TODAY I AM A FOUNTAIN PEN If you don’t recognize these words, it’s because you are a good deal younger than I am. Actually, I am not sure where they come from, but I know they refer to the words spoken by an imaginary Bar Mitzvah student as he stands on the bima to deliver his speech after the completion of his Bar Mitzvah ceremony. Obviously, he was thinking more about the gifts he would receive than the significance of this age-old ritual. He was trying to declare, “Today I am a man” as traditionally at age 13 a Jewish boy was declared an adult member of the Jewish community and was to follow the laws set down in the Torah and bear his own responsibility for his Jewish life. The actual Bar Mitzvah ceremony was not required, but the boy’s age was the determining factor related to his spiritual standing in the Jewish religious world. Since the time I grew up until today, the events following the Bar Mitzvah have included everything from some honey cake and wine in the social hall of the synagogue to a themed weekend event that hundreds of friends and family attend. (Not long ago I attended a Beatles’ Bat Mitzvah party in Malibu that began by walking through the Yellow Submarine!) But, gratefully, the actual requirements for the synagogue service have remained fairly stable. The Bar or Bat Mitzvah leads the Shabbat morning service and reads the portion for the week directly from the Torah scrolls. He/she reads the prayers in Hebrew, explains and comments on the Torah portion while conducting the service, as would the rabbi and/or hazzan. It is a glorious morning that is a milestone in a young person’s life. But today that experience is not just available for those entering their teen years. It is a life cycle event for adults of any age who are willing to commit to the time and study it will take to prepare for this undertaking. And, if you haven’t figured it out yet, whom do you think just signed up for the two-year Adult B’nai Mitzvah class at her synagogue? You guessed it. I decided this was the year to begin to check this item off my bucket list. Every time I attend a Bar or Bat Mitzvah, I feel that familiar desire to be able to chant from the Torah scrolls. Over fifty years ago, I would sit in on my then husband’s cantorial class at the Jewish Institute of Religion in NYC as he and his classmates were learning to follow the hand signals that told them which melody to chant. It was like stepping back in history to watch these young men hunch over the sacred scrolls while chanting the Torah text just like countless generations of Jewish men had done before them. At the time, I never imagined that a woman would be allowed such an honor, but today adult women as well as men are participating in classes that will culminate in just such an experience. Many of us who missed having a Bar or Bat Mitzvah growing up are opting for the two-year program that is now offered all over the country. The reasons for this late in life decision are varied. But for most candidates, it is a chance to fulfill this Jewish ritual that they missed out on when they were the “usual” age. As for why we missed it the first time around, we all have a different story. Some had parents who didn’t believe in being involved in Jewish organizations, others felt it was hypocritical to have a Bar Mitzvah just for the party and the presents, while many were not able to afford the lavish after synagogue extravaganza that their friends were having.. And, of course, there are the converts who chose Judaism as their religion and want to have a Bar Mitzvah as part of their commitment to their new spiritual community. When I attended a funeral of a 90 year old friend last week, I heard the rabbi tell us that one of the highlights of her rabbinical career was listening to this gentleman at age 85 reading from the Torah on the occasion of his Bar Mitzvah. That clinched it for me. I officially signed up for the class the next day. Be sure to watch my column for a Save the Date announcement as in my 76th year, I will be celebrating my Bat Mitzvah and you are all invited! 751 words November 12, 2012 (Linda Kaufman is a local musician, writer, realtor and Bat Mitzvah student)