Source: JOFA Journal
Today, Bat Mitzvah is celebrated in some way in most parts of the Orthodox Jewish world. But how should a girl’s religious coming of age be marked? How should communities and families create meaningful Bat Mitzvah celebrations? Is the lack of a single model a liability or an advantage? Over 20 articles feature a variety of historical, halakhic, sociological, psychological and experiential perspectives on the topic in the Fall, 2010 issue of the JOFA Journal.
Among the articles in the issue:
Bat Mitzvah: Creating a Communal Space by Giti Bendheim and Barbara Gochberg
Bat Mitzvah: Historical and Halakhic Aspects, by Dr. Norma Baumel Joseph
My Zeyde’s Gift, by Tammy Jacobowitz
Preparing for a Bat Mitzvah: A Celebration of a Lifetime by Rabbi Benjamin J. Samuels
Blessed with Options: The Special Bat Mitzvah, by Howard Blas
Reflections on Bat Mitzvah as an Educational Endeavor, by Esther Krauss
New Models for Bat Mitzvah Celebrations in the Synagogue and in the Community by Sheryl Robbin and Rabbi Daniel Landes
HaTov Ve HaMeitiv: Good for Oneself and For Others, by Daniel Rothner
Celebrating the Opportunities, Lamenting the Limits, by Amy Newman
Leyning Megillat Esther: The Ultimate Bat Mitzvah Gift, by Alyza D. Lewin
Post Bat Mitzvah: A Family Looks Back by Shalhevet Schwartz, Bat Sheva Marcus and Yishai Schwartz
Toward a Meaningful Bat Mitzvah: A Father Reflects, by Aryeh Rubin
Parents and Schools: Partnering to Create Meaningful Semahot by Rabbi Jeffrey Kobrin
Joining the Chain of Jewish Women: The Matan Mother-Daughter Bat Mitzvah Program, by Rebecca Linzer
Orthodox/Feminist: No Longer an Oxymoron by Suzanne Friedman Hochstein
From Generation to Generation: A Special Bonding, by Rae Drazin
Makom: Finding a Place for Our Growing Girls, by Aliza Sperling
Becoming a Serious Jew, by Sari Abrams
Mothers & Daughters Learning Together: Drisha’s Bat Mitzvah Program by Elissa Shay Ordan
Twelve Suggestions for Making Your Bat Mitzvah Meaningful