dpli`e xfrl oeniy za dpli` Ilana bat Shimon Lazer v’Ilana April 25th, 2010 Rabbi David Ingber, Romemu Dania Greenberg, Mentor
Morgan Alana Spiegel Bat Mitzvah
We thank You, God, for the miracle of bringing us this day; for blessing us with our daughter, Morgan, whose presence we treasure; for the profound sense of completeness Morgan adds to our lives; for our daughter’s sensitive soul, love of life, humor, compassion, and promise. Morgan, we wish for you to live each day to the fullest, so that you can look forward with confidence, and back without regrets. Continue to dare to be different and follow your own star. Enjoy what is beautiful. Love with all your heart and soul. Believe that those you love, love you. Disregard what the world owes you, and be grateful for what you can give to the world. May we be granted the clarity of vision to see all that you need from us, and the strength and patience to give it; the wisdom to guide you to the best that is in you, and the understanding to know when you must find your way alone. Morgan, we pray that you will know the fulfillment of your promise a life filled with love, health, joy, laughter and wisdom.
Dear Family and Friends, Thank you to all of you who have come from far and near to join us as we celebrate the Bat Mitzvah of our daughter, Morgan. Today’s ceremony is an occasion filled with love, tradition and a tremendous sense of accomplishment. We are so proud of Morgan for all her hard work, and for the dedication it took for her to learn all her materials, while continuing with dance, soccer, the school play and all of her school work. We praise Morgan for her commitment to her Jewish heritage. While we surround ourselves with traditions of the past, today is really about the promise of the future — an important spiritual steppingstone in our daughter’s growth to maturity and adulthood. We are grateful that everyone we hold dear will share in this wonderful achievement. Today would not have been possible without the help of many special people along the way. Firstly, we would like to express our heartfelt love and thanks to Dania Greenberg, Morgan’s mentor and teacher on this journey. Thank you Dania for your endless support and patience. And to Rabbi David Ingber who spent countless Thursday afternoon’s with Morgan giving her a deeper sense of her jewish heritage. Your time spent defining the meaning of her Torah portion and helping her to apply it to the bigger picture of life provides a foundation Morgan will carry with her always. We thank all of you again for making this day one Morgan will never forget. With all our love, Scott and Stephanie
“Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.�
Presentation of the Tallit This is a wonderful blanket—warm and large, with colors like a kaleidoscope. It’s texture is rich, with an abundance of thread running throughout. Each of us is protected by a blanket of our own, woven by our family and friends. It starts out small, with only the threads of our immediate family, but quickly expands as each new person weaves their ribbons throughout the cloth. You, our family and friends, have each helped to make the fabric of our lives a warm, full and colorful tapestry. Some of you have added large continuous sections to the blanket; others contributed an exciting line or two of color. Each is an equally important part of the fabric. This is the blanket in which we wrap ourselves in times of joy and sorrow. It is the blanket that keeps us warm. It is the blanket upon which we depend. We are grateful that each of you, who are so woven into our lives, are with us today as we experience the joy of Morgan becoming a Bat Mitzvah.
Morgan as we place this tallit upon your shoulders, may the voices of the generations speak to you. May you always feel loved and may you know that there is a rich heritage to which you belong. As you are embraced in the fold of the tallit, you are wrapped in the loving embrace of your family and community. As your eyes beyond the beauty of the color, and your hands feel the sweet softness of the fabric, may you always be aware of the sacred space you create as you enfold yourself in your tallit.
Ba-ruch A-tah Adonai E-lo-hei-nu me-lech ha-o-lam a-sher ki-d’-sha-nu b’-mitz-vo-tav v’tzi-va-nu l’-hit-a-tef ba-tzi-tzit. Holy one of Blessing, Your Presence fills creation making us holy with Your commandments and who teaches us to wrap ourselves in the fringed Tallit.
Recalling the generation, I wrap myself in the tallit. May my mind be clear, my spirit open, as I envelop myself in prayer.
Ba-ruch A-tah Adonai E-lo-hei-nu me-lech ha-o-lam she-che-chi-anu v’-ki-manu v’-hi-gi-anu la-zman ha-zeh. Let us bless the flow of life that revives us, sustains us, and bring us to this time.
