Lesson video

Hello, my name is Mr. Robertson.

I love RE and I am so delighted to be with you today.

We are gonna have a fantastic time learning together to discover more about different worldviews.

In this lesson, we are going to be continuing with our big question, Rites of passage: How do communities mark growing up? And we're going to be looking at Bat Mitzvah and Bar Mitzvah today.

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to describe how Jewish children prepare for a Bar or Bat Mitzvah and explain how it marks the step into Jewish adulthood.

We have four keywords in our lesson today.

I'll say the keyword first and then I'd like you to repeat it back to me.

So our first key word is synagogue.

Fantastic.

Our second word is tradition.

Amazing.

Our third keyword is prayer.

Brilliant.

And our fourth keyword is responsibility.

Amazing.

Let's find out what those words mean, shall we? So synagogue is the Jewish place of meeting and worship where people pray and learn.

Tradition is a continuing pattern of cultural beliefs and practises.

Prayer is the practise of praying to God or an object of worship.

And responsibility are jobs or rules someone has to follow.

We'll be using those keywords throughout our lesson today.

So our lesson on Bat Mitzvah and Bar Mitzvah today comes in two parts.

In the first part of the lesson, we're going to be asking this question: How do you prepare for a Bar or Bat Mitzvah? We're gonna start by thinking about the context of this lesson.

Sam and Aisha are discussing how we use the tools of social science in Religious Education.

Sam says, "Social scientists are interested in how people live and different factors affect them." Aisha says, "We can understand different worldviews by looking at photographs or analysing data.

We can also survey or interview people to find out more.

! So this lesson is using a social science tool to try and think through how we're going to answer this question.

And in this lesson, we're going to examine data on who has a Bar and Bat Mitzvah and interview different Jews to see how they prepare for the ceremony.

Sofia and Alex want to learn more about Bar and Bat Mitzvah.

They think of some questions a social scientist might ask.

"I wonder if all Jewish boys and girls have a Bar and Bat Mitzvah," says Sofia.

Alex says, "I wonder if all Jewish children prepare in the same or in different ways?" I wonder what tools they could use to answer these questions.

How would they find out if all Jewish boys and girls have a Bar or Bat Mitzvah and how would they find out if they prepare in same or different ways? You might want to talk to the person next to you or pause the video and have a think about this.

Let's start by looking at some data.

Data is really useful because it collects information and that allows us to find out a little bit more about what people do.

This data is from a survey in 2024, and it asked British Jews a question.

It asked how many Jewish boys had had a Bar Mitzvah? So this is a really useful piece of information 'cause it's gonna help us understand that question about how many Jewish boys do have a Bar Mitzvah? What do you notice? Let's look.

83% said they had a Bar Mitzvah, 17% did not have a Bar Mitzvah.

Again, you might want to pause the video here and talk to people next to you or have a think for yourself.

Here are two statistics, two pieces of data.

What do we notice about how many Jewish boys had a Bar Mitzvah? Well, the whole circle adds up to 100.

And if it was a 100%, all Jewish boys would have a Bar Mitzvah.

This data tells us that 83% had a Bar Mitzvah and 17% did not.

So the data tells us that most Jewish boys have had a Bar Mitzvah because 83% is a big total.

We can see that dark purple goes round.

It nearly fills the whole circle.

But it's not all Jewish boys because 17% did not have a Bar Mitzvah, but most Jewish boys do.

Let's just check our understanding of that data.

I've got a true or false statement for you here.

Most Jewish boys do not have a Bar Mitzvah.

Is that true or false? Think about the data we were just looking at and what it was telling us.

Pause the video and have a think.

Excellent.

It's false, isn't it? But why is it false? Because the data showed that 83% of Jewish boys had a Bar Mitzvah, that's most Jewish boys.

Sofia and Alex are discussing the data we just looked at about Bar Mitzvah.

Sofia says, "So most Jewish boys have a Bar Mitzvah.

I wonder if most Jewish girls have a Bat Mitzvah?" A Bat Mitzvah is a coming of age ceremony for Jewish girls.

Alex says, "Let's look and see if the data can help us." What is your prediction? So we know that most Jewish boys had a Bar Mitzvah.

