🙏 Blessings
Blessings are said before the circumcision and over a cup of wine afterwards. The community also prays that the child will grow up to learn Torah, marry and do good deeds.
Judaism: Worship and Practice » Brit Milah, Bar Mitzvah and Bat Mitzvah
What you'll learn this session
Study time: 30 minutes
Edexcel spec: Paper 2 Judaism (4RS1/2E), 3.3
- What rites of passage are and why they matter in Jewish life
- How Brit Milah and naming ceremonies for girls welcome a child into the community
- What Bar and Bat Mitzvah mean, how Jews prepare and celebrate, and what changes afterwards
- How Orthodox, Masorti and Progressive Jews differ in these rites
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Unlock This CourseRites of passage in Jewish life
A rite of passage is a ceremony that marks an important step in a person's life. In Judaism these rites show that a person is moving into a new stage and that the whole community shares in it. This lesson covers the rites of early life: the welcome of a baby, and the moment a young person takes on adult responsibility. Marriage and mourning are covered in the next lesson.
These rites matter because they link each Jew to the covenant. Remember that Jews believe the Almighty made a covenant with Abraham and his descendants, and that the Jewish people try to keep it by living by the mitzvot, the commandments of the Torah.
Key terms:
- Rite of passage (recap from Family Life: Types of Family, Roles and Responsibilities): a ceremony that marks a major stage in life.
- Brit Milah: "covenant of circumcision", the ceremony for a Jewish boy on the eighth day of his life.
- Mohel: a person trained to carry out Brit Milah.
- Simchat bat: "celebration of a daughter", a naming ceremony for a baby girl.
- Bar Mitzvah: "son of the commandment", a boy who is old enough to be responsible for keeping the mitzvot.
- Bat Mitzvah: "daughter of the commandment", the same for a girl.
- Aliyah: "going up", being called up to the bimah to say the blessings over the Torah reading.
Brit Milah: the covenant of circumcision
Jewish boys are circumcised on the eighth day of their lives. This is called Brit Milah. Jews follow the command given to Abraham in Genesis 17, where circumcision is the sign of the covenant. The ceremony is therefore a physical sign that the boy belongs to the covenant people. If a doctor says the baby is not healthy enough, it is delayed until he is well, because looking after health comes first.
The ceremony is carried out by a mohel, who is trained in both Jewish law and the medical side of the operation. It often takes place at home or in the synagogue, with family and friends present, and is a joyful occasion.
📝 The Hebrew name
At the ceremony the baby's Hebrew name is announced. Many Jews name a child after a relative or after a great figure from Jewish history. The boy will use this name in the synagogue throughout his life.
🌟 Sign of the covenant
The act joins the child to Abraham and to the Jewish people. His parents are promising to bring him up in Jewish ways.
🎉 Celebration
A festive meal follows, so the whole family and community can share the happiness.
Welcoming a baby girl
Girls are not circumcised, but they are welcomed into the covenant too. There is no single fixed ceremony, so communities do it in different ways. In many Orthodox synagogues the baby's father is called up to the Torah on Shabbat, a blessing is said for the mother and baby, and the girl's Hebrew name is announced. Many families also hold a simchat bat at home or in the synagogue. It can include blessings, readings, songs and the naming, and often a party. Progressive and Masorti communities often make this ceremony quite similar in feeling to Brit Milah, because they believe daughters should be welcomed as fully as sons.
Bar and Bat Mitzvah
In Jewish tradition a boy becomes a Bar Mitzvah at 13, and a girl becomes a Bat Mitzvah at 12 or 13, depending on the community. The words mean "son" and "daughter of the commandment". From this age they are responsible for keeping the mitzvot themselves, and for their own actions. Their parents are no longer responsible for what they do.
Notice that a Jew becomes a Bar or Bat Mitzvah automatically on reaching the age. The ceremony and party only mark it. A Bar Mitzvah boy is traditionally called up to read from the Torah (an aliyah), often reading the weekly portion or the haftarah, and many give a short talk about what they have learned.
