Bar and Bat Mitzvah "son" (), while "bat" () means "daughter" in Hebrew, and "mitzvah" () means "commandment" or "law" (plural: "mitzvot"). Thus "bar mitzvah" and "bat mitzvah" literally translate to "son of commandment" and "daughter of commandment". However, in rabbinical usage, the word "bar" means "under the category of" or "subject to". "Bar mitzvah" therefore translates to "an [agent] who is subject to the law". Although the term is commonly used to refer to the ritual itself, in fact the phrase originally refers to the person. The modern method of celebrating becoming a bar mitzvah did not exist in the time of the
City Congregation for Humanistic Judaism the Association of Humanistic Rabbis and is a member of the Editorial Board of the journal Humanistic Judaism. He also contributes the Humanistic perspective to Moment Magazine's "Ask the Rabbi" column. Among his writings are: "The Liberated Haggadah: A Passover Celebration for Cultural, Secular and Humanistic Jews" (The Center for Cultural Judaism, 2006), "The Guide for a Humanistic Bar/Bat Mitzvah" (The City Congregation for Humanistic Judaism, 2003), and "A Modern Lamentation: A Memorial to 9/11" (The City Congregation for Humanistic Judaism, Rosh Hashanah, 2002). Rabbi Schweitzer is also recognized for the major collection of Jewish Americana that he amassed over