This cartoon was published in the April 29, 1976 edition of the Chicago Jewish newspaper, The Sentinel. The cartoon depicts a boy quivering as he delivers a speech in the synagogue on the morning of his bar mitzvah. Below him several men are seated, listening to him with a variety of expressions on their faces, ranging from smiling to frowning. Above the illustration are the words: “When the Messiah comes…” The caption below the picture reads the words said by the boy: “Today I am not a Man, but a scared Bar-Mitzvah kid who knows from nothing about Judaism.”
The cartoon is criticising the level of Jewish education that bar mitzvah students receive in America. The cartoonist is imagining that with the coming of the Messiah, everyone will speak honestly, including the bar mitzvah boy who will acknowledge that he hasn’t received an adequate Jewish education. The stereotypical, and much mocked, speech at an American bar mitzvah begins, “Today I am a man,” reflecting the Jewish coming of age. It is not uncommon in America for Jewish children to end their Jewish education after their bar or bat mitzvah, and this is criticised by many educators and others who are concerned about Jewish continuity.
This is one of a large number of cartoons in the Dayenu series created by Henry Rabin, the artist, and Leonard Pritkin, the author of the texts, under the pseudonym Henry Leonard.
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Dayenu – “Dayenu” was a weekly cartoon that appeared in Jewish newspapers in the 1950s and 1960s. The cartoon was signed by Henry Leonard, a pseudonym used to represent two people: Rabbi Henry Rabin and the artist Leonard Prikitin. The cartoon, titled “Dayenu” (meaning enough) from the Haggadah was intended to be humorous, sometimes even poking fun at the US Jewish communities at the time. At its peak, “Dayenu” appeared in 50 Jewish newspapers and was later collected in four books.
Bar/Bat Mitzvah – Bar mitzvah for boys or bat mitzvah for girls refers to the ages, 12 and 13 respectively, at which a Jew becomes obligated to fulfil the Jewish commandments and is allowed to participate fully in Jewish ritual and law. Since the Middle Ages, Jewish families have celebrated this milestone with a variety of different ceremonies and celebrations that have developed over time and place. In the past only boys celebrated their coming of age, but these days, in most communities, girls also celebrate. Bar and bat mitzvahs may consist of the celebrant being called up to the Torah for an aliyah, reading the weekly Torah portion or Haftarah, giving a sermon about the Torah reading, or leading the prayer service. Parties are probably the most common way of celebrating this milestone with family and friends. In recent years, participating in a social action project has also become quite common in some communities. In the past only boys celebrated their coming of age, though in recent years almost all communities celebrate also the girls' Bat Mitzvah.
