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In Judaism, a Bar Mitzvah is a Jewish boy or girl who has come of age. The terms are also commonly used to refer to the ceremony celebrating this coming of age. There is a common misconception that the Bar Mitzvah ceremony causes a change in status from youth to adulthood. The rights and responsibilities vest solely because of age, and the Bar Mitzvah ceremony is typically an ordinary Sabbath service in which the boy or girl participates for the first time as an adult.
According to Jewish law, when Jewish children reach the age of majority (generally thirteen years for boys and twelve for girls) they become responsible for their actions, and "become a Bar or Bat Mitzvah. In many Conservative and Reform synagogues, girls celebrate their Bat Mitzvahs at age 13, along with boys. This also coincides with physical puberty. Prior to this, the child's parents are responsible for the child's adherence to Jewish law and tradition, and after this age, children bear their own responsibility for Jewish ritual law, tradition, and ethics and are privileged to participate in all areas of Jewish community life. | |