Question 21.8.2: Other childhood lifecycle rituals: I've heard of a ceremony called "Confirmation". What is it?


                                  Answer:
   
   In the non-Orthodox community, Confirmation is a ceremony used to mark
   the end of the tenth year of formal Jewish education, and usually
   corresponds to 10th grade graduation. It was originally introduced by
   Reform to replace Bar/Bat Mitzvah, but has evolved to parallel Bar/Bat
   Mitzvah, and provide a point of celebrating continuing Jewish
   education past Bar/Bat Mitzvah. Confirmation is a time for young
   adults to reconfirm the commitment to Judaism made at Bar/Bat Mitzvah,
   when they were legally adults but in this day and age not likely as
   mature as 12-13 years of centuries ago.
   
   Unlike bar/bat mitzvah, confirmation is a group ceremony often
   celebrated on Shavuot. It is not based on traditional rituals, and is
   not observed in Orthodox congregations. Some Conservative
   congregations observe the ceremony. It is either called
   "confirmation", "graduation", or the more Jewish-sounding "Bikkurim".
   Some refer to confirmands as "Sar Torah".

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