bar mitzvah

1 of 2

noun

bar mitz·​vah bär-ˈmits-və How to pronounce bar mitzvah (audio)
often capitalized B&M
1
: a Jewish boy who reaches his 13th birthday and attains the age of religious duty and responsibility
2
: the initiatory ceremony recognizing a boy as a bar mitzvah

bar mitzvah

2 of 2

verb

bar mitzvahed; bar mitzvahing

transitive verb

: to administer the ceremony of bar mitzvah to

Examples of bar mitzvah in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Over the years, the infectious dance tune has become a staple at school dances, weddings, sports events, bar mitzvahs, and plenty of other celebrations worldwide. Ew Staff, EW.com, 16 Oct. 2023 To support his family while making his films, Mr. Daum often shot videos of weddings and bar mitzvahs. Joseph Berger, New York Times, 19 Jan. 2024 Five decades ago, the luncheon for Andrew Stewart’s bar mitzvah became the first event in the Tree of Life synagogue’s social hall. Ben Brasch, Washington Post, 19 Jan. 2024 In one memorable scene, Ben watches a video from his own bar mitzvah and hallucinates an interaction with his young self. Jourdain Searles, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Jan. 2024 Rather than have a bar mitzvah photo taken of her son, Mary commissioned an artist to create a portrait. Geoff Edgers, Washington Post, 10 Nov. 2023 After learning that Ori was about to celebrate his bar mitzvah — a Jewish rite of passage that marks a boy’s 13th birthday — Chayton, who is not Jewish, donated $745 from his allowance money for the event, which has not been held yet as Ori is still grieving for his family. Tom Llamas, NBC News, 15 Dec. 2023 Lear, who was raised in a Jewish household and received a bar mitzvah, was deeply troubled by Coughlin’s racist propaganda and screeds against the Jewish people. Daniel Arkin, NBC News, 6 Dec. 2023 In 1939, Sol Goldman, the 17-year-old son of a Brooklyn grocer, used $5,000 saved from his bar mitzvah and odd jobs around the neighborhood to buy his father’s struggling grocery store. Curbed, 4 Dec. 2023
Verb
Mayor William O’Dwyer attended his bar mitzvah and gave him a $20 bill. Robert D. McFadden, New York Times, 22 Dec. 2022 The Musical, an adaptation of the coming-of-age Broadway show about Evan Goldman, a teen who's about to make his bar mitzvah. Eric Andersson, Peoplemag, 10 Aug. 2022 After moving from New York to Indiana in the wake of his parents’ divorce, a clever middle schooler is determined to throw the best bar mitzvah ever. Jacob Siegal, BGR, 7 Aug. 2022 Drake relives his bar mitzvah glory days onstage with the Backstreet Boys. Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2022 Bundestag while reciting the Jewish mourner’s prayer from a prayer book that belonged to a German Jewish boy who celebrated his bar mitzvah on the eve of Kristallnacht. Samuel Petrequin, ajc, 27 Jan. 2022 Harlow allegedly used his bar mitzvah money to buy a reel-to-reel recorder and one-way ticket to Cuba in the 1950s to study the music scene. Julian Voloj, sun-sentinel.com, 1 Sep. 2021 In 1967, the year of his bar mitzvah, Israel won the Six-Day War and occupied Gaza, the West Bank, the Sinai Peninsula, and the Golan Heights. Margaret Talbot, The New Yorker, 11 Aug. 2021 There's also a photo of him and his fiance, Noah Galvin, and of his family, including one from his brother's bar mitzvah. Mark Kennedy, ajc, 27 Feb. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bar mitzvah.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Hebrew bar miṣwāh, literally, son of the (divine) law

First Known Use

Noun

1816, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1922, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bar mitzvah was in 1816

Dictionary Entries Near bar mitzvah

Cite this Entry

“Bar mitzvah.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bar%20mitzvah. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

bar mitzvah

1 of 2 noun
bar mitz·​vah bär-ˈmits-və How to pronounce bar mitzvah (audio)
often capitalized B&M
1
: a Jewish boy who on his 13th birthday reaches the age of religious duty and responsibility
2
: the ceremony recognizing a boy as a bar mitzvah

bar mitzvah

2 of 2 verb
bar mitzvahed; bar mitzvahing
: to administer the ceremony of bar mitzvah to
Etymology

Noun

from Hebrew bar miṣwāh, literally, "son of the (divine) law"

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