Mamet bar mitzvah tale offers simple wisdom

These days, it seems, two books commonly appear among b'nai mitzvah gifts -- the Torah and Dr. Seuss' inspirational "Oh The Places You'll Go!"

A new book by acclaimed playwright David Mamet offers a third alternative that falls somewhere between the strictly serious and the zany but somewhat condescending.

"Bar Mitzvah," a short story with drawings by Donald Sultan, suggests parents can offer venerable, simple wisdom to children without overwhelming their kids or talking down to them.

The tale uses an anecdote of an elderly man speaking to a boy about to enter adulthood. The grandfatherly figure wants to convey a simple truth about what it means to be Jewish.

Tinkering with an old watch, he gets the ear of the boy by telling him a bit about how the mechanics of watches developed. His conversation soon evolves into a lesson when he asks the boy what relevance an old machine has in a high-tech world.

The boy figures it out: The old watch reminds one of times past.

The old man goes on to elaborate on that point. Eventually he weaves his story through the Holocaust, humanity's connection to God and the boy's bar mitzvah. He speaks of searching for meaning in life, but not necessarily expecting life to always make sense.

Alongside Mamet's understated text, Sultan's subdued, charcoal and gold leaf drawings of watches, geometric patterns, barbed wire, empty clock faces and bullets present a narrative for the eyes. They also help slow down the pace of the short story.

The old man drives his point home by telling the boy that thoughts and wishes are not of the utmost importance. All the boy needs to do is "be a good Jew." How? No way to answer the question except by one's actions.

"Bar Mitzvah" is not a lesson that is overly pedantic or scholarly. It offers just the right amount of wisdom and advice a young person can take in one sitting.

Mamet usually creates more wordy or convoluted themes in his plays and movies. This time, his storytelling is simple. The old man and the boy aren't fleshed out at all with description but they feel very familiar nonetheless.

At a time when numerous people have bemoaned the lack of meaning in and the excessive costs of b'nai mitzvah, Mamet's message offers a counterpoint.

For that reason, the tale is perhaps not simply for the child becoming an adult, but for the adult becoming more of an adult as well.