The modern process by which Jewish teenagers become B’nai Mitzvah, coming of age and accepting the obligation of performing the Jewish mitzvot (commandments), has shifted dramatically since the tradition was first recorded in the fifth-century. A rabbinic text at that time instructs the father of a Jewish child to recite a blessing thanking God for freeing him from responsibility for the deeds of his child, who is now accountable for his own actions. In contrast, the focus of modern American B’nai Mitzvah is more often than not the celebration following the religious ceremony.

What does it mean to become a Jewish adult today, and what is the role of the synagogue in helping to shape emerging adults? Join with Jewish Studies and members of the community as Rabbis Stephanie Alexander (KKBE), Adam Rosenbaum (Emanu-El) and Moshe Davis (BSBI) sit together in conversation with Jewish Studies Associate Director Joshua Shanes to answer these questions and more.