A Bat Mitzvah Teaching on Curses and Blessings
By Rabbi Nathan Kamesar 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 […]
A Bat Mitzvah’s Teaching on the Downstream Effects of Kashrut
By Rabbi Nathan Kamesar 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 […]
A Bar Mitzvah Teaching on Kashrut and Belonging, and an Extended Teaching on the Last Remaining Ounce
As is our custom its my privilege to share some words of Torah from him. Skylar’s parashah (Torah portion) was Shemini, a portion that is situated partway through the book of Vayikra (Leviticus). Vayikra, which takes place in the aftermath of the Exodus and the Revelation at Sinai, lays out, essentially, part of the new covenant between the Israelite people and […]
A Bat Mitzvah’s Teaching on Questions
By Rabbi Nathan Kamesar 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” […]
A Bat Mitzvah’s Teaching on Impressionability; And Reflections on Isolating with a Toddler
By Rabbi Nathan Kamesar What a lovely Shabbat we spent this past weekend as we celebrated Talia’s Bat Mitzvah. Talia’s Torah portion was Bo, the third portion in the Book of Exodus, which picks up in the midst of the ten plagues with God telling Moses “Bo el Paroah,” meaning, essentially, “Go before Pharaoh,” so that Moses would […]