What do we think about the idea of a Bat Mitzvah? Do we think it'll be the same as the figures for the Bat Mitzvah or do we think it might be different? Let's find out.

Again, we're using the survey data from 2024.

This is what the results showed.

44% had a Bat Mitzvah, 56% did not have a Bat Mitzvah.

What do we notice this time? Remember, the dark purple is having a Bat Mitzvah.

If it was all dark purple, all Jewish girls would've had a Bat Mitzvah.

Again.

You might want to pause the video and think about this question.

It's interesting, isn't it? The data tells us that 44% of British Jewish girls had a Bat Mitzvah.

This means that most Jewish girls have not had a Bat Mitzvah.

So it's a different story to the boys, isn't it? 83% of Jewish boys had a Bar Mitzvah, but only 44% of Jewish girls had a Bat Mitzvah.

Let's check our understanding here.

All Jewish girls have a Bat Mitzvah.

Is that true or false? Think about the data we were just looking at.

You might want to pause the video and have a think.

Excellent if you thought that it's false, isn't it? But why is it false? Well, if you remember, the data showed us that 44% of Jewish girls had a Bat Mitzvah, but most Jewish girls do not.

44% is less than half, which would be 50.

Well done if you got that right.

So that data was really, really interesting, wasn't it? But data is just data.

It doesn't tell us any information about why.

So to do that, we need to talk to some real people, and Sofia and Alex are going to interview some people to find out a little bit more about that data.

They're gonna start by talking to Sherri, who has a Jewish worldview.

Sofia and Alex say, "Have girls always had a Bat Mitzvah? Is the number changing?" Good question, Sofia and Alex.

Sherri says, "More and more Jewish girls are having a Bat Mitzvah.

40 years ago, nearly all girls did not have one.

It's changing rapidly." So actually, although the data shows that only 44% of Jewish girls have a Bat Mitzvah, actually this is changing.

And 40 years ago, hardly anybody did.

So more and more girls are choosing to have a Bat Mitzvah nowadays.

Next, Sofia and Alex, talk to Rafi, who's an orthodox Jew from London.

"Rafi, you chose to have a Bar Mitzvah.

What did you have to do to prepare for it?" Rafi says, "Before my Bar Mitzvah, I learned how to read from the Torah by practising a special way of reciting the words.

And now I can do it myself." Hmm, that's really interesting, Rafi.

So one of the things he did to prepare for it was to learn to read from the Torah, which is the Jewish sacred text.

Rafi is going to talk a little bit more about the preparation he did.

He says, "I also practised leading prayers in the synagogue, which helped me feel more confident to do it on the day of my Bar Mitzvah.

As part of my preparation, I had to complete a mitzvah project.

I had to do more mitzvot or 'good deeds,' like helping others.

Getting ready for my Bar Mitzvah has taught me how to be more responsible." So let's just think about this.

Before his Bar Mitzvah, what did Rafi learn to do? Was it A: how to cook a big meal for his family, B: how to play musical instruments, C: how to read from the Torah by reciting the words? Think back to what Rafi just told us.

Is it A, B or C? You might want to pause the video and have a think.

Excellent.

It's C, isn't it? One of the things Rafi had to do to prepare was to read from the Torah by reciting the words.

He also did a project looking at mitzvah or good deeds, didn't he? Helping others.

But that wasn't one of the options here.

Sofia and Alex are now talking with Victoria and she's Orthodox due from London and has a Jewish worldview as well.

Sofia and Alex say, "Do girls have the same preparation for their Bat Mitzvah as boys have for Bar Mitzvah?" What a really interesting question.

'cause we want to see if people are similar or different, don't we? Victoria says, "Yes, girls often learn to read from the Torah, study mitzvot, 'good deeds,' and learn special prayers just like boys.

But they usually don't lead the Torah reading in my synagogue." So that's interesting.

So there's something which are the same and something which is different.

Victoria's going to explain a bit more.

She says, "Before the Bat Mitzvah, girls focus on learning the Torah and mitzvot in ways that help them lead a good Jewish life according to our traditions.

For my Bat Mitzvah, I learned many special prayers, studied stories from the Torah, and worked on doing mitzvah, like helping others and honouring my parents.

