Term applied to the attainment of legal and religious maturity; it also refers to the occasion on which this position is assumed. At the age of 13 a Jewish young man comes under the obligation to fulfil the commandments. In the synagogue he is called up to read the Torah and the Haftarah. A special service takes place when he reads for the first time, and the rabbi may deliver a sermon emphasizing his new responsibilities as a member of the community. After the service a festive kiddush usually takes place. Reform Judaism initially replaced the bar mitzvah with confirmation, but in recent years the bar mitzvah has come back into fashion and confirmation is now generally adopted as an additional ceremony.