In
orthodox Judaism, which predominates in
Israel, there is no special initiation ceremony for the
passage from girlhood to womanhood. In rites of passage, even
Israel's non-religious Jews follow orthodox rites. To try to
hold a Bat Mitzvah at the Western Wall would cause a riot. An Israeli
girl sometimes has a party at the age of 12, but that is all. In
America, where the Reform and Conservative movements are
strong, girls do go through a Bat Mitzvah. Orthodoxy, however, retains
the patriarchal character of traditional Judaism.