bar mitzvah

Meaning

• a Jewish boy who has reached religious adulthood at age thirteen
• the ceremony or celebration marking that milestone

Alternate spellings

bar-mitzvah

Usage and context

The religious status begins at age thirteen whether or not a party is held. In conversation, “a bar mitzvah” often means the synagogue service, celebration, or both.

Example in Yeshivish

We are going to his bar mitzvah on Sunday.

Plain-English example

We are going to his Jewish coming-of-age celebration on Sunday.