What is the sense of making a Bar Mitzvah for a non-religious Jew?

[ChabadKahanist]

If the kid not before or after will keep any mitzvot?

[kyel]

In America, It is an opportunity for the parents to spend 4 million dollars and keep up with the Steins.

[muman613]

If the kid not before or after will keep any mitzvot?

It is a joke...

But I will say that I was Bar Mitzvahed in a Conservative synagogue and at the time I was not enamored with religious observance. After the Bar Mitzvah I did not do anything 'Jewish' for another 20 years... But I thank Hashem my parents gave me one... Or else I may not be 'here' today.

[ChabadKahanist]

It is a joke...

But I will say that I was Bar Mitzvahed in a Conservative synagogue and at the time I was not enamored with religious observance. After the Bar Mitzvah I did not do anything 'Jewish' for another 20 years... But I thank Hashem my parents gave me one... Or else I may not be 'here' today.

Yup,many have that happen so it can have an upside as you are living proof.

[fibrogirl]

I had a bat mitzva which was just a dinner with a DJ in a cheap tacky little hall/Olam  in Israel. -You could see the 1980's economic problems in Israel by looking at the photos. All my family are secular BTW.
There was zero Jewish content.
However the memory means very much to me and I am glad they did it.

In the Israeli newspapers, Ed Miliband - the opposition leader of the British government was noted to not even have had a Barmitzva -neither religious or non religious. Not having a Barmitzvar is one of the things that signify someone being completely cut off from Judaism as opposed to non observant or secular.

[kyel]

I had a bat mitzva which was just a dinner with a DJ in a cheap tacky little hall/Olam  in Israel. -You could see the 1980's economic problems in Israel by looking at the photos. All my family are secular BTW.
There was zero Jewish content.
However the memory means very much to me and I am glad they did it.

In the Israeli newspapers, Ed Miliband - the opposition leader of the British government was noted to not even have had a Barmitzva -neither religious or non religious. Not having a Barmitzvar is one of the things that signify someone being completely cut off from Judaism as opposed to non observant or secular.

Why would it be? Bar mitzvah's are a modern thing and weren't even done in certain Jewish communities

[Tag-MehirTzedek]

Don't underestimate it. For many people they at least learn how to read in Hebrew (to read from the Torah). Then they get a pair of Tefillin which is itself a great plus. Even if its for show and for other people (which still no one does that 100%, and they at least have some % Lishma) its still very good becvause they get the Tefillin, get the Tefillin and then at least the child has the opportunity to then choose his path. If he wants to put on the Tefillin he already has a pair available etc. Also even if to come to shul at that time and hear the prayers, answer Amen etc. that's a big gain in of itself.

[ChabadKahanist]

Don't underestimate it. For many people they at least learn how to read in Hebrew (to read from the Torah). Then they get a pair of Tefillin which is itself a great plus. Even if its for show and for other people (which still no one does that 100%, and they at least have some % Lishma) its still very good becvause they get the Tefillin, get the Tefillin and then at least the child has the opportunity to then choose his path. If he wants to put on the Tefillin he already has a pair available etc. Also even if to come to shul at that time and hear the prayers, answer Amen etc. that's a big gain in of itself.

I agree

[Dr. Dan]

It is a joke...

But I will say that I was Bar Mitzvahed in a Conservative synagogue and at the time I was not enamored with religious observance. After the Bar Mitzvah I did not do anything 'Jewish' for another 20 years... But I thank Hashem my parents gave me one... Or else I may not be 'here' today.

Same here except I pretty much led the services while my twin didn't know diddly squat, continued with my Jewish education with more Hebrew school yadda yadda yadda and now I'm a kahanist that rarely goes to shul and doesn't like temples. Go figure

[fibrogirl]

Why would it be? Bar mitzvah's are a modern thing and weren't even done in certain Jewish communities

Perhaps they weren't even done in certain Jewish communities. But Now, in Israel, not having one is seen as being totally cut off from Judaism, more than having a Christmas tree.

 I agree that getting Tefillin once and going through the the ceremony even if there is only 1% kavana, and there is usually more than that, is a positive thing.

