Just wanted to share a few images from my call up shoot this week in Radlett Reformed Synagogue.

In Jewish tradition, when a boy reaches 13 and a girl reaches 12 (more proof that females are more advanced than the male species!) they get their ultimate coming of age test that they have to practise for approx a year before the day with a lot of hard work envolved! 

They’re 'called up' to read a section of the Torah / obligated to perform the Jewish mitzvot (commandments). A ceremony marking the first performance of mitzvot such as being called up to the Torah to say the blessings (known as “getting an aliyah“).

The history of the bar mitzvah dates back to a fifth-century rabbinic text references a blessing (still part of a traditional bar mitzvah) recited by the father thanking God for freeing him from responsibility for the deeds of his child, who is now accountable for his own actions.

Once the young adult has gone through the hard part, the big party of a life time is thrown in which there’ll be an abundance of dancing, speeches, a feast…more dancing and more speeches! It’s in effect like planning a mini wedding for the poor parents who have the major ordeal of planning it :)

I make sure I’m there on the day documenting it from beginning to end, capturing all the fun right to the end…taking approx 1000 or so images which get culled down to around 500 to make it more manageable and also now offer a slideshow of stills and short video clips showing the highlights of their night. You can see examples of these on my Bar Mitzvah section of my website.

Here’s a small selection of images from my shoot and will hopefully be able to post some of the party too at a later date so watch this space!