We immigrated to Israel from Poland and other countries in Europe. Many of us never had a Bar Mitzva because our parents didn't bother.. Yet we all became devoted Israelis, patriotic, contributing, serving our country through IDF and paying taxes, getting educated and having good productive jobs. Bar Mitzva is a symbol of some sort, maybe useful to the actor Arquette, but useless to many of Jews and Israelis.

He might want to reevaluate.

If all Jews thought like you, we would have been just a bleep in world's history. The Bar-Mitvah is one of the most important aspect along with Brit-Milah of being Jewish. It makes us who we are. In the end, what will you leave to your children? Cell phones and flat screen TV? Their people's heritage is what their can cherish forever. I don't get why so many Jews want to distance themselves from the richest heritage in human history.

"Bar Mitzva" simply means "responsible for keeping Mitzvot", the Commandments. In Jewish Law, children are minors and are not responsible. Boys at 13 and girls at 12 become legally responsible for keeping the law. If the family wants to celebrate this with some ceremony, fine. Mazel Tov! If not, the child still becomes "Bar Mitzva". Mazel Tov! There is no prescribed ceremony for becoming Bar Mitzva - you simply have to reach that birthday, at which point you are legally liable for abiding by the law.

Of course, they don't know what a bar/bat mitzvah is all about. They only know their Jewish friends get to have a big party. Maybe when the Obama kids ask their parents if they can have a bat mitzvah, Barack can explain why they can't. After all, he claims to know so much about Judaism. Curious that Arquette was married to Courtney Cox. Though she played a half-Jew on the show Friends, when the show wrapped up she appeared with her fellow costars wearing a large cross.

If you had your Bar Mitzva, you might find out you are wrong. And it won't hurt you :)

Many of us have not found it “useless”, but fulfilling.

I obey philosophical laws, universal laws of good citizenship, of being a good human being. It has nothing to do with Jewish or any other religious laws, unless there is a philosophical connection to being a universally good being. So, I can obey nine of the ten commandments universally, but not the one telling me there is one g. To my children I will leave cultural and historical heritage. Guidance to mitzvot will be from good human beings universally, from those who do not believe in inequality and in being chosen for some hypothetical purpose by hypothetical deity. These will be my Israeli mitzvot, along with my American and Polish mitzvot I will leave behind, without a Bar to spoil the fun.

I'm sorry to tell you but you are confused and still don't get it. You have it backwards.

What are you proud of, ideas which most of the world has abandoned? Go ahead, leave it as your heritage, to be abandoned by your tze'etzayim. The world marches forward and people like you are falling further and further behind.

is an emotional moment. And every day that follows, it will continue serving as a direct connection with G-D.

Seems to me you are a good Jewish persons. Your values are Jewish. If you do what you say and educate your children as you say you do, you are a far better Jew than lots of people who were b'mtzvd.

Quote: "The world marches forward and people like you are falling further and further behind". That's what the Romans were saying. Where are they now?

What people are kindly trying to convey to you is the fact that the adherence to Jewish heritage is what has kept the Jews going....against all odds. Being a good person is something expected from all the nations, including Jews. You seem to show signs of being upset just because people are trying to point out to you commonly accepted views. There is no need for that.

Thanks for being diplomatic about it but people like Michael make my blood boil when they say than our heritage is nothing. It is the reason we are still here, the reason he was able to move to Israel from the dump that is Poland. OK, I'm done ranting for today.

1. You immigrated to Israel? You write California as your city/country information, not anywhere in Israel 2. Everyone should be a good person, respectful, hard working, honest, whether Christian, Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist or even atheist, however what do you do as a Jew, which others don't? To bring you closer to G-d and Judaism? I thought as you write here, many years ago, until a woman asked me the same question and I had no answer. So I felt that maybe I should do something. I began by lighting Sabbath candles and then years later following kashrut. It definitely added to my life and still does. The idea of being Jewish and following some of our obligations can make you feel a deeper connection and may change your views, as it did mine.

Sorry Michael but you just sound very angry, obviously something is bothering you about the whole idea of the Jewish faith, you have a right not to have a Bar Mitzva or anything related to the Jewish faith but don't knock it until you have tried it. Our heritage is what has kept us alive and strong...be proud!

I understand where you're coming from and I don't want to tell you how to live your life. The only comment I have is that, in my opinion, "most of the world" has not abandoned 'those' ideas. Peace.