Welcome to the Forward’s coverage of b’nai mitzvah (also called bat mitzvahs for girls and bar mitzvahs for boys), Jewish coming-of-age ceremonies typically done at age 13.
B’nai Mitzvah
The Latest
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The Schmooze A Bar Mitzvah on Death Row
A rabbi in Texas helped killer imprisoned on Death Row achieve his dreams of finally becoming a man, religiously of course. Chabad.org reports that Rabbi Dovid Goldstein, lead Jewish chaplain in the Texas prison system, worked tirelessly to help inmate Jedidiah Murphy have a Bar Mitzvah. Murphy is obviously well passed puberty, but he grew…
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Life Celebrating My Bat Mitzvah With My Hoarder Mother
Montreal, 1989 “Is everyone ready?” I called from my room.One of my eyes was focused on the mirror as I checked out my creation — an all-white “Working Girl “power suit from Jacob Junior with shoulder pads, a pleated skirt, and a blue and white polka dot shirt that sported a medieval jester’s 6-inch collar,…
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Fast Forward Stabbed Israeli Teen Celebrates Bar Mitzvah at Western Wall
JERUSALEM — An Israeli teen who was stabbed by two Palestinian teens while riding his bike in Jerusalem celebrated his bar mitzvah at the Western Wall. Naor Ben-Ezra was joined at the celebration by members of the medical team who treated him at Hadassah Hospital after the October 12 attack in the Pisgat Zeev neighborhood…
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The Schmooze Why Does Your Bar Mitzvah DJ Cost So Much?
Shopping for a bar mitzvah DJ is a grueling process. You want someone who can successfully pull off the Cha-Cha-Slide, cajole your 81-year-old great uncle Mort onto the dance floor, give out dollar-store prizes with flair, and lead the hora without amassing a body count — all while being up to speed on the latest from…
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The Schmooze This is What a $1 Million Bat Mitzvah Looks Like
Pearls, feathered headdresses and a lavish dinner for 300 intimate friends — no, it’s not a Fashion Week bash. Just a bat mitzvah. Hudson News mogul Jimmy Cohen dropped $1 million on a party for his daughter Jaclyn on Saturday at their home in Alpine, N.J. Like all good bat mitzvahs, there was a theme:…
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Fast Forward Jewish Man Sues Mom Over Bar Mitzvah Money
Today in crazy Jewish news: a 20-year-old boy has over a withheld bar mitzvah gift. A judge ruled in favor of Jordan Zeidman last week, after he accused his mother of refusing to hand over the $5,000 that his grandmother — known in the family as “Baba” — had promised him as a bar mitzvah gift,…
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The Schmooze Need Help With Your Bar Mitzvah Speech? Meet the ‘Toast Whisperer’
We’ve all been there, —eying the assembled crowd, swallowing a dry throat, and shuffling cue cards. Wendy Shanker knows the difficulties of public speaking better than most. As a longtime corporate speechwriter, she has worked with many clients to craft a perfect speech. Her specialty is award shows, charity events, and other public venues. But…
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Fast Forward Israelis Object to Orthodox-Only Rabbi Rules: Poll
More than two-thirds of Israelis object to the removal of a Conservative rabbi from a bar mitzvah ceremony for disabled children intended to take place at the Israeli president’s residence. The ceremony has been run for 20 years by the Conservative movement and was scheduled to take place at the end of June. It was…
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