Final answer:
The bar mitzvah and bat mitzvah serve to initiate Jewish adolescents into adulthood within the Jewish community, marking a significant transition in their social roles with religious and cultural importance.
Step-by-step explanation:
The primary purpose of the bar mitzvah and the bat mitzvah is to Initiate adulthood in the Jewish community. These ceremonies are significant religious and social events in Judaism that mark the transition from childhood to adulthood. At the age of 13 for boys and 12 or 13 for girls, Jewish adolescents become accountable for their actions and are granted the rights and responsibilities of an adult member of the Jewish community. This rite of passage is an important part of Jewish culture and is often accompanied by a celebration with family and friends.
Rites of Passage
As identified by anthropologist Arnold van Gennep in 1909, rites of passage like the bar and bat mitzvah have three stages: separation, transition, and incorporation. These stages symbolize the participant moving from one societal role to another. During the bar or bat mitzvah, the transition stage involves the young person reading from the Torah for the first time in front of the congregation, symbolizing their new status within the community.