I also prepared a speech and practised the blessings and songs we say on Shabbat and other Jewish festivals.

It was very meaningful to get ready in this way as it helped me understand my responsibility." Okay, so Victoria's told us a lot of information about what she did to prepare.

Let's just check our understanding.

When preparing for a Bat Mitzvah, what is one thing girls usually do not do in Orthodox Jewish tradition? So we're looking for something Jewish girls do not do here.

A: learn to chant their Torah portion.

B: lead the Torah reading in synagogue.

C: practise Hebrew prayers.

Which one of those do they not do? Pause the video and have a think.

Excellent.

It's B, isn't it? It's the actual reading of the Torah in the front of the synagogue is something that girls do usually not do.

Well done if you got that right.

Sofia and Alex want to find out a little bit more.

They're asking Sherri again.

They say, "Do all Jewish boys and girls get ready in the same way for their Bar or Bat Mitzvah.

Sherri says, "No, not all Jewish boys and girls get ready in the same way.

Different traditions have different ways to prepare and celebrate, but they all try to learn about mitzvot, 'good deeds' and becoming responsible." So a practise task for you now.

Izzy's asking Andeep a question, "Do all Jews have a Bar or Bat Mitzvah?" Andeep's asking, "Do all Jews prepare in the same way?" I wonder if we could help Izzy and Andeep with this question.

I wonder if we could use the data to help us answer the question from Izzy about do all Jews have a Bar or Bat Mitzvah? Can you remember what some of that data said? We probably want to think about boys and girls and it being different and then about preparing.

Can you remember what Victoria and Rafi said about preparing? You might want to use some examples of different things that Jews do to prepare for their Bar or Bat Mitzvah.

Okay? I'm really excited about what you are going to be coming up with here.

Pause the video and we'll get back together soon.

Wow, what a lot of amazingly hard work you've been doing.

I wonder what kind of answers you've come up with.

So you might have said the data shows that nearly all boys had a Bar Mitzvah because 83% of boys showed that in the data.

The data shows that less than half of girls, only 44% had a Bat Mitzvah.

So not all girls have a Bat Mitzvah.

Girls and boys might prepare for their Bar or Bat Mitzvah by learning about mitzvot, which are "good deeds" and rules they're expected to follow as part of Jewish life.

They also practise saying prayers in Hebrew so they can participate in the synagogue services during their ceremony.

Well done if you've got some of those answers correct.

Brilliant thinking, everybody.

The next part of this lesson on Bat Mitzvah and Bar Mitzvah today, asks the question, what changes after a Bar or Bat Mitzvah? Let's go.

So Sofia and Alex now want to learn about how a Bar or Bat Mitzvah shows becoming a Jewish adult with new responsibilities.

Because a Bar or Bat Mitzvah isn't just a one-off ceremony.

It's about a transition.

It's about becoming a Jewish adult.

And so they're asking some questions they're going to put to the case study people that we have met so far.

Sofia says, "What new responsibilities do you have after your Bar or Bat Mitzvah? And Alex says, "How does a Bar or Bat Mitzvah help you to become a Jewish adult?" I think to do this, we need to interview our Jewish people again and find out what they think about this.

So Sofia and Alex are going to talk to Rebecca next, and she is a progressive Jew and she has a Jewish worldview as well.

Sofia and Alex say, "How do people feel after their Bar or Bat Mitzvah? Rebecca says, "Many feel proud because they worked hard to prepare." They did, didn't they? If you think about what Victoria and Rafi were saying about learning a portion of the Torah and doing some good deeds.

"There's also a feeling of excitement because they've reached a new stage in life." So Sofia and Alex asked next, "What you have to do after your Bat Mitzvah?" Rebecca says, "I began to understand that I was now responsible for my own choices.

It was a step toward becoming an adult in the Jewish community." Rebecca shares how she changed after her Bat Mitzvah.

She says, "After my Bat Mitzvah, I understood that I had new responsibilities.

I needed to take my role seriously by learning more about our traditions, participating in prayers and being responsible in how I live my life.

For example, I started leading a part of the community prayer service.

This helped me feel more confident leading prayers at Jewish festivals.

