In Judaism, age 12 traditionally marks a girl’s bat mitzvah and religious majority.
The term bat mitzvah means “daughter of the commandment.” At this age, Jewish law traditionally regards a girl as responsible for her own religious obligations, although customs for celebrating the milestone vary widely among communities.
In many congregations, the ceremony includes participation in a synagogue service, such as reading from the Torah, chanting the Haftarah, leading prayers, or delivering a speech. Not every bat mitzvah follows the same format, because practices differ among Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, Reconstructionist, and other Jewish communities.
A common mix-up is confusing the age of religious majority with the age at which a particular community permits a public ceremony. Some communities celebrate girls at 12, while others use 13 for greater equality between boys and girls. The traditional age in Jewish law, however, is 12.