The Transformational Impact of Bar/Bat Mitzvah on Adolescents, Parents, Grandparents: A Jungian Analysis

Abstract

The Jewish ceremony of bar/bat mitzvah, occurring at the onset of puberty, as usually practiced in the U.S., is primarily viewed as an occasion for a big party, thus denuding the ritual of its true power and meaning. This article shows that when experienced in the context of its full religious meaning, the bar/bat mitzvah ceremony can be viewed as a symbolic manifestation of the Jungian archetype of initiation. Preparation for bar/bat mitzvah entails years of study of Hebrew language, sacred texts, historical interpretations, prayers. This ritual marks both the culmination of a child’s Torah study as well as the renewal of sacred learning on a higher level. The ceremony then exerts great emotional power, adding meaning and import for not only the burgeoning adolescent but also for parents and grandparents. Like all symbolic rites of passage, bar/bat mitzvah has the potential to increase levels of conscious awareness, ignite new passions, renew older ones, and aid in navigating transitional phases that may be fraught with both peril and vast potential.

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Susan Schept

Susan Schept, teaching associate professor of the humanities, has been instructing students in both core and upper-level courses in psychology at Stevens Institute of Technology for over 40 years. Her research work focuses on psychological interpretations of Jewish Sacred text. Book publications include: 2018, The Voice of Sarah: Feminist Ethics in Jewish Sacred Text, and 2022, Modern Midrash: The Intersection of Jewish Text and Psychological Theory. Publications in Psychological Perspectives include a 2007 article on “Freudian and Jungian Interpretations of Jacob’s Dream of a Ladder,” a 2014 article on “Symbols of Transformation in the Observance of Sukkot,” and a 2021 article, “Lilith, a Rabbinic Projection of the Demonic Female.”