Count Me In I have been wondering what this day would bring me, I have been wondering what more can I do Now here I am facing the Torah, my people, My family and friends, facing myself too. I have been walking beside many others; I started this journey a long time ago A lifetime of living and learning together With each new beginning, each of us will grow. Count me in, I can stand up and be a part Count me in, let me find my own way For I can be counted on, so I’m accountable Count me in, count me in today. I’m getting older, each day is a challenge The more I am tested, the stronger I’ll be And I will find strength in the love that surrounds me: Strength for myself, for my community. I’ve been standing, I been practicing You might think that I’ve finished the job, But the truth is, it’s only just the beginning And I want to see what the world that I live in can be. Life’s always changing, I’m starting all over, A new day is breaking for me and my friends Make a commitment, a covenant sacred Choose to go forward, my path never ends. Count me in, I can stand up and be a part Count me in, let me find my own way For I can be counted on, so I’m accountable Count me in, count me in today. —Julie Silver
Bar’chu et Adonai ham-vorach. Ba-ruch Adonai ham-vorach ve-olam va-ed. Ba-ruch Adonai ham-vorach ve-olam va-ed.
Hold On To Faith Read by Special Women in Morgan’s Life:
Shelly, Debra, Aunt Jody, Aunt Stephanie, Aunt Carrie and Aunt Debbie
Hold on to Faith; It is the fiber and strength of a confident soul. It is the source of believing That all things are possible. Hold on to hope; It relieves doubt and enables a positive and cheerful heart. Hold on to trust; it is the core of relationships that are secure and content. Hold on to love; It is life’s greatest gift, for it shares and cares. Hold on to family and friends; they are the most important people in your life. They are the roots and the beginnings; they are the vine that has grown through time to nourish you, and to give you the wings you need to fly. Hold on to what you feel and believe is right Your heart has a way of speaking louder than your mind. Hold on to dreams Achieve them diligently and honestly. Make the world a better place one day at a time.
Sh’ma
(Hear O Israel) Sh’-ma Yis-ra-eil Adonai E-Io-hei-nu, A-donai e-chad
Ba-ruch sheim k’-vod mal-chu-to l’-o-lam va-ed
V’-a-hav-ta eit A-do-nai E-Io-he-cha b’-ehol l’-vav-cha uv’-ehol naf-sh’-cha uv’-ehol m’-o-de-eha. V’-ha-yu ha-d’-va-rim ha-ei-leh a-sher a-nochi m’-tzav’-eha ha-yom al l’-va-ve-cha. V’-shi-nan-tam l’-va-ne-cha v’-di-bar-ta bam b’-shiv-t’-cha b’-vei-te-cha uv’Iech-t’-eha va-de-rech uv’-shoch-b’-cha uv’-ku-me-cha. Uk’-shar-tam l’-ot al ya-de-eha v’-ha-yu I’-at-ta-fot bein ei-ne-eha. Uch’-tav-tam al m’-zu-zot bei-te-cha u-vish-a-re-cha. Loving life and its mysterious source with all our hearts and all our spirits, all our senses and strength, we take upon ourselves and into ourselves these promises: to care for the earth and those who live upon it, to pursue justice and peace, to love kindness and compassion. We will teach this to our children throughout the passage of the day. As we dwell in our homes and as we go on our journeys, from the time we rise until we fall alseep. And may our actions be faithful to our words that our children’s children may live to know. Truth and kindness have embraced, peace and justice are one.
