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That translated Bar / Batmitzvah means “son” (bar) or “daughter” (bat) of the Commandments
The Bar/Bat Mitzvah is recognized as the coming of age ceremony wherein boys and girls enter adulthood in the Jewish Community.
After their bar and bat mitzvah's, boys and girls can now be counted in a Minyan and are personally responsible for religious obligations.
Traditionally, the ages for Bar/Bat Mitzvah are 13 for boys and 12 for girls (recognizing girls' faster maturation), although many people
perform the Bat Mitzvah ceremony at age 13.
The Bar/Bat Mitzvah ceremony usually takes place on the first Shabbat after the appropriate birthday.
Traditionally, the Bar/Bat Mitzvah is not only called to the Torah for an aliyah, but also to recite part of the Torah portion or the Haftorah
for the week or to lead part, or all of the prayer service. The Bar/Bat Mitzvah ceremony has become a rite of passage for many boys and
girls, linking the event to the giving of gifts and a festive party after the ceremony to congratulate the Bar/Bat Mitzvah for their accomplishment.
There is no written or oral command that a Bar/Bat Mitzvah ceremony should take place, or for that matter that the Bar/Bat Mitzvah even
say the prayers before a Torah reading. In fact, a boy or girl becomes Bar/Bat Mitzvah whether they are in synagogue or at home in bed,
just as long as they attain the proper age. The initiation of a child to the observance of the commandments is a modern day ritual.
However, two commandments have been associated with the Bar/Bat Mitzvah - donning Tefillin and being called to the Torah for an Aliyah.
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