This bear was used as a gift to celebrate the Bat Mitzvah of an Iowa Jewish girl. The Bat Mitzvah is a coming of age ritual for girls that occurs at the age of 12. Jewish law does not require girls to hold a public ceremony; however, they have become more popular during the last 50 years. The bear is wearing a prayer shawl, which Jewish girls wear during their Bat Mitzvah ceremonies. Content can be used with the following standards: 3rd grade SS 3.28 Cultural Contributions in a lesson on religions practiced in Iowa such as Judaism and its associated rituals. For any use other than instructional resources, please check with the organization that owns this item regarding copyright restrictions.
2018.014.018 [Bear, Teddy]
Legal Status
Ownership of this resource is held by the Iowa Jewish Historical Society and has been provided here for educational purposes only, specifically for use in the Iowa Museum Association's "Teaching Iowa History" project. It may not be downloaded, reproduced or distributed in any format without written permission from the Rights Holder. For information on U.S. and International copyright laws, consult an attorney.