Lesson video

Hi, I'm Mrs. Afshan.

And welcome to today's lesson, where we explore a very important question.

How do communities mark growing up? We'll be focusing on the Jewish faith and two important ceremonies called bar mitzvah and bat mitzvah.

By the end of today's lesson, you'll be able to explain how Jewish boys and girls celebrate becoming adults in their community.

The lesson is called Bat Mitzvah and Bar Mitzvah, from the unit Rites of Passage: How Do Communities Mark Growing Up? The outcome of today's lesson is I can describe how Jews celebrate becoming an adult with the bar or bat mitzvah.

Before we start our lesson, let's make sure you understand some of the keywords that you will hear a lot in today's lesson.

The words are bar mitzvah, bat mitzvah, adulthood, ceremony.

Let's look at their definitions.

The first word, or the phrase, is bar mitzvah, which is a special ceremony for Jewish boys when they turn 13 and become responsible like adults.

The next one is bat mitzvah, a special ceremony for Jewish girls when they turn 12 and become responsible like adults.

Adulthood, when a child becomes a grownup and can make important choices.

And finally, ceremony, a special celebration to mark an important moment.

Today's lesson has two cycles in which we would look at what happens at age 13 for Jewish boys first.

Let's get started.

We have Alex who explains how we use social science in Religious education.

He says, "Social scientists are interested in how people live and how their actions, including the ways they celebrate important events, are shaped by their context.

We can better understand people's worldview by looking at photographs or analysing data.

We can also survey or interview people to find out how they see and experience the world." In this lesson, we will learn how Jews celebrate important life events through the bar and bat mitzvah ceremonies, helping us understand Jewish traditions and worldviews.

Let's join Lucas and Sam, who wants to learn how Jews mark becoming adults with a ceremony.

They start thinking about some questions that social scientists might ask.

Lucas asks, "How do Jews mark when a young person becomes an adult?" And Sam is thinking, "How do Jews celebrate this special transition to adulthood?" Sam and Lucas are talking to Mahsa, who has a Jewish worldview, to find out a little bit more about the ceremonies marking entering the adulthood.

They ask, "For Christians, confirmation and believer's baptism bring new responsibilities of adulthood in their faith.

Do Jews mark this transition?" Mahsa replies, "Yes, Jews traditionally mark the transition to adulthood for boys with a ceremony when they are 13.

They are welcomed as a responsible member of the Jewish community." She explains a little bit more and says, "In the Jewish worldview, when a boy turns 13, it is a very special time.

It means they're old enough to take on new responsibilities and follow Jewish traditions and rules like an adult.

This is called a bar mitzvah." Time for a check.

Which Jewish ceremony marks the transition to adulthood for a boy? Is it Hanukkah, or brit milah ceremony, or bar mitzvah? What do you think? That's correct.

Bar mitzvah is the ceremony that marks the transition to adulthood for a boy.

You got that right.

Lucas and Sam are now talking to Daniel next, who is a Progressive Jew.

"Is a bar mitzvah celebrated at your Progressive synagogue," they ask Daniel.

Daniel replies and says, "Yes.

In Progressive synagogues, boys have a bar mitzvah when they turn 13.

This means they are growing up in their Jewish faith and are ready to take on more responsibilities." Daniel continues to explain, and he says, "These ceremonies usually take place in the synagogue, a Jewish place of worship and meeting place.

Some parts of the celebration, like a meal or party, might happen at home or in a community hall.

I did a shorter Torah reading with help from the Rabbi, who's the teacher.

Boys and girls sat together, and everyone was included in the celebration." Time for another check.

What does turning 13 mean for a Jewish boy? Is it that he enters adulthood and becomes a bar mitzvah, or he starts a new job, or is it that he becomes a bat mitzvah? What do you think? That's correct.

He enters adulthood and becomes a bar mitzvah.

Well done.

Lucas and Sam are now talking to Rafi, who is an Orthodox Jew from London.

They wanted to find out if Rafi had his bar mitzvah at his synagogue.

Rafi replies and says, "Yes, I had my bar mitzvah when I was 13 years old.

It was at my Orthodox synagogue in London." Let's find out a little bit more about Rafi's bar mitzvah.

Rafi read from the Torah for the first time publicly during his bar mitzvah.

And he explains about his bar mitzvah ceremony a little bit more in detail.

He says, "At my bar mitzvah, I read a section from the Torah in Hebrew and took part in the service.

It was very traditional.

In our synagogue, which is an orthodox synagogue, boys and girls sit separately during the service.

Turning 13 meant I was stepping into Jewish adulthood and taking responsibility for following the rules of my religion.

It was a very important and proud moment for me." Time for another check.

All Jews celebrate bar mitzvah ceremonies in the same way.

True or false? What do you think? False, because we've just met Daniel, Rafi, who talked about their bar mitzvah in their own synagogues.

So we know that different Jews, like Orthodox and Reform, celebrate these ceremonies differently.

Well done if you chose false as your answer.

Time for your task.

Which explanation do you think is correct and why? We've got Izzy, Andeep, and Laura with some explanations here.

"A bar mitzvah is exactly the same for all Jewish boys around the world," says Izzy.

"Only Orthodox Jewish boys have a bar mitzvah because of their traditions," says Andeep.

"Jewish boys have a bar mitzvah when they turn 13, but different Jewish communities celebrate it in different ways," says Laura.

Whose explanation is correct and why? You can pause the video now and come back when you're ready with your explanation.

Let's check your answer.

Laura's explanation is correct.

Let's see how we can explain that.

A bar mitzvah is a special ceremony for Jewish boys when they turn 13 years old.

It means they're now old enough to take responsibility for following Jewish rules and traditions.

Jewish families all over the world have bar mitzvahs, but the way they celebrate can be different.

