From the Cantor - January 2000
One who enrolls in our Early
Childhood Center at age two and completes Confirmation Class at
the end of tenth grade will have spent nearly fifteen years in a
formal, primary Jewish educational system. Becoming a Bar
or Bat Mitzvah occurs during approximately the twelfth
year of this period. Please note that it is neither at the very
beginning nor at the very end of the continuum. Here is a case in
point that Bar or Bat Mitzvah is not the end goal
of Jewish training. At Congregation Albert, we are committed to
life-long Jewish study, and we ask that our students and their
families share in that commitment. Although it is one day in the
life of your child, becoming a Bar or Bat Mitzvah
can be an occasion on which your child can always look back to
garner encouragement for many of life's challenges. Since this
special occasion takes place in front of a congregation, we hope
to reinforce this feeling in your child: My family, friends, and
community are always there for me.
Of course, we are there for you long after you turn thirteen!
Here are some examples:
- Rabbi Black's twice-monthly Torah Study on Shabbat
mornings at 9:15.
- Anshei Mitzvah (People of the Commandment) class.
This is known as our adult Bar / Bat Mitzvah class. In
May, seven adult women in our congregation will become B'not
Mitzvah (plural of Bat Mitzvah). I have had
the privilege of teaching and studying with them for the
past year and a half, and I intend to start a new class
this fall.
- A myriad of Adult Education courses. Check out our new
spring line! One of these is The Cantor's Brown Bag Book
Review. I will lead a four-week lunchtime book discussion
on Marge Piercy's novel He, She and It
during four Wednesdays in March.
January is officially Jewish Music Month! HaShirah will sing
at Shabbat Shirah (Shabbat in Song) Family Services at
6:00 p.m on Friday, January 21. After all, their name is in the
Torah portion that week - check out Exodus chapter 15...Az
yashir Moseh u'v'nei Yisrael et HaShirah ha-zot Ladonai...
(So Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to God...).
The following week, Zamir will be on hand at our 8:00 service.
Watch for HaShirah also at the annual commemoration of Dr. Martin
Luther King Day, hosted by Congregation Albert. Our children will
once again be performing with their dramatic buddies and
colleagues, The Rhythms of Non-Violence. Let's honor the
teachings and visions of Moses and Dr. King by coming together in
song to visualize a peaceful new millennium.
B'shalom u-v'shir,
Cantor Jacqueline Shuchat-Marx
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