Speak to us of Children... Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself. They come through you but not from you. And though they are with you yet they belong not to you. You may give them your love but not your thoughts, for they have their own thoughts. You may house their bodies but not their souls, for their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams. You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you. For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday. You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth. The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far. Let our bending in the archer’s hand be for gladness; for even as He loves the arrow that flies, so He loves also the bow that is stable. —Kahlil Gibran
Courage Courage is the strength to stand up when it is easier to fall down. It is the conviction to explore new horizons, when it is easier to believe what we have been told. Courage is the desire to maintain our integrity when it is easier to look the other way. It is feeling happy and alive when it is easier to feel sorry for ourselves. Courage is the will to shape our world when it is easier to let someone else do it for us. It is the recognition that none of us is perfect, When it is easier to criticize others. Courage is the power to step forward and lead when it is easier to follow the crowd. It is the spirit that places you on top of a mountain when it is easier to never leave the ground. Courage is the freedom of our mind, body, and soul. —John Carzello
Amidah
The G’vurot praises God as being the awesome power at work in all of nature, sustaining the living and giving life to all. God’s power can heal, encourage, and redeem. We can emulate the attributes of God by teaching the ignorant, sharing our food with the hungry, housing the homeless, and showing kindness to those who inhabit our lives. We must be partners with God in bringing peace and justice to our broken world.
Reflections on Life I have learned that no matter what happens, things will be better tomorrow. I have learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled holiday lights. I have learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you will miss them when they are gone from your life. I have learned that making a living is not the same thing as making a life. I have learned that you should not go through life with a catcher’s mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw something back. I have learned that even with I have pains, I do not have to be one. I have learned that people will forget what you said, forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. —Maya Angelou
Torah Service BAT MITZVAH The Bat Mitzvah ritual occurs when Morgan accepts the obligations and privileges that come with Jewish adulthood. Something uplifting and holy occurs when a young woman reads from the Torah scroll on the day when she becomes a Bat Mitzvah. She may not even notice it at the time, but it is happening and it is real. This occurs because the Torah is at the very center of our faith. It is our story, our vision, our sense of ourselves, the most basic record of what God wants of us. All religions, all cultures have their moments of becoming — the time for the entry into and requirements of adult behavior. The Bat Mitzvah ceremony accomplishes “a great moment of spiritual transformation strong enough to carry an adolescent across the chasm of chaos and fear.” The first Bat Mitzvah took place in 1922 in New York City. Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan, the founder of Reconstructionist Judaism, had his daughter Judith recite the blessings over the Torah and read her portion from a book. In this morning’s ceremony, Morgan assumes full ritual responsibility. Bat Mitzvah is about ritual maturity. It is about growing up as a Jew. It is about becoming a full-fledged member of the Jewish community. It is sacred, holy and deserves celebration.
The Torah Service The Torah is symbolically passed from generation to generation, then carried around the sanctuary to give congregants a chance to touch it with their tallit or prayer book as a mark of respect and love for Its teachings. It is then retumed to the bimah. The Bat Mitzvah introduces the weekly Torah portion and chants it In Hebrew from the Torah. After the reading, the Torah is Iifted — to show that the Torah is an open book and belongs to all the people — and dressed. At the beginning of the Torah service, the Ark Is opened and the Torah Is removed. When the Torah is removed or retumed to the Ark, the congregation stands in respect. When the Ark Is opened or closed, we say prayers Moses chanted when the Ark was picked up or put down on the march from Egypt Each time the Torah is taken out to be read, Jews reenact God giving the Torah to Moses.
We honor our dear family Art & Karin Polacheck, whose love have enriched our family’s life, with the opening of the ark.
Ki mi-Tzion teytzey Torah U’dvar Ha’Shem mi Y’rushalayim
Blessings upon reading the Torah We honor our family members whose love and commitment to our family brings sweetness and joy to our lives. We thank you. First Aliyah
Grandparents Stephen & Alana Polacheck, Claire Spiegel, Uncle Art, Uncle Brent, Uncle Lee, Uncle Brad
Second Aliyah
Scott, Stephanie, Brandon, Adam & Taryn Spiegel
Third Aliyah
Morgan Spiegel
The olim/olah calls...
...the congregation responds...
Bar-chu et Adonai ham-vorach.
Ba-ruch Adonai ham-vorach ve-olam va-ed.
The olim/olah continues:
Ba-ruch Adonai ham-vorach ve-olam va-ed. Ba-ruch A-tah Adonai E-lo-hei-nu me-lech ha-o-lam Asher bachar banu mi-kol ha-amim, ve-natan lanu et Torah-to, Ba-ruch A-tah Adonai, noten ha-Torah. Blessing after the reading:
Ba-ruch A-tah Adonai E-lo-hei-nu me-lech ha-o-lam Asher natan la-nu Torat emet, ve’chayyei olam natah b’tocheinu Ba-ruch A-tah Adonai, noten ha-Torah.
