Life Cycle
Searching for some words to mark a special moment in someone's life? Here you will find articles about rituals, new and old, that can help us mark those moments in our lives when we celebrate, grieve, or transition.
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Preparing for your Bar or Bat Mitzvah…
I’m almost 13. On any given afternoon there are three places that you can find me – on the basketball court with Eugene, in my bedroom listening to records, or at the dining room table chanting Torah with Mr. Weissbaum. Everywhere (but not the dining room table) I am asking questions: What is the point of being Jewish? Will anyone dance with me at the lake party? Is there a God when I die? What will I talk about with my mom at Jimmy’s Deli? Even as I look in the bathroom mirror, the jumble of questions still fills my mind.
Meditation:
If I could leave a note taped to the bathroom mirror for the kid I once was, this is
what I’d write:
They say that this is the beginning of our Jewish education because they know that it’s the end. So prove them wrong. Prove to them that you are wiser than they think, that you thirst for knowledge they can’t provide. Maybe you won’t find what you are looking for in school, (it’s not always there). Maybe it won’t be in novels, Torah, and other holy books (though they are one of the best places I know). Maybe it won’t be in movies or TV or music. But always trust that you will find it in people and deep within yourself. The end of the Shema speaks to you and says: "Your God is a true God" Adonai Eloheichem Emet.
Ritual:
Together with your child, spend time selecting and decorating a special backpack just for Torah studies. Before it is used the first time, fill it with treats that delight your child. On the first day of your child’s Jewish studies, as you stand at the threshold of your child’s classroom, place your hands on your child’s head and give your child traditional and personal blessings.
If you or another adult in your family are beginning or intensifying your own Torah studies, invite people you love to bless you and celebrate with delicious sweets.
Blessing:
May you search for what you understand as God – the ultimate source of meaning in your life – and may your God, your truth, help; others to live.
Teaching:
Na’aseh v’nishma.
First we do things; later we understand
(CLAL Faculty)
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