Coming of age Many cultures have a unique way of accepting the leap from childhood to a manhood. These customs might be extremely different in each culture, but they share a common thread. The Jewish, Ibo and Mayan cultures are examples of variant societies that share the common notion that this stage should be marked in a distinctive way. In the Jewish religion, boys are not obligated to observe the commandments, although they are encouraged to do so. At the age of thirteen, boys are required to abide by the commandments. The Bar Mitzvah, which literally means "son of the commandment," is the ceremony in which the Jewish boy accepts that obligation. During a Bar Mi