Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!yale-com!scott
From: scott@yale-com.UUCP (Walter Scott)
Newsgroups: net.religion.jewish
Subject: Re: Bat Mitzvahs
Message-ID: <3005@yale-com.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 25-Feb-84 16:04:55 EST
Article-I.D.: yale-com.3005
Posted: Sat Feb 25 16:04:55 1984
Date-Received: Sun, 26-Feb-84 01:35:06 EST
Lines: 17


Bat Mitzvah's at 13 in the US? That's not necessarily true; I personally
have never been to or heard of a synagogue which gave Bat Mitzvah's at any
age but 12, though I can imagine a Reform congregation changing something
like that for the sake of "equality."

The reasoning I always heard for giving Bat Mitzvahs at 12 instead of 13 was
that the Bar / Bat Mitzvah represents a coming of age and a passing into
adulthood, and since girls mature earlier than boys, they should have
the ceremony earlier.  Nothing "sexist" about it, just a recognition of
real biological differences between girls and boys.
--

Reaching out through the void of netland...
                                                 Walter Scott
                                                 Yale University
                                                 decvax!yale-com!scott