Let him walk, like other thirteen-year-old boys!

From The Encyclopedia of Jewish Humor by Henry D. Spalding.

Every ethnic group has its quota of unsavory characters and Jews are no exception. Jack "Legs" Diamond passed along his reputation as a gangster when he was cut down by machine gun bullets in the "Roaring Twenties," but his single legacy to humor remains:

When Jack ("Jake" to his family) approached the Bar Mitzvah age, his proud father was at a loss as to a suitable gift. So he consulted his son's Hebrew teacher. (Yes, the mobster came from a fine, respectable family.)

"Well, Mr. Diamond," said the instructor, "I can think of no better Bar Mitzvah present than an encyclopedia."

"What!" cried Mr. Diamond, outraged. "God forbid, he'd get himself killed in all this heavy traffic. Let him walk, like other thirteen-year-old boys!"