My Thirty-Minute Bar Mitzvah

A Memoir

A moving, witty memoir about a Jewish childhood in apartheid-era South Africa

'Hilarious and heart-breaking' William Kentridge

What kind of bar mitzvah lasts only thirty minutes? As South African author Denis Hirson gradually reveals the details of his highly unusual ceremony, he explores the familial and political themes that thread their way through his story.

Recreating 1960s apartheid-era Johannesburg through his adolescent eyes, he writes of the silences that surrounded his Jewish heritage, and of the day that one of the family's secrets finally exploded. With the surprising help of his eleven-year-old daughter, Hirson is able to finally confront the troubles of his past with wisdom, humour and subtle lyricism.

UK Delivery:

• Free delivery on all orders of £10 or more.
• £1.49 delivery fee on orders below £10.
• UK orders are shipped via Royal Mail 2nd Class.

International Delivery:

• Flat rate delivery charges vary by country.

Dispatch and Delivery Times:

• All orders are shipped from our warehouse in Northampton, UK within 48 hours of receipt during working hours.
• UK mainland orders typically arrive within 3-5 working days via Royal Mail 2nd Class.
• International estimated delivery times:
• Europe & Channel Islands: 7 to 10 working days
• USA: 7 to 15 working days
• Rest of the World: 9 to 21 working days

View our full delivery infomation here.