At The Crossroads of Traditions, the Rituals That Define Us

The fabric of a person’s identity presents itself from their culture guiding their behaviors and attitudes in different communities. It is the transmission of human experiences, and it shapes individuals into their unique selves through learning of a language, customs, norms, and traditions. Each cultural community holds its unique interpretation of life’s journey and develops intricate ceremonies to signify its various milestones. The rites of passage show the path to maturity in different traditions. As we step into the heart of two sacred rituals, I found myself immersed in a realm where ancient customs intertwine with the hopes of the young, where history meets the present moment, and where individuals seamlessly blend into the communal spirit that binds them to their people. The Swahili-Bantu and Jewish cultures share the symbolic rituals and community engagement in their transformative journeys. Through these ceremonies, the preservation of cultural identity is important amidst the differences of cultural and religious diversity.

People pass through different stages in life, the birth of a child, coming of age, marriage, and death. The coming of age in the Swahili-Bantu culture marks an important milestone in the lives of young people but also serves to strengthen cultural bonds, preserve traditional practices, and foster a sense of belonging and solidarity within the community. In my Swahili-Bantu culture the transition from childhood to adulthood is marked by significant rites of passage, including male circumcision and cultural education for females, preparing young people for their roles and responsibilities within the community as adults. These rites were brought about by the tenth clan in the Agikuyu mythology, borrowing from a Cushite group and influences of missionaries through the teachings of Abraham in the Bible (Finke,2003). The transition occurs during a child’s puberty, around 12 years old mostly, by the end of primary school and the transition into high school. It is marked by ceremony and celebration as the community brings out their children to undergo this initiation. For boys, it is called ‘the cut,’ where an assigned ‘doctor’ or herbalist removes the foreskin from a male’s penis. Initiates are first secluded from the rest of the community into single-gendered groups. Saying goodbye to my mother during this time flooded me with feelings of fear, anxiety, and confusion due to the excitement. I desperately wanted someone to comfort me. Our bodies are covered in art of the communities choosing, not permanently as we believe tattoos are taboo. Men are dressed in lesos a traditional African cloth that covers the lower body making the lower part accessible and helps in healing. With the coming of modernization and influence of Christianity, debates were initiated on how pre-culture was barbaric and unsafe medically for young men. Our people, however, stuck with traditions but introduced modern medicine to help with the pain. Since my father was not around my first uncle took me to the ceremony to not bring shame to the family. Typically, fathers took their sons to their first ceremonial dance ‘gituuro’ the night before the rite to the cultural grounds for prayers under the huge ‘mugumo’ tree, which is considered as a prayer ground to ask for healing and good fortune. Initiates were taken down to the rivers at early dawn for hours to numb the body in preparation for ‘the cut’ and afterwards they would face the senior elder doctor. Infliction of pain was a characteristic of what manhood and the pressure to endure pain without crying or complaint was a display of masculinity. Men who underwent circumcision were respected and held dominance over uncircumcised men ‘kifere’. Social discrimination was directed towards the uncircumcised individual, regardless of their age, often relating them to the status of a child. We are then placed into secluded huts for a week to be educated, including information on how circumcision is important in the reduction of HIV (WHO, 2007). By removing the foreskin, medical male circumcision reduces female to male heterosexual HIV transmission by approximately 60 %. (DiClemente, 2015) The cultural values of men who are circumcised and sexual education including how to have sex, its reparations, and our responsibility to protect women. In pre-culture times boys were not only men but junior warriors ‘anake,’ proteges to senior warriors who were experienced defenders and raiders of the community (Finke). Women on the other hand go through the same education and they then prepare meals to help the initiates heal through their rite of passage. Women are taught traditional customs domestic skills, etiquette and reproductive health and childbirth practices by a woman elder who is considerably past childbearing age. This prepares them to contribute to the well-being of their families and communities. At the conclusion of this mentally and physically rigorous period, initiates are reintroduced to society as fully initiated adults and given the responsibilities and privileges that accompany their new status.

