We get this question quite often, so I’m posting the question and answer for other bar mitzvah parents who might find it useful.
Hello,I am wondering about tallit sizing. My son, who is 60 inches tall (now), is having his bar mitzvah two months from now. Should I order a size 50 tallit or a size 55 for him to grow into? We are interested in the Prima A.A. Tallit in Blue and Silver. Thank you, Beth
Dear Beth,
Congratulations on the upcoming bar mitzvah!
Your question is sort of like parents buying a suit: they want it to look nice for the bar mitzvah, but they don’t want it to be unwearable six months down the road.
A growth spurt somewhere between the age of 13 and 15 is highly likely, it’s really a question of when. So there’s really not much you can do in either case — the suit or the tallis.
Have you seen our Tallit Size Wizard? I would say a size 50 will probably work best. And I think there’s another reason to consider going with a size 50: Your son may find a size 55 a bit cumbersome, and I think when introducing a young man to a mitzvah it’s important not to make it a burden in any way.
The only exception would be if your son is very keen on a long tallit, which some people feel looks a bit more elegant.
(1) Comments
I was a bit shorter than 5 feet (60″) when I became bar mitzvoh, however, I found that a size 55 fit better than a 50. Now, at roughly 5’5″, I wear a size 55 (Talitania ragil) during the week and a size 60 (Mishkan HaTchelet Belz) on Shabbos and Yontif. Admittedly, part of the reason I wear a size 60 is because many of the nicer tallitos to not come in smaller sizes than that, but I do like a bit of extra length, particularly during Rosh Hashannah and Yom Kippur when I wear my tallis over my head.
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