think the word blessed means?
• Who is the One referred to here?
• What has the father been responsible for?
• Who takes the responsibility from now onwards?

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• A gathering. Friends and relations coming
  together for a boys Bar Mitzvah. During the
  party after the service the boy makes a short
  speech. He thanks his parents and teachers for
  their influence on him.

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• From this time onwards a boy will wear two
  important objects which show that he is accepted
  as an adult member of the Jewish community. They
  are his tefillin and tallit.

Why do you think this is the greatest day in the
life of this boy so far?
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• Watch the clip on a boys Bar Mitzvah.
• Make sure you jot down what you see/learn you
  will need this in your written task at the end.

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• Imagine you are a Jewish boy. You have had your
  Bar Mitzvah. Write a diary entry describing your
  day. Make sure you use your key terms that you
  wrote down earlier.
• Include what you would be looking forward to
  most of all and what changes might happen in his
  life from this time onwards.