2022 marks the centennial of the first public bat mitzvah ceremony in the United States. JWA, along with SAJ: Judaism That Stands for All, invites Jewish women of all backgrounds to use this question set to reflect on and share their own bat mitzvah experiences and preserve them for the historical record.

Tips for recording your story using Story Aperture.

Questions:

• Describe your bat mitzvah: How old were you? Where and when did it take place (name of congregation, denomination, city/state, country, year, day of week)? 
• Why did you have a bat mitzvah?
• What elements did your bat mitzvah include? (For example: aliyah, Torah reading, d’var Torah, kiddush, party, trip…)
• Was there anything about your bat mitzvah that was new or different from your community’s typical b’nai mitzvah? If so, how did your community respond? 
• What stands out to you in your memory about your bat mitzvah?
• What did your bat mitzvah mean to you?