I believe that it is healthy to belong. Aside from being born a member of a family, there are many social and service organizations, teams, clubs, etc. available to join if a person is willing and able to take part in those activities. Some extra benefits of these memberships are that relationships are fostered between people and people work with each other to achieve a common goal. In any case, in order to truly be a part of something and make it work, there is required a certain degree of commitment and responsibility from each member. Faith based organizations work the same way.

Today my son assumed his obligation under Jewish law to observe God’s will. It is the Jewish belief that God's will is found, as a gift to man, enshrouded in a body of commandments (to do’s) or mitzvot (mitzvah, in singular). Mitzvot are fixed religious standards of action and do not change with every impulse of society. Doing a mitzvah is more than just a good deed; it is keeping God's law as revealed in the Torah, primarily in the form of Halachah; the way to fulfill the commandments. (1) At the age of 13, the Bar Mitzvah ceremony formally marks the assumption of that obligation.

From the time he entered pre-school until today, he has been receiving religious teaching. He learned about Jewish customs, holidays, history, and Hebrew. This last year his focus was on learning to read a portion of the Torah (Jewish law and teachings) and chant prayers. His Bar Mitzvah is the first occasion of him being called to say blessings over the Torah. Toward the end of the ceremony, he elaborated on his assigned Torah reading, explaining that it taught that sacrifice means accepting responsibility and that each responsibility must be met. He gave examples of how this teaching of the Torah applied in his own life. He recognized that he sacrificed being able to do more fun things, other than having to learn how to chant a portion of the Torah, so that he would meet his obligation to recite the Torah, and lead the congregation in prayers as part of his Bar Mitzvah.

My son is only in the 7th grade, yet for the better part of an hour he almost flawlessly helped to lead the congregation in a service honoring the Sabbath. His Rabbi praised him for doing as much, but qualified her remark by explaining that it was no less than what he was deemed capable. The expectation was that he does well and he met this expectation. She shared her observation that if we expect the best then our kids will do their best. It was refreshing to witness her philosophy in action because that particular philosophy is one that gets lip service in many of our schools. The predominant thinking in our education system is not to make kids accountable for their poor study habits, rather, to make their teachers accountable for any poor performance.

She also told my son to remember this moment in time; how proud he was and how everyone in the room was proud of him. She beseeched him to remember the feeling so that when he was faced with a tough situation, he would know that he was capable of whatever was needed of him. He could draw on the strength that he knew was within him and rise to the occasion. People believed he could do it. Again, in our schools, we keep making excuses for the students and the prevailing philosophy is that whatever their performance, they should be made to feel good about themselves. This is a disservice because we are allowing them to be mediocre and feel good about it. We are allowing them to put television and electronic games ahead of their education. They are not learning what they need to know to be successful in today’s society.

I couldn’t help but feel proud that my son understands his obligation toward mitzvot, or good deeds. More than that, I am grateful that temples will continue to provide moral training and teach responsible behavior to the children raised in the Jewish faith. They have given my son the tools to uphold his standing as a member of the Jewish community by teaching him how to be a good person and how to make the world a better place. He knows exactly what is expected of him and how to go about this task.

In the United States, a 14 year old child is old enough to assume many of the responsibilities of adulthood, including being subjected to minimal criminal liability. In many states, with parental consent, a fourteen year old can even take a spouse. Children of any age are permitted to testify in court, and children over the age of 14 are permitted to have significant input into custody decisions in cases of divorce. We continuously expose our children to adult culture but how many of the kids have attained the tools to navigate this adult world? We’ve made many of our kids accountable for their status of adult membership, yet many haven’t been required to make the personal sacrifice and take on responsibilities which would deem them worthy of this title.

Heaped upon the schools is more than a fair share of responsibility in the raising of future generations. Schools are charged with teaching about sexuality, gender roles, and cultural differences; however their basic mission; to teach basic concepts and civic values has been abandoned. Unfortunately, the schools are no longer mandated with teaching the children of this great country how to meet the responsibilities that citizens of the United States are obliged to fulfill.

United States citizens may come from different cultural or religious backgrounds, yet they are first and foremost members of the United States. There is a certain degree of commitment and responsibility expected from each member for this country to function at its best. Students today are not taught the value in being raised as a member of the American society, and they don’t know how to act like Americans. This flaw in the fabric of our civilization has undermined our national identity and eroded our sense of community. As a member of the Jewish faith, my son understands the important of this to the preservation of Judaism. But this concept is not limited to Judaism. Practicing observers of all faiths can see the value in preserving their teachings through the generations. Again, this notion is not limited to religion. It must be embraced as necessary to the maintenance of the United States of America.

Bar/Bat Mitzvah
http://collections.ic.gc.ca/art_context/tbar.htm

Bar Mitzvah, Bat Mitzvah and Confirmation
http://www.us-israel.org/jsource/Judaism/barmitz.html

(1)What Is Torah? By Rabbi Maurice Lamm
http://www.aish.com/literacy/concepts/What_Is_Torah$.asp

Nancy Salvato is a middle school teacher in Illinois and an independent contractor for Prism Educational Consulting. She is the Educational Liaison to IL Sen. Ray Soden and she works with national and local organizations furthering the cause of Civic Education. She is a columnist for American Daily, The Common Voice, GOP-USA, OpinionEditorials and The New Media Journal.us. Her writing has been recognized by the US Secretary of Education. She has been published in The Washington Times, The Washington Dispatch, Iconoclast, Free Republic Network & Townhall.com., as well as other nationally and internationally published media outlets.