Leviticus 20 First aliyah
Second aliyah
Third aliyah
Morgan’s Thoughts Parent’s Thoughts Grandparent’s Presentation of a Kiddush Cup Whomever teaches their child teaches not only their child but also their child’s child and so on to the end of generations. —The Talmud
Rabbi’s Blessing
May God bless you and keep you; May God’s face shine upon you and be gracious to you; May God smile upon you and give you peace.
L’chi Lach L’chi lach to a land that I will show you, Lech l’cha to a place you do not know L’chi lach on your journey I will bless you And you shall be a blessing And you shall be a blessing, l’chi lach L’chi lach and I shall make your name great, Lech l’cha and all shall praise your name L’chi lach to the place that I will show you L’simchat chayim, l’chi lach And you shall be a blessing, You shall be a blessing, l’chi lach
You Can Make a Difference It is not how much you accomplish in life that really counts, but how much you give to others. It is not how high you build your dreams that makes a difference, but how high your faith can climb. It is not how many goals you reach, but how many lives you touch. It is not who you know that matters, but who you are inside. Believe in the impossible, hold tight to the incredible, and live each day to its fullest potential. You can make a difference in your world. —Rebecca Jordan
Aleynu
It Is Upon Us
Aleinu l’sha-bei-ach la-a-don ha-kol, la-teit g’du-la l-yo-tzeir b-rei-sheet, sheh-lo a-sa-nu k’go-yei ha-ara-tzot, v-lo sa-ma-nu k’mish-p’chot ha-a-da-mal sheh-lo sam chel-kei-nu ka-hem, v’go-ra-lei-nu k’chol ha-mo-nam. Va-a-nach-nu ko-r’im u-mish-ta-cha-vim u-mo-dim li-f’nei meh-lach ma-l-chei ha-m’lachim, ha-ka-dosh ba-ruch hu. V-neh-eh-mar: V-ha-yah Adonai l’meh-lech al kol ha-a-retz ba-yom ha-hu yi-h’yeh Adonai Eh-chad, u-sh’mo Eh-chad.
Od yavo shalom aleynu (x3) v’al kulam. Salaam... aleynu v’al kol ha’olam Salaam Shalom.
The Aleinu marks the end of the service. It is a plea that the world will ultimately recognize that there is only one god. It calls upon us to praise and adore God, the Almighty Creator.
Mourner’s Kaddish This prayer although spoken as a prayer of memory, is throughout, an affirmation of life and the glory that is God.
Yitgadal ve-yitkadash shemeh raba. (Amen) Be-alema di vera khir’uteh, ve-yamlikh malkhuteh, be-chayeikhon, uv-yomeikhon, uv-chayei de-khol beit Yisrael, ba-agala uvi-zman kariv, ve-imru Amen. Yeheh shemeh rabba mevarakh le’alam ul-alemei alemaya. Yitbarakh ve-yishtabach ve-yitpa’ar ve-yitromam ve-yitnaseh ve-yit-hadar ve-yit’aleh ve-yit-hallal shemeh dekudsha, berikh hu. Le-ela min kol birkhata ve-shirata tushbechata v’nechemata, da-amiran be-alema, ve-imru, Amen. Yeheh shelama raba min shemaya ve-chayim aleinu ve-al kol Yisrael, ve-imru Amen. Oseh shalom bim-romav, hu ya’aseh shalom aleinu, ve-al kol Yisrael, ve-imru Amen.
World of Dreams May your eyes shine with the light of Torah And your face be radiant as the brightness of the sky. May your lips speak words of wisdom, And may the world you live in be the world of your dreams. May you see your world created in your lifetime. May you see your visions come to be. May your hope touch every generation to come. These are the prayers we have for you. May you be blessed with understanding, with wisdom and compassion in your heart. May your tongue be filled with song, And your lips sing out for justice. These are the prayers we have for you. —Debbie Friedman