Rise Up/Bat Mitzvah At 100

This Event Has Passed

In 1922, SAJ held the first bat mitzvah in America, a trail-blazing step toward gender equality in Judaism. Today, our “B*Mitzvah experience” affirms gender equity and diversity, bringing voices on the margins to the center of the conversation.

SAJ has partnered with the Jewish Women’s Archive to create Rise Up/Bat Mitzvah at 100 on March 18-19, 2022. On that Shabbat, with resources created by SAJ and JWA, thousands of Jews across North America will join to celebrate the centenary of Judith Kaplan’s historic first on March 18, 1922 and the bat mitzvah girls who paved the way for all women and Jews of all genders to participate in Jewish communal life. Partners include the Reform, Reconstructionist, and Conservative movements, Yeshivat Meharat and JOFA (Jewish Orthodox Feminist Association), Hadassah, National Council of Jewish Women, and more.

At SAJ, we will celebrate this Shabbat by lifting up women’s voices and stories of our own pioneers. A special tish precedes Shabbat services. Music at services will feature female composers and we will highlight women leyners in our community.