Some families have big parties at a community hall and some do special things in the synagogue.

It depends on the family traditions and the kind of Jewish group they belong to.

Well done if you chose Laura and explained why her explanation is correct.

Great work.

We now know what happens at age 13 for Jewish boys.

Let's now go and find out how do Jewish girls celebrate becoming adults.

When Jewish girls reach the age of 12, they have a ceremony called bat mitzvah, which marks their transition to adulthood.

Lucas and Sam are now curious to learn more about this.

They want to talk to Jewish people to understand how these celebrations shape their beliefs and world views.

They ask some of the questions.

Lucas asks, "Is the bat mitzvah ceremony the same for all Jewish girls?" Sam wonders how is a bat mitzvah celebrated differently across Jewish traditions.

Let's join them and find out.

Lucas and Sam are talking with Victoria, who is an Orthodox Jew and has a Jewish worldview.

They ask, "Is the bat mitzvah ceremony the same for all Jewish girls?" To which Victoria replies, "No, not all Jewish people have the same ceremony.

It can be different depending on where they live and their community." She explains a little bit more and says, "For my bat mitzvah, I learned prayers and about the Torah, but I didn't read from it during my ceremony.

In Orthodox communities, girls don't read publicly from the Torah, but they prepare a speech on the weekly Torah chapter or other Jewish topics.

I worked hard on mine and I'm really proud of it.

Our celebrations are usually more private, with close family and friends at home or in the synagogue.

Becoming bat mitzvah means I'm now a responsible Jewish adult." Let's see if you got that.

What does becoming a bat mitzvah mean to many Jewish girls? Is it that they're now responsible for following Jewish laws and traditions, or they no longer have to attend synagogue, or is it that they become a rabbi? What do you think? That's correct.

They're now responsible for following Jewish laws and traditions.

Well done for choosing that as your answer.

Next, Lucas and Sam talk with Rebecca, a progressive Jew who explains her Jewish worldview.

"Rebecca, how is the bat mitzvah celebrated in your Progressive community," they ask.

She replies and says how the bat mitzvah is a big celebration in a Progressive community, just like the bar mitzvah.

She talks a little bit about her bat mitzvah and says when she had her bat mitzvah, she read from the Torah and led prayers during the service.

It was a big celebration with her family and friends.

That day, she marked taking on new responsibilities as a Jewish adult.

After the ceremony, they had a party to celebrate, and they also raised funds for a charity.

Rebecca chose this as part of her celebration.

Let's see if you got that.

All Jewish girls have the same kind of bat mitzvah celebration.

True or false? What do you think? False, because different Jewish families celebrate bat mitzvah in different ways.

Reform Jewish people or Progressive Jews have girls read from the Torah.

Orthodox Jews usually celebrate with a speech or party instead.

Well done for choosing false as you answer.

Lucas and Sam are now talking to Victoria again to find out if bat mitzvah is celebrated differently in Orthodox and Progressive communities.

Victoria replies, "Bat mitzvah is celebrated differently in different Jewish traditions.

Even within the Orthodox community, there are variations.

However, all see it as a way of marking a Jewish girl becoming an adult.

Let's look at some of the differences between how girls celebrate becoming an adult in an Orthodox and Progressive communities.

In Orthodox communities, girls usually do not read from the Torah during the service.

However, in Progressive communities, girls often read from the Torah publicly.

Girls may give a short talk on the Torah portion about what they have learned from it in an Orthodox community.

In Progressive communities, girls may lead prayers and read from the Torah.

Ceremonies can include parties, fundraising, and synagogue ceremonies in an Orthodox community.

In Progressive communities, ceremonies can include parties, fundraising, and synagogue ceremonies too.

Celebrations are usually simple and separate for boys and girls in an Orthodox community.

Celebrations are often big and for everyone together in the Progressive community.

Time for another check.

What do bat mitzvahs in both Orthodox and Progressive communities have in common? Is it that both happen at age 10, or both mean the child stops praying, or is it that both mark a Jewish girl becoming an adult? What do you think? That's correct.

Both mark a Jewish girl becoming an adult.

That's the correct answer.

Well done.

Time for your next task.

Jun says, "Bat mitzvah is celebrated in different ways depending on the Jewish tradition." Can you help Jun understand the similarities and differences between Orthodox and Progressive bat mitzvahs? You can use the Venn diagram to write, using these questions to help you.

What is true only for Orthodox communities? And what is true only for progressive communities? Then you can also answer what is true for both.

You can post the video now and come back when you're ready with your answers.

Let's check your answers, where you have used a Venn diagram to show what is similar and different about celebrating becoming an adult in a Jewish Orthodox and Progressive communities.

In Orthodox communities, girls may give a talk on the Torah portion to the community.

Celebrations are simple and separate for boys and girls.

It may include a speech.

In the Progressive communities, girls often read from the Torah publicly.

Celebrations are often big and for everyone together.

Now let's look at the similarities.

Both communities mark a Jewish girl becoming an adult.

Celebrations include parties, fundraising, and synagogue ceremonies.

Well done if you included all that in your answer.

Great work.

So what have we learned today? We've learned that Jews mark becoming an adult with a ritual or ceremony.

Boys have a bar mitzvah at 13.

Girls have a bat mitzvah at 12.

They become responsible for living according to Jewish rules.

Orthodox, and Reform, or Progressive Jews have different customs. Some are more traditional, others more modern in how these ceremonies take place.

The ceremonies often happen in a synagogue.

There may be Torah reading as part of a service and often have a party afterwards.

They help young people feel part of their faith.

They also show how beliefs shape lives.

Great work today.

You've learned how Jewish communities mark a major change and how different communities and traditions shape those celebrations.

This is the end of today's lesson.

And I will see you in our next lesson.

Bye.