Abstract:

In the Jewish religion, a bar or bat mitzvah ceremony is the rite of passage from childhood towards adulthood. Twenty-one youngsters who attended two special education schools in Israel participated in group bar/bat mitzvah ceremonies. Parents were interviewed both before the learning process and after the ceremony. Findings showed that the bar/bat mitzvah experience was a positive multidimensional one. Dimensions identified were bar/bat mitzvah as a transition, a normative, and a religious experience; an event leading to a sense of connectedness; an opportunity for the en- hancement of self-image; and a peak life experience.

Author(s): Gila Vogel and Shunit Reiter

Journal: Mental Retardation

Date: 2004

Volume: 42

Issue: 4

Pages: 294-303

DOI:

Databased: Yes

Disabilities: Developmental Disability

Categories: Families