THIS WEEKEND we went to a bat mitzvah. For many black families, this peek into Jewish tradition is culture shock. For the Joneses? It’s old hat.
We’ve been to so many bat mitzvahs that LaVeta is starting to hum along to the tunes. Little Solomon has started checking out the young men’s yarmulkes. And Eve? Well, she’s 13, so she’s eyeing the bat mitzvah benefits.
Having been to three bat mitzvahs so far, Eve has come to understand that girls her age who become “bat mitzvah” have the same rights as adults, are morally responsible for their actions and, best of all, get lots and lots of stuff.
Is there work involved? Yes. You have to learn Scripture in Hebrew. You have to be able to relate that Scripture to everyday life and you have to be able to overlook the fact that your non-Jewish friends have no idea why you’re doing this.
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Solomon Jones is an Essence bestselling author and award-winning columnist. He is the creator and editor of Solomonjones.com and morning host on 900 am WURD radio. Click here to learn more about Solomon
