This book explores the the Bar Mitzvah of Eric Kimmel, a well-known storyteller for children's literature. It goes into detail about the ceremony, customs, and practices of Bar Mitzvah, and the religion of Judaism in general.

I enjoy Eric Kimmel's books a lot especially doing an author's study on him. I learn a lot about how Bar Mitzvah planted a seed in his life as a Jewish storyteller and it's a great inspiration for him to write all sorts of folklore especially Jewish folklore. Additionally, I learn some general facts about Judaism and their customs and practices. I enjoy reading this nonfiction book about his life as a Jewish boy. This is a good book for those that are of Jewish background or just those that want to learn what a Bar Mitzvah is. ( )

Bar Mitzvah : A Jewish Boy’s Coming of Age by Eric A. Kimmel is a worthwhile book for learning more about the ceremony and Judaism in general. I think it belongs in a synagogue library, especially one used primarily by a religious school.

The book provides a good basic description of Judaism for non-Jewish or less observant guests at a Bar Mitzvah ceremony. It is also great for the Bar Mitzvah boy himself. I especially like the two or three page recollections of the event by a variety of men, including Mr. Kimmel and his father (?).

I learned some things: “As if to emphasize the idea of thirteen as a special age, medieval legend tells us that many important biblical figures began fulfilling their destinies when they reached the age of thirteen. Abraham rejected idol worship when he was thirteen years old. At thirteen, Jacob received the blessing of the firstborn from his father, Isaac. Jacob’s son, Joseph, was sold into slavery in Egypt when he was thirteen. Thirteen-year-old David slew the Philistine giant, Goliath. Solomon, David’s son, became king of Israel when he was thirteen years old.” [p. 11] Not only do these commentaries put a new spin on the behavior of these men, but Dr. Kimmel finds a different way to describe being thirteen for each of them. Jacob seems less culpable if he has only recently become responsible for his actions and is used to trusting what his parents, especially his mother, tell him.

Another thing I hadn’t considered: “The practice of reading from the Torah goes back to at least the fourth century B.C.E., when the priest Ezra led the exiles back to Israel from Babylon. Reading a religious book aloud was a revolutionary idea for its time. The priests of other religions jealously guarded their sacred texts. Only priests or those studying to be priests could read them.” [p. 66] The Jewish approach to reading the Bible is in the middle of the extremes of limiting access to texts and believing everyone can understand the text just by sitting down and reading it. ( )

NO OF PAGES: 143 SUB CAT I: Jewish Customs SUB CAT II: Bar/Bat Mitzvah SUB CAT III: DESCRIPTION: Why does the bar mitzvah happen at age thirteen? Where did the elaborate rituals come from and how are they relevant today? What does it feel like to experience a bar mitzvah? Noted author and storyteller Eric Kimmel answers these questions and more, providing historical background, explanations of rituals, and real-life bar mitzvah stories. "This is a book for every pre-bar mitzvah boy [and] for anyone who wants to learn about the beliefs, philosophies, and history of the religion."NOTES: Purchased from "The Book Market" discount books. SUBTITLE: A Jewish Boy's Coming of Age

Bar mitzvah