A resolution urging that boys and girls seeking certification as Bar Mitzvah or Bat Mitzvah must commit themselves to continue their Jewish education until the age of 15 was adopted here by the sixth annual School Board Chairmen’s Conference of Jewish Schools, held under the auspices of the Jewish Education Committee of New York.
The plan was proposed by Arthur E. Friedland, a member of the board of the JEC. He deplored the fact that, in most instances, the age of 13 is considered “a terminal point of religious training” culminated by Bar Mitzvah or Bat Mitzvah. He suggested that “the terminal point” be changed to age 15, at which time the pupil would take a standard examination for a Ben Torah certificate to be awarded in a religious ceremony at a synagogue.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.