Today I Am a Woman: Stories of Bat Mitzvah around the World

About this book

Recollections of the first bat mitzvah at the only synagogue in Indonesia a poignant bat mitzvah memory of World War II Italy and an American bat mitzvah shared with girls in a Ukrainian orphanagethese are a few of the resonant testimonies about the transition from Jewish girl to Jewish woman collected in Today I Am a Woman. Introduced by brief biographical notes and descriptions of Jewish communities around the world these stories reveal how Judaism defines this important rite of passage in a girls life in widely disparate settings. The contributions are from bat mitzvah girls of the past and present their parents communities and religious leaders. Including evocative family photossome recent some from decades pastthis rich compilation is an ideal gift for bat mitzvah celebrants their families and friends.