The Hebrew phrase Bar Mitzvah literally means "son of commandment". According to the Jewish law, when a Jewish boy turns thirteen, he becomes a responsible young man, ready to observe God's commandments. In the Jewish tradition, age 13 is considered the time when the boy's soul is mature enough to assume such responsibility. It is the phase in a Jewish boy's life when he develops moral conscience and a sense of responsibility in relation to the religious world and the social world. As he begins to take an active part in the religious practice, which usually happens a few weeks prior to his 13th birthday, he starts to wear tefilin.
 
As the whole family gathers in the synagogue to mark this festive event, the bar mitzvah boy is performing aliya la tora  - rising to the Torah.  When boy concludes his final prayer, the excited family and friends shower him with candies and sweets.

In Israel, the bar mitzvah boy is often taken to the Western Wall (also known as the Wailing Wall) in the holy city of Jerusalem. This is a special ceremony with a touch of holiness that usually takes place in the Tower of David or some other significant site in Jewish history.
It is customary for the boy to give a bar mitzvah speech in which he acknowledges the significance of this moment and thanks his family. In addition to the bar mitzvah service, a big party is usually thrown by the family and friends.

Given the significance of the event in the life of any Jewish family, it is common to give the bar mitzvah boy a gift to commemorate the day. Gifts are not given in the synagogue but rather at the bar mitzvah celebration. The immediate family usually gives items essential for the boy's religious observance such as tefilin, talit, and books with religious content.

For friends and relatives, most popular bar mitzva gifts are items of religious nature such as books with prayers and tallit. Other popular gifts are the wide variety of Jewish jewelry: pendants with religious symbols, jewelry with Hebrew inscriptions, and jewelry that incorporate the hamsa symbol. Another popular bar mitzva gift is Judaica gifts such as Hannukah menorah and Torah hand pointer. Others prefer to give the celebrant savings bonds, usually given in multiples of 18. In gimatria, the number 18 spells the word chei,  which means Life in Hebrew.

Bar Mitzvah Gifts >