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The women's prayer service is becoming the choice venue for a bat mitzvah in Orthodox synagogues that value egalitarianism and learning.

A Jewish-lesbian-grandmother-feminist-activist shares her story.

As girls have become the educational equals of boys in Orthodox Judaism, rabbis need to explore halakhah to create a normative bat mitzvah ceremony.

Originally bar mitzvah meant simply "coming of age." The ceremony developed much later.

For converted children, bar/bat mitzvah is a time for affirming their connections with Judaism.

Mitzvah projects are often part of the bar/bat mitzvah observance .

Divorced parents must rise above their own differences and make the day special for the child.

Practical aspects of bar bat mitzvah

Creating a tallit (prayer shawl) or designing a bar/bat mitzvah invitation can add a meaningful personal dimension to the celebration.

For a traditional family, the appropriate date for a bar/bat mitzvah is the Shabbat on or following the child's birthday, but for a liberal family, selecting a date can be more complicated.

Confirmation changed the requirements for Jewish "adulthood" by moving the focus from religious practice to doctrine.

Who we invite to a simcha (celebration) reflects our sense of family identity.