Definition

1. Noun:

   • (Judaism) A ceremony marking a Jewish boy's 13th birthday, signifying his transition to religious adulthood and responsibility. This term refers to the religious rite of passage itself.
   • The boy who is undergoing or has undergone this ceremony. The term can also refer to the individual.

2. Verb:

   • To confirm or initiate a boy as a bar mitzvah in the religious ceremony. This means to perform the ritual that confers this status upon him.

Examples of Usage

• Noun (Ceremony):

  • The entire family flew in for his bar mitzvah.
  • Planning a bar mitzvah involves both religious and social preparations.

• Noun (The Boy):

  • The bar mitzvah recited his portion from the Torah flawlessly.
  • As a bar mitzvah, he is now counted in the minyan.

• Verb:

  • He was bar mitzvahed in a beautiful ceremony at the synagogue.
  • They will bar mitzvah their son next spring.

Advanced Usage

• The term is often used attributively (as a noun modifier) to describe related events or items.
  • We attended the bar mitzvah party.
  • He received many bar mitzvah gifts.

Variants and Related Words

• Bat Mitzvah (noun): The equivalent ceremony and status for a Jewish girl, typically at age 12 or 13.
• Bar Mitzvah (adjective): Used to describe something pertaining to the ceremony (e.g., , ).

Synonyms

• Initiation ceremony (for the noun sense of the event).
• Coming-of-age ceremony (a more general term).

Related Phrases

• To become a bar mitzvah: This phrase describes the boy's transition in status, often used even when the verb form is not.
  • He will become a bar mitzvah on his thirteenth birthday.

Noun

1. (Judaism) an initiation ceremony marking the 13th birthday of a Jewish boy and signifying the beginning of religious responsibility
   • a bar mitzvah is an important social event

Verb

1. confirm in the bar mitzvah ceremony, of boys in the Jewish faith