GoOd+AnD+bAd+RiGhTs+Of+PaSsAgEs

Hilit J.    May 19, 2008 7B English Rites of Passages   Rites of Passages are rituals that mark a change of status of an individual. There are good rights of passages that bring joy and happiness to individuals such as marriage, or becoming a bar mitzvah. In Judaism when a girl or boy turns 12 for girls, 13 for boys, they are considered a “Jewish adult”. A long service of prayers and torah chanting is the ceremony that the Jewish teenagers go through to become a Bar or Bat Mitzvah. There are also some bad rights of passages. For example, in some tribes in Africa, girls from ages 5 or older go through the process of “circumcision”. This is now considered genital mutilation. Circumcision for the female often occurs in African tribes. It is the process where a part or the whole clitoris is cut off. Sometimes in the most extreme cases, the whole labia is cut off and the sides of the vulva are sewn together only leaving a small hole to pee out of. This is a horrible right of passage because only .3% of these operations are done with sterile instruments and in hospitals. There is also no anesthesia so the girl getting circumcised is awake and pained for a very long time. This process can emotionally and physically scar these women throughout their whole lives. Some of them don’t know better and think “circumcision” happens to all young girls.  Rights of Passage can differ in many ways. There are happy ones and sad ones. Some rights of passage allow people freedom and individuality, others hurt and torment. They are very important to our community because they add responsibility and give people a goal or new level to reach.