Bar and Bat Mitzvah the commandments . . ." The Talmud gives 13 as the age at which a boy's vows are legally binding, and states that this is a result of his being a "man", as required in . The term "bar mitzvah", in the sense it is now used, cannot be clearly traced earlier than the 14th century, the older rabbinical term being "gadol" (adult) or "bar 'onshin" (legally responsible for own misdoings). Many sources indicate that the ceremonial observation of a bar mitzvah developed in the Middle Ages, however, there are extensive earlier references to thirteen as the age of majority
Coming of Age: Adult Bat Mitzvah Coming of Age: Adult Bat Mitzvah Coming of Age: Adult Bat Mitzvah, is a documentary produced in 1989 and directed by Bonnie Burt. Bat mitzvahs are not only for pre-teens anymore. Exploring women’s place in Judaism, "Coming of age: Adult Bat Mitzvah" takes a candid look at this twist on a relatively new tradition and what it says about the push for equality of the sexes in synagogue life. "Coming of Age" sits down with a group of women, aged 32 to 83, from different walks of life, to find out why, after all these years, they’ve decided to learn