Several non-Jewish relatives and friends at Henry's bar mitzvah and since then have pointed out that there is no ceremony like it, at least that they could think of, in most other cultures. He learned & then sang in a foreign language (& alphabet) plus researched & delivered a short, serious talk.
My friend Barbara's 13-year-old grandson recently mentioned rites of passage. She emailed me that she told him "we have so few now, except the Jewish service of the bar mitzvah. Excitedly he said, 'I love those and wish we had them. You know Ben (a close friend) is a man now.' We all long for such markers in our lives."
I’ve heard people say their bar mitzvah was the hardest thing they ever did & nothing really intimidated them later in life. It also makes you realize that kids that age are capable of a lot more than we sometimes think.
My friend Barbara's 13-year-old grandson recently mentioned rites of passage. She emailed me that she told him "we have so few now, except the Jewish service of the bar mitzvah. Excitedly he said, 'I love those and wish we had them. You know Ben (a close friend) is a man now.' We all long for such markers in our lives."
I’ve heard people say their bar mitzvah was the hardest thing they ever did & nothing really intimidated them later in life. It also makes you realize that kids that age are capable of a lot more than we sometimes think.