Conference taveng::bagels

    >I'd be interested in hearing from any fellow BAGELER's who were made 
    >a Bar Mitzvah after age 13.

    Nit:  This has been said before, but no one was "made a Bar Mitzvah"
    after age 13--becoming Bar/Bat Mitzvah is strictly a function of age.
    
    Once one has reached the age of Bar/Bat Mitzvah, one may participate in
    certain community activities, such as being called to the public
    reading of the Torah.  The first time one has an opportunity to perform
    such a mitzvah can be an occasion for celebration.  That is what the
    fuss is all about.
    
    There are other situations where one celebrates as well.  For instance,
    many of us are first-born and therefore are obliged to fast the day
    before Pesah begins (in memory of the fact that the Hebrew first-born
    were spared when the tenth plague was visited on Pharoah and his
    people).  However, I (and many others) often attend a Siyyum--a study
    session--at which someone completes study of a tractate of the Talmud.
    Now, as it happens, completing a tractate is an occasion for
    celebration, and everyone who is present is obligated to rejoice with
    the person who did it.  Since this obligation supersedes the obligation
    to fast, that is the end of the fast for the day.
    
    [I didn't have to add that second paragraph to make the point, but with
    Pesah just around the corner...:^) ]
    
    						Aaron

    
    My fiance went for his first aliah (sp) twice :-).  Once
    at the synogogue that we goto and once at my parents. Both
    Rabbis make a nice speech/fuss about welcoming him into
    the Jewish community.  At my parents the sisterhood and
    mens club welcomed him during their Bar Mitzvah present
    speech.
    
    The point is that it was a very nice,friendly way to be included
    in the community and to meet people at a newish synogogue.
    
    Amy

Mark-
To follow up on .1 the point would be that when you become
Jewish you will automatically BE "bar mitzva", i.e. a full
member of the Jewish community. And I am sure that all will
rejoice with you!
But as far as emotionally what it means to feel that sense of
"new belonging" as an adult rather than as a child of 13,
yes... there are many people who had their "celebration"
at a later age. And so they experienced their belonging
only at that later age, despite the correct point of law
in .1. I wasn't aware that Henny Youngman did this late
in life, but in Israel I have seen a good number of
Russian Jews celebrate a "bar mitzva" when they arrived
in Israel, quite a few years beyond 13. I suppose that
an adult can really understand quite a bit more about the
significance of the event than a 13 year old can.
Anyway, hope you are doing well, and hope you enjoy
Passover.
-ZAITCH 

    Re all:
    
    Thanks for your comments both here and off-line. I also appreciate
    your patience as I continue in my studies.
    
    Happy Pesach to all!
    
    Mark