A Bat Mitzvah Teaching on Curses and Blessings

This past Shabbat we were treated to the celebration of Josie Chrismer becoming Bat Mitzvah. Josie’s Bat Mitzvah parashah portion was Ki Tavo, one of the final portions of the entire Torah. Ki Tavo means “when you enter” or “when you arrive,” the context of which is Moses advising the Israelites what rituals that she undertake when they enter the […]

A Bat Mitzvah’s Teaching on the Downstream Effects of Kashrut

This past Shabbat we celebrated the Bat Mitzvah ceremony of Claire Englander. Claire’s Torah portion falls in the Book of Devarim (Deuteronomy) where Moses is delivering his parting address to the Israelites as they get ready to cross over into the promised land. A central part of this address is a recapitulation of the laws the people […]

A Bat Mitzvah’s Teaching on Questions

This past weekend, for the second Shabbat in a row, we were fortunate to celebrate a beautiful Bat Mitzvah. Talia and her family celebrated in the sanctuary, on the Society Hill Synagogue Bimah, where multiple generations of this family have now become Bat Mitzvah. Talia’s parashah (Torah portion) was Beshallah. Beshallah means “in the sending forth” or “in the letting […]