Jewish culture comes from the religion Judaism. It follows the text of the Old Testament in the Bible. This means that Jewish culture follows the covenant made by God and Abraham’s descendants (Genesis 17) in which males are circumcised eight days after birth. This is unusual when compared to other cultures (such as Swahili-Bantu) where it takes place closer to puberty. Writings from the Mishnah and Talmudic periods describe the procedure as consisting of three stages: Milah, the removal of the foreskin; Periſah, the tearing off and folding back of the mucous membrane to expose the glans; and Metsitsah, the suction of the blood from the wound. This ritual was particularly symbolic of the Jewish people (Lawrence). Circumcision is also the occasion that marks the naming of the boy. These cultural practices are passed down from generation to generation. The rite of passage in Judaism, the Bar/Baat Mitzvah meaning son/daughter of the commandments similar to my culture is, celebrated at puberty at 13(boys) and 12(girls). The north African Jews encountered bar/bat mitzvah in the 19th century.  From a religious perspective, the rite of passage is intended to help boys fulfill the covenants outlined in the Torah. While this is the primary goal, it also serves other purposes, such as educating the child to become a responsible member of the community and fostering a sense of unity within the community (jewishmoroccanarchiveco, 14). These ceremonies are held in celebration of their maturity. After the occasion the person is obligated to assume responsibility of his own actions and live to the directives of the Torah. During a Bar Mitzvah celebration, the Rabbi, traditionally assumed to be a Levite, serves as an unpaid teacher who imparts Torah knowledge to the young person coming of age. Due to receiving no pay, they may also take on additional responsibilities akin to those of a priest in order to make a living. (jewishmoroccancultureco ,11). In Moroccan culture the Bar/Bat is celebrated the first Monday or Thursday following his/her birthday. They are expected to recite a blessing before and after the reading of a section of the Torah (an honor known as Aliyah). They then chant a selection from the weekly Torah portion (parashah), or a prophetic reading (haftarah) and its accompanied blessings connected to the parashah, and the experience of becoming a Bar/Bat Mitzvah (Hilton, 108). Finally, the father stands at the side of his son and declares immediately thereafter that he is no longer responsible for the conduct of the boy or girl (Hilton, 110). A few weeks prior to his Bar Mitzvah, the boy receives instruction on how to don the talith (prayer shawl) and tefillin (two distinct little boxes containing pertinent Torah passages, or Shema). The tefillin is placed on the believer’s head in the form of a crown, while the talith is placed on the left arm near the heart. (jewishmoroccancultureco, 15). Following the service the Bar/Bat delivers a speech and guests shower him with gifts and blessings. The Moroccan Jews hold the festivities the Sunday evening or Wednesday evening the night before the Torah is read in the synagogues. In the European culture the festivities are held after the readings and can be a simple lunch or a big party where all the family and friends come to celebrate. Tailoring a new suit or dress is common for this occasion, in Morrocco hair cutting accompanied by his father is an important step.

This study explores the significance of rites of passage within the respective cultural contexts of the Swahili- Bantu and the Moroccan Jewish culture. A few similarities between the two events would be that both focus on the rites of passage, the transition from childhood to adulthood with specific rituals within their culture. The rite of passage serves as a means to transmit cultural values and a sense of belonging in the community. These rites of passage require active participation of the community. Family members, elders and religious or cultural leaders play a vital role in guiding and supporting the initiates through the process. The practice of circumcision has a symbolic role in both cultures but has different meanings in both. The timing of this practice in the Swahili-Bantu culture occurs around puberty and it signifies the transition into manhood. Whereas in the Jewish culture it occurs eight days after birth, symbolizing the covenant between God and Abraham’s descendants. The Bar/Bat Mitzvah which is the Jewish rite of passage ceremony occurs around puberty. The rituals associated with the rites of passage differ between the two cultures. Swahili-Bantu focuses on circumcision, seclusion, and cultural education while the Jewish culture’s Bar/Bat Mitzvah involves religious education, Torah readings, blessings, and community celebration. Both cultures have a deep sense of symbolism in their initiation rituals. They both recognize the transition from childhood to adulthood and these are marked by either circumcision or the Bar/Bat Mitzvah ceremony. The difference is that while both have a cultural and social significance they differ religiously. Swahili-Bantu rituals are rooted in as cultural and traditional, whereas Jewish practices are intertwined with religious texts and teachings. A common theme in both rites of passage is the emphasis on the transition from childhood to adulthood as a significant cultural event. Individuals assume their new roles and responsibilities as adults in their communities after their initiation. Both cultures use the rite of passage to instill in them values and responsibilities associated with adulthood and prepare them to take on roles as responsible members of the community. This rite of passage celebrations is woven in as a fabric of cultural identity.

In conclusion, the Swahili-Bantu and Jewish cultures illuminate the beauty of human experience through their timeless tradition of rites of passage. As I dove deeper into my own experience and the Jewish culture, I noticed the power of cultural identity made a profound significance in community connection. From the secluded huts of the Swahili-Bantu villages to the ornate synagogues of Jewish neighborhoods’ the rites of passage not only celebrate an individual’s growth but also the resilience of tradition in an ever-changing world. Embracing the richness of tradition and the unity found in the youths’ shared experience is something we should bring into every community.

Works Cited

Finke, Jens. “Traditional Music & Cultures of Kenya.” Kikuyu Circumcision – Traditional Music & Cultures of Kenya, 2003, www.bluegecko.org/kenya/tribes/kikuyu/circumcision.htm.

Hoffman, Lawrence A. Covenant of Blood: Circumcision and Gender in Rabbinic Judaism. Chicago, 1996.

“Bar Mitzvah and Education.” Jewish Moroccan Archive, 26 Sept. 2012, jewishmoroccanarchive.co/bar-mitzvah-education.

Hilton, Michael. Bar Mitzvah, a history: A History, The Jewish Publication Society, 2014. ProQuest E-book Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/lwtclearningcommons-ebooks/detail.action?docID=1687283. Page 115

WHO. (2007). New data on male circumcision and HIV prevention: Policy and programme implications. Geneva: Author.

Siegler, Aaron J., Jessie K. Mbwambo, and Ralph J. Diclemente. “Acceptability of Medical Male Circumcision and Improved Instrument Sanitation among a Traditionally Circumcising Group in East Africa.” AIDS and Behavior, vol. 16, no. 7, 2012, pp. 1846-52. ProQuest, http://168.156.198.98:2048/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/acceptability-medical-male-circumcision-improved/docview/1073483925/se-2, doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-012-0262-6.