Editing Bar and bat mitzvah (section)

== Significance ==
Reaching the age of bar or bat mitzvah signifies becoming a full-fledged member of the Jewish community with the responsibilities that come with it. These include [[moral]] responsibility for one's own actions; eligibility to be called to read from the [[Torah]] and lead or participate in a [[minyan]]; the right to possess personal property and to [[Jewish views on marriage|legally marry on one's own according to Jewish law]]; the duty to follow the [[613 Mitzvot|613 laws]] of the Torah and keep the [[halakha]]; and the capacity to testify as a witness in a [[beth din]] (rabbinical court) case.
[[File:Torah Reading Sephardic custom.jpg|thumb|left|Reading from the [[Torah]] (Sephardi custom)]]
Many congregations require pre-bar mitzvah children to attend a minimum number of Shabbat prayer services at the synagogue, study at a [[Hebrew school]], take on a charity or community service project and maintain membership in good standing with the synagogue. In addition to study and preparation offered through the [[synagogue]] and Hebrew schools, bar mitzvah tutors may be hired to prepare the child through the study of Hebrew, Torah cantillation and basic Jewish concepts.{{citation needed|date=May 2022}}

According to Rabbi Mark Washofsky, "The Reform Movement in North America has struggled over the bar/bat mitzvah. At one time, this ceremony was on the verge of extinction in Reform congregations. Most of them preferred to replace bar/bat mitzvah with confirmation, which they considered a more enlightened and appropriate ceremony for modern Jews. Yet the enduring popularity of bar/bat mitzvah prevailed and today, in our communities, bar/bat mitzvah is 'virtually universally observed' by Reform Jews."<ref>{{cite book|last=Washofsky|first=Mark|title=Jewish Living: A Guide to Contemporary Reform Practice|year=2001|publisher=UAHC Press|isbn=978-0-8074-0702-8}}</ref>

In 2012, concern about the high post-bar/bat mitzvah drop-out rate led the [[Union for Reform Judaism]] to launch the B'nai Mitzvah Revolution, an effort to shift Reform congregations away from "the long-held assumption that religious school is about preparing kids for their bar/bat mitzvah" and focus instead on teaching them how to become committed and involved members of the Jewish community.<ref name=reform2012>[http://reformjudaismmag.org ''Reform Judaism'' magazine], Winter 2012.</ref>