Abstract
The celebration of life-cycle events that transcend everyday living are one of the experiences that engender spirituality. In the Jewish religion a bar or bat mitzvah ceremony is the rite of passage from childhood towards adulthood. Twenty-one youngsters with moderate and severe disabilities who attend two special education schools in Israel participated in group bar/bat mitzvah ceremonies. Children were observed during the six-month learning process and at the ceremony itself. Parents and school staff were interviewed as well. This study describes spiritual dimensions of the bar/bat mitzvah experience that were identified and shows that the youngsters could both express their own spirituality and impact the spirituality of others.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 314-322 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | Education and Training in Developmental Disabilities |
| Volume | 38 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| State | Published - Sep 2003 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Education
- Developmental and Educational Psychology
