Bar and Bat Mitzvah to the event. However, this does not delay the onset of rights and responsibilities of being a Jewish adult which comes about strictly by virtue of age. The obligation to lay tefillin begins when a boy reaches bar mitzvah age. The common custom is for the bar mitzvah boy to begin putting on tefillin one to three months before his bar mitzvah. This way, by the time he is obligated in the commandment, he will already know how to fulfill it properly. The first mention of a party associated with a synagogue bar mitzvah was in the 13th century, so
Bar and Bat Mitzvah the halakha; and the capacity to testify as a witness in a Beth Din (Rabbinical court) case. Many congregations require pre–bar mitzvah children to attend a minimum number of Shabbat prayer services at the synagogue, study at a Hebrew school, take on a charity or community service project, and maintain membership in good standing with the synagogue. In addition to study and preparation offered through the synagogue and Hebrew schools, bar mitzvah tutors may be hired to prepare the child through the study of Hebrew, Torah cantillation and basic Jewish concepts. According to Rabbi Mark Washofsky, "The Reform Movement in