What is the Jewish coming-of-age ceremony for a girl traditionally called?

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The Jewish coming-of-age ceremony for a girl is traditionally called a bat mitzvah.

The Hebrew phrase bat mitzvah means “daughter of commandment.” It describes both the girl who reaches the relevant age of Jewish legal responsibility and, in modern usage, the ceremony or celebration marking that milestone. The corresponding term for a boy is bar mitzvah, meaning “son of commandment.”

In traditional Jewish law, a girl generally becomes responsible for religious obligations at age 12, while a boy generally does so at age 13. Customs for marking the occasion vary widely. A bat mitzvah may include leading parts of a synagogue service, reading from the Torah or Haftarah, delivering a speech, and participating in communal study.

The modern bat mitzvah ceremony developed later than the bar mitzvah in many communities, with early formal ceremonies appearing in the 19th and 20th centuries. Practices differ among Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, and other Jewish movements.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Sept. 2026

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