Feature illuminates value of religious coming-of-age stories

Here in Texas, seeing a limo driving around on a Saturday afternoon generally means a quinceañera celebration is in progress. I had a chance recently to talk with a Latina friend about what the church service and subsequent ball mean in the life of teenagers.

Then I saw this charming feature in the New York Times over the weekend about 90+-year-old women celebrating a bat mitzvah that they weren't able to have during the Depression.

The story starts with the social issues of girls not getting recognition because of their gender during tight economic times, but moves to the religious significance in the lives of the women, by quoting them about the subject of the speech they offered after the reading from the Torah.