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Article: A lighthearted bar mitzvah guide for the perplexed
- Article from:
- Washington Jewish Week
- Article date:
- August 25, 2005
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright Washington Jewish Week Aug 25, 2005. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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Bar mitzvah boy, bar mitzvah boy,
Put away your childish toys.
From Dan to Beersheva the prophets cry,
Its time to be a man.
Introduction
The ceremony that we will witness today marks the passage of a Jewish girl or boy from childhood into adulthood. From this day on he is ethically and morally responsible for his behavior; literally a bar (son) mitzvah (commandment) a son of the commandments, or a bat mitzvah, daughter of the commandments.
Contrary to the common wisdom, our Bible is jammed with 603 commandments, in addition to the familiar 10. The youth undertake a heavy obligation.
We realize that some of our friends, both Jewish and Christian, may never have attended a bar mitzvah ...