Growing Up Jewish

April 19, 2024 True Vision TV

Four young people on the cusp of adulthood, all preparing for one of the most important nights of their lives: their Bar or Bat Mitzvah.

Dylan, Ayala, Talia and Eve are all about to embark on a uniquely Jewish rite of passage. A boy’s Bar Mitzvah, or a girl’s Bat Mitzvah, marks their transition to adulthood within the Jewish faith. For these 12 and 13-year-olds, Bar and Bat Mitzvah represents a chance to bring family together, celebrate their heritage, and look ahead to the adults they want to become.

They’ve all spent months studying Hebrew texts and learning the Jewish values of adulthood. And their parents have spent months, if not years, preparing for this milestone too.

In a few weeks, they’ll be marking it with a special religious ceremony and a unique celebration. But these four celebrations – reflecting a range of Orthodox and Reform practices and traditions - couldn’t look more different.

Eve’s mum is a secular Jew and her dad is atheist. Though she was raised in a non-religious household, she’s decided to have a Bat Mitzvah in order to connect with her heritage. It’s a chance to share her Jewish identity with her non-Jewish relatives, and bring both sides of her family together.

Dylan and his family attend the same Synagogue as Eve, after recently moving away from the stricter Modern Orthodox Jewish community. They felt the more liberal approach of Reform Judaism was more in line with their beliefs. Dylan is looking forward to a very untraditional ceremony and party. As he gears up to read from the Torah and give a speech in front of all his friends and family, he is on a journey to find his voice and develop the confidence to show everyone what he has learned.

For Ayala, the daughter of a Senior Orthodox Rabbi who’s just joined a new synagogue, the Bat Mitzvah is a chance for her family to settle in. Thanks to her dad she is well-versed in the laws, values and traditions of her faith, but for her there's the added pressure of representing her family and getting everything just right. Her coming of age is the first family event they’ll be celebrating with their new congregation.

Talia, the youngest of four siblings, is the last in her Modern Orthodox family to go through this coming-of-age ritual and is looking forward to a big party to celebrate. But after studying the Torah she has been drawn to the commandments about charitable giving, and is keen to also explore ways she can use her Bat Mitzvah as an opportunity to give back.

As well as the Ten Commandments the Torah is said to contain another 603 commandments, or “mitzvahs” detailing almost every aspect of how to live according to God’s will. Becoming Bar or Bat Mitzvah means becoming a son or daughter of the commandments.

With intimate access to the private celebrations of these four young Jewish people, as the clock ticks down to this big week, Growing Up Jewish reveals the cultural and religious significance this milestone holds for each of them, and what being Jewish means to a generation about to come of age.

RUNTIME:
50 Minutes

ASSISTANT PRODUCERS:
Daisy Maskell
James Gilmore

PRDOUCER DIRECTOR:
Rosemary Baker

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:
Brian Woods
Jon Blair

RELEASED:
2024