Folk Judaism, Elite Judaism and the Role of the Bar Mitzvah in the Development of the Synagogue and Jewish School in America

In Contemporary Jewry 9/1, 67-85. The paper deals with the relationship between bar and bat mitzvah and the formal organizations of the Jewish community. Most synagogues do not permit bar or bat mitzvah without affiliation and a specified minimum of Jewish education. The examination of the origin of these requirements, their functions and changes in them should contribute to a better understanding of the relationship between North American Jews and their community institutions.