Karin's Bat Mitzvah

March 7, 2009

This Shabbat was the first bat mitzvah that I have attended at Beit Daniel. It’s not that girls don’t participate, it’s just the way the schedule has worked out. In addition to being the first girl, Karin was the first to not wear gym shoes; she wore low flats. As we know there’s quite a difference between 13 year old girls and boys. Karin was very expressive, indeed tears flowed as she carried the Torah. As is the custom, after the devar, the mother or father and sometimes both make remarks. After Karin’s father made his remarks, she returned to the bima, because she had more to say. She proceeded to deliver a 3 or 4 minute speech filled with “todahs” (thanks yous). What was particularly touching was that she made a point of turning to look way back to her right to say thanks to the rabbi and then turning way back to her left to say thank you to the cantor, confidently spoken through the tears of happiness.

On Saturday night, Linda and I took the #501 on Namir up to the Herzliya Art Museum. An ulpan classmate of hers is a cultural attaché for Colombia, so she invited us to the opening of an exhibit by Oscar Munoz. The buses don’t run on Shabbat, but they do start up again after sundown and it was quite surprising to see every seat taken and a few people standing for the 30 minute trip up to Herzliya.