Judaism Unbound Episode 384: Before Bat Mitzvah — A Prequel - Melissa Klapper
Melissa Klapper, author of Jewish Girls Coming of Age in America, 1860-1920, joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation serving as a "prequel" of sorts to our recent unit on the past, present, and future of Bat Mitzvah (and B Mitzvah in general). Klapper talks through the ways in which Jewish girls marked their entry into adulthood -- both within Jewish life and in secular contexts -- in the era directly preceding the emergence of Bat Mitzvah as a life-cycle ritual (hence "prequel!").
[1] You can purchase Jewish Girls Coming of Age in America, 1860-1920 (NYU, 2005) here! Learn more about Melissa Klapper via this link. Check out her other books via the following links: Small Strangers: The Experiences of Immigrant Children in the United States, 1880-1925 (Ivan R. Dee, 2007), Ballots, Babies, and Banners of Peace: American Jewish Women's Activism, 1890-1940 (NYU, 2013), and Ballet Class: An American History (Oxford University Press, 2020).
[2] Klapper references the fact that birthdays were not seen as particularly meaningful until the 19th century, and Lex references a teacher of his, Howard Chudacoff, a scholar who explored the history of birthdays. For more from Chudacoff on the history of birthdays, see his book How Old are You? Age Consciousness in American Culture.
[3] For an exploration of the figure Samson Benderly, who Klapper mentions as an early pioneer in American-Jewish education, see The Benderly Boys and American Jewish Education, written by Jonathan Krasner. For more on Rebecca Gratz, see Rebecca Gratz: Women and Judaism in Antebellum America, by Dianne Ashton z”l, a past guest on Judaism Unbound.
[4] As part of ShavuotLIVE — our 24-hour digital Shavuot gathering — in 2022, Laura Yares gave a presentation on the history of confirmation in the United States. Check it out by clicking here! In 2023, Catherine Horowitz, Judaism Unbound/New Voices fellow, created a companion presentation to Yares’s. Check out Horowitz’s presentation via this link.
[5] This episode builds on the episodes that constituted our mini-series on the past, present, and future of B Mitzvah. Check out those episodes via any of the following links:
Episode 375: Bat Mitzvah’s 100th Birthday - Carole Balin, Judith Rosenbaum
Episode 376: B Mitzvah, Reconstructed - Lauren Grabelle Herrmann
Episode 379: Be Mitzvah, Your Way - Amy Atkins, Amanda Schwartz
[6] Melissa Klapper was recently a 3-time champion on Jeopardy! For an article in The Forward reflecting on her experience, click here.
