Minutes before Emma Sabo's bat mitzvah ceremony was to begin, she busied herself by welcoming guests. She smiled at all who walked into Congregation Beth Sholom in Napa. Hugs and kisses were plentiful.

"On my gosh, there's so many people!" Emma said with excitement.

Family and friends, most Jewish, filled the temple.

Dressed in a bohemian pink skirt and a white glitter tank top, the 13-year-old dazzled the crowd.

As everyone said that morning, this was Emma's day, every minute of it. On Aug. 26, 2006, Emma was to become a bat mitzvah, a "daughter of the commandment," and that day will be held as one of the most sacred days in her life.

The first bat mitzvah was in 1922, in New York City. Since then, it has become increasingly popular for Jewish girls to take part in the tradition. To become a "daughter of the commandment," or bar mitzvah -- a "son of the commandment" -- is to undertake the obligations and responsibilities of being a Jewish adult, and the traditional age for the ritual is 13.

These responsibilities include abiding by the Ten Commandments and living a moral Jewish life. All young adults becoming bat or bar mitzvahs go through intensive lessons in Hebrew, so that they are prepared to read directly from the Torah, which is comprised of the five books of Moses.

Emma is the first in her family to become a bat mitzvah. Her mother, Jan Sabo, was on the path but did not complete it due to an illness in her family and a bad turn of circumstances. Emma's father, Tom Sabo, was raised a Catholic. Two years ago, her brother, Sam Sabo, become a bar mitzvah.

"It's an honor to be the first girl," Emma said.

Emma, an eighth-grader at Harvest Middle School, is confident, sassy and knows what she wants. A born actress, Emma has been active in theater since first grade, and has been part of Broadway Bound Kids in Sonoma.

While she is now considered a young woman, Emma cannot hide her youthful ways. During practice with the rabbi, it was not uncommon to see her lying on the temple floor, procrastinating in any way she could dream up.

When it was her time to read from the Torah, Emma took the 17-pound scrolls and cradled them in her arms. Using caution, she walked around the crowd of people, careful to not drop the Torah -- if she did the entire congregation would have to fast for 40 days.

When Emma got back to the bimah, the altar, with the help of Rabbi Kennard Lipman, she opened the parchment scrolls, grabbed the yad, a pointer, and inhaled deeply before she began reading.

The audience was on pins and needles as Emma finished chanting the Haftarah, the section of the Hebrew bible other than the five books of Moses. When she sang the last word, Emma and the congregation audibly sighed with relief. She let out her own laugh of relief and beamed with pride. She had conquered what had most intimidated her, reading aloud in Hebrew.

Emma quickly dropped down behind the podium, hiding from the lifesaver candies that were being thrown at her from all parts of the temple.

Laughs and smiles filled the room as the candy piled atop her, signifying that this moment was one of the sweetest in her life.

The ballroom at Embassy Suites was elegantly decorated. Playbills of various Broadway shows such as "Phantom of the Opera" and "The Lion King" were the centerpieces. Each playbill floated high in the air, surrounded by glittery stars. The 187 guests dressed in their finest as they entered the room, some from town, others from as far away as New York. Wandering through the crowd of guests one could hear the praise for Emma and her reading of the Torah earlier that day.

"She was amazing, she just came altogether -- not one mistake," said Fani Pierce, Emma's Hebrew teacher.

When Emma began her Hebrew studies, she struggled. The foreign yet familiar words intimidated her.

"It was scary -- a couple times I didn't think I could do it," Emma said.

But she strived, and found strength in the words of her aunt, Randi "Iggy" Storm.

"She kept me going, and told me 'I have faith in you, and even if you mess up don't worry because everyone there is in support of you,'" Emma said.

Iggy, an outgoing, cheerful woman, is hard to miss with her blonde curls, New Jersey accent and evident delight for life. That energy, along with many lessons from Emma's Hebrew teachers and her uncle Howie Siegel, helped Emma to confidently read the Torah.

Emma admits that when she decided to become a bat mitzvah it was for the lavish party.

"Now, I realize what an honor it is -- it's not just the party," she said.

Religious traditions aside, the parties themselves have bred a tradition, a tradition that calls for huge, wedding-style parties that are as fun for a 5-year-old as they are for a grandparent.

Emma's parents started planning her party two years ago, and spent $17,000 on the event.

"It's like planning a wedding but with no honeymoon," said Jan Sabo, laughing.

Planning and spending was no problem for Emma's parents, and the entire day they gloated, displaying endless pride in their daughter.

"I'm amazed by the amount of studying and work she had to do, this is the beginning of constant education of history and culture. Š I'm totally proud of this kid and I wouldn't have it any other way," Tom Sabo said.

At the party Emma was the star. Her silver jewelry glittered in the soft light, and her smile filled the room and her guests with joyful spirit.