Coming of Age in Jewish America: Bar and Bat Mitzvah Reinterpreted

The Jewish Practice Of Bar Mitzvah Dates Back To The Twelfth Century. Yet, As This New Study Reveals, The Ritual Has Changed Dramatically Over Time And Now Serves As A Sometimes Shaky Bridge Between The Values Of Contemporary American Culture And Judaic Tradition. Interviewing Over 200 Individuals Involved In Bar And Bat Mitzvah Ceremonies, From Family Members To Religious Educators To Rabbis, Patricia Keer Munro Presents A Candid Portrait Of The Conflicts That Often Emerge And The Negotiations That Ensue.--from Publisher Description. T's Not Duddy Kravitz's Bar Mitzvah Anymore : Bar And Bat Mitzvah In The Twenty-first Century -- Describing The Context : Congregations And The Bar Or Bat Mitzvah Service -- Students And Parents, Rabbis And Teachers : Different Roles, Different Standpoints -- Variations On A Theme : Different Meanings And Motives -- What If I Drop The Torah? From Learning To Doing Judaism -- What Are They Doing On The Bimah? Setting Boundaries Around Bar Or Bat Mitzvah Participation -- Whose Bimah Is It, Anyway? Public Shabbat Service Or Private Bar Or Bat Mitzvah Ritual -- A Very Narrow Bridge : Bar And Bat Mitzvah And Connecting To The Jewish Future. Patricia Keer Munro. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.