It was a meaningful step toward becoming a responsible member of the Jewish community." I wonder what Rebecca realised after her Bat Mitzvah.

Was it A: she had new responsibilities, B: she no longer needed to study traditions, C: she could skip religious services? Think about what she said.

Which of those answers makes most sense? A, B, or C? Pause the video and have a think.

Excellent.

It's A, isn't it? She realised she had new responsibilities and it also made her want to think a little bit more about the traditions she came from.

Well done if you got that right.

Now we're going to find out from Rafi.

Sofia and Alex say, "Did anything change in your life after your Bar Mitzvah?" Rafi says, "Yes.

My Bar Mitzvah was a big change.

I began acting more grownup and wanted to follow more Jewish rules and traditions." Here are some of the changes he made.

We're going to think about some changes before the Bar Mitzvah and after the Bar Mitzvah.

So before the Bar Mitzvah, he followed what his parents told him.

And after the Bar Mitzvah, he started making more choices for himself.

Before the Bar Mitzvah, he didn't really follow rules himself, but after the Bar Mitzvah, he started to follow more Jewish rules and traditions on his own.

He says, "I went to services but didn't understand much.

After the Bar Mitzvah, I started to understand and be active during our services.

Before the Bar Mitzvah, I didn't feel like part of the grownup community, whereas after the Bar Mitzvah, I felt more like a real member of the Jewish community." So you can see that it was a really important moment for him.

And the after a Bar Mitzvah, Rafi felt a lot more responsible.

He took everything a bit more seriously.

He wants to be more active and involved in services.

Let's think about this question.

What is one a person might feel after a Bar or Bat Mitzvah? A: like they don't need to pray anymore.

B: like they're part of the adult Jewish community.

C: like they are still a little child.

Which of those make sense, thinking about what Rafi has just told us? A, B, or C? Pause the video and have a think.

Excellent.

It's B, isn't it? That now Rafi felt part of the adult Jewish community.

So it's an important transition into becoming an adult Jew.

I want us to think about a task now.

Jacob says, "After a Bar or Bat Mitzvah, a Jewish person begins to take on more responsibilities in their community and religious life." I'd like you to have a go at creating a responsibility list with four responsibilities that someone might begin to take on after their Bar or Bat Mitzvah, based on the case studies.

So you might want to think about what Rafi or Rebecca said, what kind of new things did they do which they didn't do before? And use that to create your responsibility list.

I'm really looking forward to seeing what you come up with.

You might want to go back and reread what they said to help you answer it.

Off you go and I really look forward to catching up with you soon.

Wow, you have been busy, haven't you? And I love what you have created.

I've had to go myself.

You might want to think about some of the things I put on my responsibility list and see if you have any of them as well.

So I put on my responsibility list, that as a Jewish adult after your Bar or Bat Mitzvah, you might make more responsible choices in daily life.

You might participate more actively in synagogue prayers and services.

You might do more mitzvot, "good deeds," like helping others.

You might respect and keep Jewish laws and traditions like Shabbat and other Jewish festivals.

You might have your own list and it would be great to see what you've put down as well.

But I hope you've got the idea about making that transition to a Jewish adult, becoming more responsible and becoming more actively involved in the community.

Well done if your answers look something like this.

So let's sum up what we have learned today.

We have learned that Bat Mitzvahs have become more popular over time.

If you remember, the data showed us that previously, Jewish children, Jewish girls hardly had them.

And now a lot more do.

We've learned that a lot more girls celebrate them than they did in the past.

We've learned that before synagogue ceremonies, children learn to read Hebrew prayers, study the Torah and practise during mitzvot or "good deeds." We've learned that not all Jewish children prepare in the same way.

Boys and girls sometimes do different things depending on their community's traditions.

And we've also learned that after their Bar or Bat Mitzvah, children are expected to follow more Jewish rules, help others, and be part of the responsible grownup community.

I hope this lesson has helped you understand Bar and Bat Mitzvah a bit deeper, and I hope you've been interested in how it might look different, whether you are a boy or a girl or the sort of Jew that you are.

I've really enjoyed learning with you and I hope I will see you in another lesson soon.

Thanks very much indeed.