Episode 375: Bat Mitzvah's 100th Birthday - Carole Balin, Judith Rosenbaum

In March of 1922, the Bat Mitzvah -- now a widely-recognized ritual across Jewish denominations -- made its first appearance on American soil! Judith Kaplan, at the Society for the Advancement of Judaism in New York City, was the pioneer, and in the coming decades, many women would follow suit. Carole Balin and Judith Rosenbaum, who each played a key role in the Jewish Women's Archive's Bat Mitzvah at 100 initiative, join Dan and Lex to talk through the history of Bat Mitzvah, its contemporary iterations, and some of its possible futures.

This episode is the 1st in an ongoing mini-series of Judaism Unbound episodes, honoring Bat Mitzvah's 100th anniversary, and exploring the present and future of B Mitzvah ("B Mitzvah" is a term for Jewish coming-of-age ceremonies, across the gender spectrum).

Looking to immerse in ongoing course offerings at the UnYeshiva? Apply for our certificate program in Unbound Judaism by heading to JudaismUnbound.com/certificate (the application deadline for our inaugural cohort is approaching: April 30th, 2023)! To register for upcoming mini-courses in the UnYeshiva, head to JudaismUnbound.com/classes.