Talia Goshen
Bar, Bat Mitzvah and Coming of Age Ceremonies
"...(Talia) So the girl finally turns 12, what's so special about that? What's the special achievement of being 12?"
(Lenny) So they tell me they're celebrating puberty... Let me tell you a few facts you didn't know, at the age of 12 you don't become a teenager yet! At most, you can celebrate the first hair in... the armpit...
(Maya) What is the meaning of growing up?
Maybe it's actually when someone is completely responsible for their actions, their livelihood, and is completely independent.
So when does this happen to us? Really at age 12?
(Daria) No, because he is still in the custody of his parents, and therefore it is still not possible to truly say, "Thank goodness we got rid of this one's punishment," as is customary here.
(Shay) Is it at the age of 18?
(Daria) No, because then he goes to the army and is still dependent on the system.
(Shi) Is he 21 when he is released?
(Singing) And what if he doesn't go to the army? Maybe on a trip to the East?
(Peri/Yael) And if we don't go to the East?... Is it at university? And who will pay our tuition? And then a wedding? When does it occur to us that we finish growing up and grow to be whole, independent, part of the adult world?
(Lia) We are now 12 years old, an age that symbolizes the beginning of puberty. Maturity is the ability to respect others and not be absorbed only in your own good, and it is also our right to respect from society.
(Rotem) Growing up is taking responsibility for our words and actions and standing behind our commitments and mistakes. Think about it..."
From a joint Bat Mitzvah ceremony for the girls, the Democratic Open School, Jaffa, with thanks to Rabbi Guy Oren, 2018
Aliyah to the Torah, Bat Mitzvah, Western Wall, Jerusalem 2015
Aliyah to the Torah, Bar Mitzvah, Shas Community Synagogue, Tel Aviv 2015
Workshops, courses, and seminars I teach on the topic of adolescence
Aliyah Preparation Workshop for the Torah - Study of the weekly torah portion and preparation for the Aliyah for the child and parents
"Wounds of Adulthood" - Cinema and Adolescence Workshop
"On a Red Flower and a Blue Ribbon" - Experiential Workshops for Mothers and Mitzvah Girls
"Adolescents and Overcoming" - a workshop for parents and adolescent children
"Israeli Coming of Age Journey" - an annual program for middle school students that includes activities throughout the year of mitzvot, passing a joint and meaningful coming of age ceremony before the community, strengthening, empowering, and forming personal and social identity, competence, volunteerism, and responsibility.
Coming of age ceremonies that can be held
Puberty cycle for a girl ( menstruation ceremony )
Secular Bar/Bat Mitzvah ceremony and Aliyah to the Torah with a personal emphasis:
A sermon, whether spoken or written, in art, manual labor, or in any other medium.
A way of expression appropriate for a teenager
Traditional Torah Ascension Ceremony in the Synagogue or at the Western Wall
A Bar/ Bat Mitzvah ceremony is common to the entire class or groups.
A coming-of-age ceremony for multicultural, interfaith and multinational groups (Arab-Jewish youth, new immigrants, the migrant labor community, etc.).
Bar/Bat Mitzvah celebrations, coming-of-age circles and Torah ascension with a personal emphasis:
A sermon, whether oral, written, digital, in sports, art, manual labor, or any other meaningful means of expression appropriate for the youth.
Coming of Age Ceremony on Zoom:
Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Berlin, Belgrade, Hamburg, London, 2020
טקסי ומעגלי קב לת מחזור
