COVID Bucket List: Adult Bat Mitzvah
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By Caryn Hanrahan
Now that society is starting to open back up, I find myself reflecting on my COVID bucket list. Last summer, when it became apparent that the pandemic was going to be with us for a while, I started a mental list of random projects that could be accomplished during lockdown. There were a lot of “misses” in ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES
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the beginning, like that MasterClass subscription that I signed up for and have yet to use. How about you? Did you write your first novel? Did you learn to play the guitar? Did you even attempt to clean out the garage? I would have to say no to all of the above. The guitar proved too difficult, so I enjoyed learning the basics of African drumming with a wonderful online community. One of the brighter sides of this pandemic was the number of online opportunities for learning. What’s on your spiritual bucket list? I joined the armies of challah baking devotees until
I realized that the “COVID-19” was not just a pandemic but a weight gaining plan when Shabbat dinners are just you and your spouse! As the pandemic slogged on it became apparent last fall that the winter was going to be bad. I decided I needed a project that would nurture my spiritual side while giving me a sense of accomplishment. I decided to look into the continuing education classes that were being offered by area synagogues. One of the items on my life bucket list has always been to celebrate an adult bat mitzvah. Having been raised in a traditional household I was not allowed to read Torah on Shabbat.
I didn’t complain at the time as my smart parents bribed me with promises of a new stereo and an extravagant Sweet 16 party. My 13-year-old brain thought I had gotten a pretty good deal. As an adult I have been blessed to witness my four children’s b’nai mitzvah. Two in Israel and two in Atlanta. I knew it was something that I would like to accomplish when I had some extra time on my hands. The pandemic provided the time to focus on this endeavor. It also provided the ease of in-home classes on Zoom (No Atlanta traffic to bother with). I joined the adult b’nai mitzvah class at The Temple and began my stud-
