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Ritual Observance of a Bar Mitzvah
One main branch of anthropology is Cultural Anthropology. Cultural Anthropology is the study of human society and culture; analyzes, interprets, describes cultural and social differcnes and similarities. A ritual is a behavior that is stylized, repetitive, stereotyped, and formal, performed carefully as a social act; rituals are held at set times and places and have liturgical orders. As an anthropology student, I decided to attend and observe a Bar Mitzvah. I attended this Bar Mitzvah on November 16th, 2013. The event lasted about 6 hours. The Bar Mitzvah was held in the Country Club of Gwinnett. Participating in this ritual was very exciting and interesting. A Bar Mitzvah is for males and a Bat Mitzvah is for females. Furthermore, Bar Mitzvah is an important ritual celebrated in Judaism. Judaism is the monotheistic religion of the Jews, tracing its origins to Abraham and having its spiritual and ethical principles embodied chiefly in the Hebrew Scriptures and the Torah. A Bar Mitzvah would be a particularity to judaism because it is a confined to a single culture and is not widespread . Rite of passage is “a ritual or ceremony signifying an event in a person's life indicative of a transition from one stage to another, as from adolescence to adulthood”. A bar mitzvah would be a rite of passage in judaism because it is celebrated when a boy turns thirteen.Thirteen is the age of maturity in Judaism, he becomes responsible for himself under Jewish law. At this point in the boys life he becomes Bar Mitzvah. Judaism is an international culture because it extends beyond national boundaries.
Since Judaism is such a large religion their rituals and vents are extravagant. First of all, the architecture and spatial design of the venue was very appealing and simple. The venue was massive and looked like a plantation style banquet. As you enter you are first greeted and then you see the beautiful decorated tables and chairs. They had a gazebo covering the tables and the bar. The bar and tables was where all the socializing occurred which this was separated from the ritual stage. The stage was for ritual purposes. The stage is where the sabbath or service occurred.The pastor usually dictates this process. The boy(David Boaz) read the torah and lead the prayers on the stage, it was a focal point of the ceremony. There was no recognizable iconography but certain clothing was traditional and had religious identification. Clothing at this Bar Mitzvah was very formal. Guests at the bar mitzvah celebration wore, either a suit or slacks, tie, and jacket, and women wore a dress. Some of the guests also wore a tallit, or prayer shawl, is traditionally worn by Jewish females and, in liberal ceremonies and by Jewish males as well. Wearing a head covering or A kippah, is another religious identification at a Bar Mitzvah. A kippah was worn by most of the guests. Finally, the thirteen year old boy wore a white shirt and a suit as well as his kippah and tallit. The non-jews who attended this ritual did not participate in the service and did not wear either the kippah or tallit.
This ritual was not codified but the boy did have to read from torah and the Haftorah. The “Torah” and the “Haftorah”, are an integral part of the Bar-Mitzvah. On a regular Shabbat, the Torah portion is divided up into seven parts. This reading was not was a speech but rather a holy proceeding. There are three components of the Bar Mitzvah. The first component is the service,when people are called up and honored with saying the special blessings before and after the reading of each section. Then, the Torah is removed from the holy ark, and then carried to the bima, the raised platform from where the Torah is read. While the Torah is being carried, everyone stands out of respect.Then after the service people eat and drink. The last part of the Bar Mitzvah is the reception, this is when all the dancing and singing occurs. During, the reception the boy also received gifts from his guests.
Enculturation is the process by which culture is learned and transmitted across generations. A bar mitzvah is a process in which young jewish males learn about Judiasm. Interaction and participation of guests is a major role in a religious ritual. The guests at the Bar Mitzvah were either Jewish or followed another religion. The Jewish guests all participated in the Sabbath (service) and ceremony. The non-jewish guests watched the ritual but they participated in the reception. Music and dance was a major aspect of the reception. A DJ played and managed all the songs. The songs were mostly consisted pop songs, such as Frank Sinatra, Bee Gees and Elton John. Everyone at the Bar Mitzvah danced. The reception went on for approximately 3 hours. The ritual had many symbols and metaphorical value. The “braided fringes at the four corners of the tallit remind its wearer to observe the commandments of Judaism, wearing a tallit is reserved for Jews”(JewishLearning). Although an host offers you a tallit, you may decline it.Wearing a kippah is not a symbol of religious identification like the tallit, “but is rather an act of respect to God and the sacredness of the worship space”(JewishLearning). Just as men and women may be asked to remove their hats in the church, or remove their shoes before entering a mosque, wearing a head covering is a non-denominational act of showing respect.
The audience at this ritual is very diverse. The audience ranged from babies to senior citizens. Both genders attended this ritual and most common ethnic group was white. The children learn :”the purpose of the commandments are to keep our lives focused on what's truly important: family, community, and a relationship with God”(ABC’s Of Bar Mitzvah). It teaches children and shows adults that this is the time when moral awareness and sensitivity fully develops, enabling young people to take responsibility for their actions. Audience’s role at a bar mitzvah is to give their blessing to the young boy and to accept his growth.The bar mitzvah address the specific needs of the jewish community by honoring a Jewish boy and through neshama. Neshama is an “aspect of the soul is specific to man and elevates him above other forms of life. Through the neshama, we realize our intellect and attain the awareness of God. The neshama lives on after death”(Safed.co.il).The ritual represents norms and conforms to the larger, Jewish society. The ritual includes many traditions of judaism such as reading the torah,prayer,wearing the kippah and finding neshama. All these norms of Judaism conform to the larger jewish community because other Jewish followers understand,respect and follow these same norms. They are also welcoming a young, mature male into their religious community as well. The ritual enforces and expresses these norms through the ceremony, prayer and service that young boy goes through.In many primitive societies, some of the most complex rites of passage occur at puberty, when boys and girls are initiated into the adult world. A Bar Mitzvah is the transition process in which a boy turns into a mature young man. Incorporation is the adoption of the views or characteristics of others, occurring in children as part of learning and maturation. A bar mitzvah supports this because it cultivates the growth of a child through learning Judaism and moral maturation.