Theme: B’nai MitvahThirteen Was Long AgoBy Joyce OlinerWhen you think of a bar or bat mitzvah, you probably thinkof a gangly teenager whose voice cracks on the first fewnotes of “Ein Kamocha,” while parents and siblings lookon proudly from the front rows of the sanctuary. But everycouple of years at <strong>Beth</strong> <strong>El</strong>, a very different group of b’naimitzvah takes the bimah when the adult b’nai mitzvah class“graduates.” Last March 22, my class led the Saturday morningservice, starting with P’sukei D’zimrah, and includingchanting Torah, leading prayers, giving the d’var Torah, andpresenting the all-important bar mitzvah speech.The 2007-08 adult b’nai mitzvah class included almost30 men and women, whose ages spanned five decades.Meeting every couple of weeks for 18 months, we exploreda variety of topics, including Jewish history, liturgy, theology,music, life cycle events, and Israel. We also brushed upon our Hebrew, which for some of us necessitated deepbrushstrokes. Classes were led by our own wonderful clergyand occasional invited speakers. We also engaged in socialaction by giving tzedakah to a charity selected by the classand by serving dinners to families of children staying at TheChildren’s Inn at NIH.Wide-Ranging DiscussionsThe classes were anything but dry. I frequently was struckby the willingness of our class to share personal experiences,difficult questions, and challenging ideas. Nothing wasoff-limits. Discussions ranged from abortion to the role ofthe clergy in Jewish life. Even issues as fundamental as theexistence of God were discussed often. Rabbi Rudolph andGross Bar Mitzvah continued from page 11not end until 3:00 am, since the hall and kitchen did notopen until well after Shabbat. We paid for the affair withcash gift envelopes collected in a cigar box—approximately$325. I also received the classic gift of a leaky fountain penand a small siddur, which I have kept to this very day.The love, fame, and attention showered upon me by myfamily and neighbors at my bar mitzvah is something I willtreasure for the rest of my life. Oh yes!! Two weeks laterand again the following year, I performed admirably as BoyCantor, at High Holiday services. A little boy with cantorialkitel, high hazzan hat, and long tallit, standing on acovered milk box chanting Hinneni, Kol Nidre, and otherintricate tefillot for a congregation of almost 350 people.How could I ever forget? •Rabbi Harris deserve credit for that spirit of openness, but Ithink the willingness to share reflected both the seriousnesswith which the class approached the b’nai mitzvah processand our trust in and respect for one another.Although we were spared the infamous “HundredQuestions” that our own children have labored over ontheir way to becoming a bar or bat mitzvah, we had aneven more challenging assignment: to prepare our owntheological statement. Rabbi Rudolph shared portions ofthese with us shortly before our service was to begin, andit was profoundly moving to hear some of the life experiencesthat had led fellow students to their current relationshipswith God.Liturgy, History, and FriendshipsWhy devote so many precious Sunday mornings to this endeavor?For me, it was to come closer to the Jewish community.Having learned more about the liturgy and improvedmy Hebrew, I feel better able to participate in the services.Our surveys of Jewish history left many of us eager to studyin greater depth. Perhaps most important for me was theopportunity to become friends with some wonderful congregantswho had decided to make the same journey. Wewere kindred spirits as we struggled with Hebrew or sharedstories from our lives. We all took pride in each other’s progress,particularly as we watched in awe as fellow classmatesconfidently handled the service.<strong>Beth</strong> <strong>El</strong> feels more like home now when I see my fellowb’nai mitzvah in shul or we catch up over tuna fish at a kiddush.I would recommend the adult b’nai mitzvah class toanyone who would like to enrich his or her experience ofJudaism and <strong>Beth</strong> <strong>El</strong>. •Ask the ClergyWhat is the meaning ofthe words: maftir andhaftarah?By Hazzan Abraham LubinBoth words mean “conclusion.” They come from theHebrew root word patar, meaning “to be rid of, to befree of, to end or complete something.”The very last aliyah (Torah honor) is called themaftir or maftirah (feminine form), or the “concluder.”Following the reading of the Torah, an additional “concluding”selection is read from the books of the Prophets,and that text is called haftarah, or “conclusion.”12 14
Reach...(learn something new)When you think of a bar or bat mitzvah,do you think of someone about 13 yearsold? When Jan, one of the writers of “4U,”was 13 years old, it was unusual for a girl tohave a bat mitzvah ceremony. So she didn’t.When she grew up and had a daughter, shedecided to study with her rabbi and cantorto read Torah and join in the tradition. Janwas 40 years old when she was officiallywelcomed into the community as a Jewishadult. TEACH...Share...Even if you are not old enough to be a baror bat mitzvah, you can do a mitzvah (gooddeed). Choose one mitzvah (like being kind toanimals or sharing your good fortune with peoplein need), and try to fulfill the mitzvah every dayuntil next Shabbat.MITZVAH4UB’NAIA bar or bat mitzvah is a person, notjust a party. When children become b’naimitzvah (children of the commandment),they are considered Jewish adults. They arecounted in a minyan (a prayer group of 10).They also have new grown-up responsibilitieslike wearing tefillin, fasting on fast days, andobserving the mitzvot.13 Questions AboutB’nai MitzvahAcross1. The age at which a girl can have her batmitzvah3. What family and friends say to you on thisspecial day5. B’nai mitzvah families often provide a special___ for this special day.7. Discussion of the week’s Torah portion8. Hebrew word for Jewish law9. Men sometimes have this for the secondtime when they reach 83 years of age.11. Translation of bar mitzvah is “son of the___.”12. B’nai mitzvah are called to read from the___.Down1. A mitzvah that a boy can begin performingeach morning after his bar mitzvah2. Means “daughter of the commandment”4. Family and friends often throw this when theTorah portion of the service is over.6. B’nai mitzvah usually take place on thisday of the week.10. A boy who has had reached the age ofmitzvot can now be counted as a part of thisprayer group.Answers: Across: 1 Twelve; 3 MazalTov; 5 Kippah; 7 D’var Torah; 8 Halacha;9 Bar mitzvah; 11 Commandment; 12 Torah. Down: 1 Wearing tefillin; 2 Batmitzvah; 4 Candy; 6 Shabbat; 10 Minyan.15
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