[muman613]

Why would it be? Bar mitzvah's are a modern thing and weren't even done in certain Jewish communities

I think you mean 'Bat Mitzvahs' are a modern thing... Bar Mitzvahs are a Torah obligation.... A boy at the age of 13 (according to the Talmud) is obligated to keep the commandments (Bar Mitzvah means roughly 'Son of Commandments')...

http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/1912609/jewish/Bar-Mitzvah-101.htm

Bat Mitzvahs are not commanded....

http://www.torah.org/learning/lifecycles/mitzvah/vol1no1.html

Bar and Bas Mitzvah - A Special Celebration
By: Rabbi Yehudah Prero
According to Jewish law, children are not obligated to keep the Mitzvos, the commandments. The time during the early years of a person's life is a training period, where they learn about the Mitzvos and how to keep them properly. A woman becomes obligated to keep the Mitzvos (Bas Mitzvah) at the age of 12. A man becomes obligated to keep the Mitzvos (Bar Mitzvah) at the age of 13. We usually mark the reaching of this important milestone in a person's life with celebration. The interesting thing about reaching the age of Bar and Bas Mitzvah is that we don't find any explicit commandment in the Torah to celebrate the occasion. The Chasam Sofer poses this question in his commentary in Parshas Vayechi. He compares this glaring omission to another omission that we find in the Torah. When one would look to see why we celebrate the holiday of Shavuos, one would find that the Torah makes no association between Shavuos and the giving of the Torah (see I:24). Shavuos is the anniversary of the giving of the Torah, and it seems fitting that we celebrate this anniversary on Shavuos. Yet, the Torah mentions the the bringing of Bikkurim (the first fruits of the harvest) as a reason for celebration. Why does the Torah not mention any celebration of the anniversary of the giving of the Torah?

The Chasam Sofer, when answering his question, sets out some elementary facts. The people brought the first fruits to Jerusalem at the time of Shavuos, with great fanfare. The Sefer HaChinuch tells us why we have the commandment to set aside the first fruit. Until the time that the crops begin to grow, a farmer may be very worried about the success of his crops. His livelihood depends on these fruits, and waiting to see if they will grow and produce can be nerve-wracking. However, once the fruits have started to grow, and the farmer sees that his work is literally bearing fruits, the farmer is overjoyed. He knows that his work was not for naught and that he will have an income this year. It is precisely at a time like this that a farmer needs to remember who made his crops successful: Hashem. At the height of his joy, the farmer sets aside the first fruits of his labor upon the command of Hashem. This way, the farmer displays that he is thankful for all the help and the blessings Hashem has bestowed upon him. In this instance, the farmer needs a reminder of how and why he was blessed.
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It is, perhaps, for this reason, that no commandments to celebrate becoming a Bar or Bas Mitzvah appears in the Torah. Upon becoming adults, young people have the yoke of Torah placed upon their shoulders. While it is indeed a time when one might be a bit frightened by the burden he or she is starting to bear, one should nevertheless be overjoyed by the fact that now he or she has the opportunity to do Mitzvos and fulfill the command of Hashem. This happiness has to be natural: the youth has to feel it on his own. An artificial happiness, brought on by an obligatory celebration of the fact, is not needed nor desired. The young man or woman at the time of the Bar or Bas Mitzvah has to realize how lucky he or she is to now have received the Torah and to be thankful to Hashem for this gift. This realization has to arise without any stimuli. It has to be self motivated and sincere. It is for this reason that the Torah contains no commandments to celebrate becoming a Bar or Bas Mitzvah.

It is interesting that the Klei Yakar comments that the commandment which best characterizes what the Bar or Bas Mitzvah is going through is that of Bikkurrim. The young boy or girl has grown from an infant, totally dependent on his parents, to a young man or woman, who is now responsible for all 613 Mitzvos. Like the crops, he has been showered with attention and many sleepless hours have been spent worrying about the success of the object of the labor. At the time the child is beginning to blossom, beginning to bear fruit, the child, like the first fruits, is to be in essence set aside to Hashem - he now begins his life adhering to all that the Torah dictates.
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[Binyamin Yisrael]

Bat Mitzvahs ARE commanded. A girl at age 12 is required to keep the mitzvot. The ceremony in a party hall for both boys and girl is a modern thing. Someone automatically become a Bar or Bat Mitzvah at age 13 or 12 whether they have a celebration or not.