Pronounced: bar MITZ-vuh, also bar meetz-VAH, Origin: Hebrew, Jewish rite of passage for a 13-year-old boy.
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Prayer for Voters
Even though most Jews live in democracies, they continue to pray for their leaders -- not the people who elect them.
Age of Responsibility
Becoming an adult is a process, but Jewish tradition nevertheless enjoins us to pick a moment to acknowledge the transition.