Confirmation ceremony, Shaarey Tphiloh, Portland, 1938
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It used to be that only boys marked their transition to adulthood through a ceremony at the synagogue. In the early 20th century, confirmation became a popular alternative to the bar mitzvah, especially for girls. Today, most girls celebrate a bat mitzvah similar or identical to the boys’ bar mitzvah ceremony.
Courtesy of the Portland Press Herald collection at the Portland Public Library