In 2022, media outlets made much of the 100th anniversary of the first bat mitzvah. Careful editors were sure to note that the anniversary was, in fact, commemorating the first American bat mitzvah. In contrast, the term “bar mitzvah” was first used in the 14th century (while the fact that 12-year-old girls and 13-year-old boys are obligated in mitzvot is a concept discussed in the Mishna, which dates back to the second century). Of course, in other parts of the world, versions of a bat mitzvah existed before 1922.
Orthodox women have a lot to consider when thinking about a bat mitzvah. First, what components should an Orthodox bat mitzvah include? Second, who are the role models that we want our daughters to learn from as they prepare to become adults?
Into this conversation come two recent books showcasing Jewish women they describe as “daring” and “courageous”: Chutzpah Girls by Julie Esther Silverstein and Tami Schlossberg Pruwer and Iconic Jewish Women by Aliza Lavie.
Chutzpah Girls does not take specific aim at the bat mitzvah. The authors write that their goal was to “power up a generation of knowledgeable and confident Jewish kids” with their book featuring 100 icons from the Tanakh to contemporary times.
Chutzpah Girls looks gift-able, with its cover adorned with metallic designs, bright color images accompanying each biography, and a built-in bookmark. The entries are each confined to one page, with the accompanying illustration occupying the entire facing page. More than a dozen female artists created the images, whose varied styles keep the book feeling fresh. My 11-year old daughter loved the style of the book, which made her excited to read it.
Because each biography in Chutzpah Girls is comparatively brief, it can spur interest in more research, if your reader wants more details. The hundred women chosen are from wide-ranging fields and backgrounds, including athletes, performers, and modern-day activists, along with the more predictable biblical and famous historical figures. They span many parts of the globe, and the book includes a map at the back. The book also includes a space for the reader to write her own story and draw her own portrait. I asked my 11-year-old if any of these elements made the book feel childish, but she was enthusiastic about the visual elements enhancing the appeal of the book.
Iconic Jewish Women started out as a Hebrew book for pre-bat mitzvah girls in Israel. When the author, Dr. Aliza Lavie, decided to make an English edition, she expanded the book to include women from around the world. The resulting list of 59 women has a strong Israeli focus but includes many stories from Europe, the Americas, and beyond.
Iconic Jewish Women is specifically designed to help pre-bat mitzvah girls think through planning meaningful events (that might not necessarily include reading from the Torah). Each of the 59 biographies (each about 2-3 pages long) is followed by four sections: “Explore,” which suggests a topic for further study; “Give Back,” which suggests related causes for a ḥesed project; “See Something New,” which suggests related places to visit and activities such as hikes and bike rides (most, but not all, of which are in Israel); and “Get Out of Your Comfort Zone,” which suggests an activity or game that is designed to challenge bat mitzvah girls to do something a little different.
Iconic Jewish Women is for slightly older girls. For example, the first story features Sarah Aaronsohn, from the Nili spy network, who was captured and tortured by the Turks and died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound (to avoid torture that she feared would jeopardize her colleagues in Nili).
Another difference between the two books: Each biography in Iconic Jewish Women starts with dates that the featured woman was born and died—so a reader could figure out before reading the bio whether the heroine died young or lived a long life. In contrast, Chutzpah Girls includes no dates of death for anyone— which might leave the reader wondering which of the modern women listed are still alive.
Iconic Jewish Women’s greatest strength might also be a source of its weakness: The book explicitly states that its purpose is planning one’s bat mitzvah. At the same time, the title page calls it “A Perfect Bat Mitzvah Gift.” So is it for girls before bat mitzvah or upon bat mitzvah? If you can handle the dissonance, it’s great for both. Even older teens (and adults) could learn a lot from it.