Welcome to Miss Mitzvah, episode one! To many of our friends in the US, happy Thanksgiving! If you’re listening on Thursday or this weekend, hunkering down and overeating in your childhood home, what better way to ease out of that queasy feeling with a somewhat related one. As you spend the weekend running into estranged friends at hometown bars, dodging questions about your relationship status, and how much you’ve “grown”, spend the next 30 minutes or so reflecting on adolescence, really leaning into those cringe worthy memories that only seem to surface around the holidays….
Over the course of the season we’re going to be discussing a wide range of experiences, diving deep into the Bat Mitzvah experience from different perspectives, with different people from all ends of the spiritual, religious, socioeconomic, and gender spectrum. We’ll be giving lil history and vocab lessons along the way and inviting all of you to lend your ears and and insights to the conversation.
Today we’re starting simply- entering into the convo about Bat Mitzvahs with Adira. Adira is a friend of mine and fellow artist from Seacliff Long Island. I spent a day with Adira in September driving out from her apartment in Brooklyn to her parent’s house on Long Island where we talked about body image, putting yourself out there, and her Bat Mitzvah party experience.
Wondering what any of the words used in the episode mean? I.e: What's a babka? Tallis? Kippah? We've started an ongoing vocab list you can find here. Interested in contributing?
Reach out at missmitzvah@gmail.com.
Detail image of the back of a pair of signed Soffe shorts, a party favor at Adira's Bat Mitzvah. We found these at the bottom of an armoir in Adira's childhood bedroom.
Host and Creative Direction: Zoe Penina Baker
Music and Production: Sophia Lanman
Editing: Julie Berube
Special thanks to the Museum of Jewish Montreal