📚 Preparation
Young people spend months studying. They learn to read Hebrew, to chant the Torah reading with its traditional tune, and what the mitzvot mean. Rabbis and cantors often help with this. Some families also choose a project to help others.
🎆 Celebration
The service is followed by a celebration. There is usually a kiddush or a meal, and often a party with family and friends. It is a proud moment for the whole family.
What changes afterwards? A Bar Mitzvah boy can be counted in a minyan (and so can a Bat Mitzvah girl in Progressive and Masorti communities) and, in Orthodox communities, begins to wear tefillin. Both boys and girls are now expected to take religious responsibility, such as fasting on Yom Kippur, keeping Shabbat and following the mitzvot as they understand them.
Different attitudes within Judaism
Jews do not all mark these rites in the same way.
📖 Orthodox
Orthodox Jews see Brit Milah as a commandment from the Torah that must be kept. Boys read the Torah at Bar Mitzvah in the main service. Girls do not read from the Torah in the men's service, so a Bat Mitzvah or Bat Chayil ("daughter of valour") is marked in other ways, such as a speech or study session, a women-only gathering or a party. Orthodox Jews value the ceremony, but stress that the age itself makes someone responsible.
✨ Progressive and Masorti
Progressive (Reform and Liberal) and Masorti synagogues treat boys and girls equally. A Bat Mitzvah girl reads from the Torah, leads parts of the service and gives a talk, just as a boy does. Most Progressive and Masorti families also keep Brit Milah, though Progressive Jews stress personal choice more.
Some Jews who do not practise their faith strictly still keep these rites, because they see them as a link to the family and to Jewish identity. Others believe the party has grown too big and that the real meaning, becoming responsible, should matter most.
Why do these rites matter today?
- They show that every child belongs to the covenant and the community.
- They link Jews to Abraham and to their ancestors across thousands of years.
- They bring families and the community together.
- They mark the point where a young person takes on responsibility for living as a Jew.
Exam-style question
Paper 2, Section 3 (Worship and practice)
(a) Outline two features of a Brit Milah ceremony. [4 marks, AO1]
(b) Explain why Bar Mitzvah and Bat Mitzvah are important for Jews. [6 marks, AO1 and AO2]
(c) "A Bat Mitzvah should be marked in exactly the same way as a Bar Mitzvah." Discuss this statement, considering the arguments for and against. In your answer you should include: reference to teachings; other (divergent) points of view within Judaism; your opinion or point of view using reasoned arguments. [10 marks, AO1 and AO2]
Model answer
(a) One feature is that a mohel carries out the circumcision on the eighth day (1), because the mohel is trained in Jewish law and in the operation (1). A second is that the baby is given his Hebrew name at the ceremony (1), which he will use in the synagogue for the rest of his life (1).
(b) Bar and Bat Mitzvah are important because they mark the point at which a young Jew becomes responsible for keeping the mitzvot (1). Before this age the parents are responsible, but now the young person is answerable for their own actions (1). The ceremony is important because the boy, or in Progressive and Masorti communities the girl, is called up to read from the Torah, which shows they are now full members of the community (1). The preparation, such as learning Hebrew and the meaning of the mitzvot, strengthens their knowledge of Judaism (1). It is also important for the family and community, who celebrate together and see the next generation take its place (1). Finally, it links the young person to Jewish history and the covenant, so that they keep the faith alive (1).
(c) Plan. For: boys and girls are both responsible for the mitzvot at this age, so both deserve the same recognition; Progressive and Masorti Jews believe men and women are of equal worth and let girls read the Torah. Against: Orthodox Jews follow Halakhah, which keeps the Torah reading and the minyan to men, so they mark a Bat Chayil in a different way, which they feel respects women's role; tradition is important to many Jews. Conclusion: a Bat Mitzvah should mark the same responsibility but the form depends on a community's reading of Jewish law, so "exactly the same" is too strong, although I think equal importance matters more than identical form.
Exam tip
In part (b), do not just describe what happens at a Bar or Bat Mitzvah. For every point say why it matters to Jews, using the words "because" or "this shows".