May 27th, 2021 • 33 mins 28 secs • Download (30.7 MB) • Link with Timestamp
The first American bat mitzvah took place on March 18, 1922. As its 100th anniversary nears, we’ve got something of a departure for our podcast. We’re running an episode of Adventures in Jewish Studies, a podcast of the Association for Jewish Studies. Evolve: Groundbreaking Jewish Conversations co-sponsored this episode. Guest scholars Rabbi Carole Balin, Melissa R. Klapper, and Rabbi Deborah Waxman consider the history of the bat mitzvah and its evolution over time. They also explore how the bat mitzvah helped pave the way for greater inclusion of women in public Jewish ritual and practice and helped shape American Jewish life.