Some people call them “unaffiliated,” some call them “independents,” and others, “off the grid.” They’re the members of the Jewish community who don’t belong to a synagogue, or affiliate with any particular denomination. According to the oft-cited 2013 Pew Study on Jewish Americans, 22% of American Jews consider themselves Jews with no religion (a breakdown…
This is the fifth in a series of essays examining Bar and Bat Mitzvahs in America. On March 25, 1978, the day after my bat mitzvah, I announced to my parents that I was done with Judaism and would never again set foot in a synagogue. Some of my disgust with Hebrew school was no…
This is the fourth in a series of articles examining Bar and Bat Mitzvahs in America. Jeremy Piven had one. So did the former owner of my pharmacy. And Kirk Douglas had two. Stumped? These men all stepped up to the bimah to have a second bar mitzvah. Not to be confused with the now…
This is the third in a series of essays examining the Bar and Bat Mitzvah in America. A bar mitzvah has many meanings. Mine was simultaneously a religious ceremony, a miniature family reunion, a finish line marking the end of years of Hebrew school and — still, to this day — the largest party ever…
This is Part 2 in a series of articles examining bar and bat mitzvahs in America. Until the day I married, my bat mitzvah was the happiest day of my life. I realize that makes me an anomaly, or at least a rare species among American Jews, whose bar and bat mitzvah experiences seem freighted…
This is part 1 in a series of articles examining the Bar and Bat Mitzvah ritual in America. Few institutions represent the American Jewish community like the bar and bat mitzvah. It would be surprising, given this cultural emphasis, if this ritual turned out to be almost as modern as the elaborate parties that surround…
Oscar-winning movie producer Harvey Weinstein on Thursday responded to bombshell allegations of sexual harassment by mentioning his bar mitzvah, blasting the gun lobby and President Trump — and quoting rapper Jay-Z in a rambling statement. He later threatened to sue the New York Times over the report. “I am going to need a place to…
This week, Hulu’s Difficult People starred Marilyn (the firebrand mother figure, played by Andrea Martin), throwing herself a Bat Mitzvah. Which we found pretty inspiring. In honor of this momentous occasion, we decided it’s time to do a wrap-up of the five best bar mitzvah moments on TV. Because, yes, in the goldeneh medinah, anything…
100% of profits support our journalism
