KOL BO NORTH SHORE TEMPLE EMANUEL B NEI MITZVAH BROCHURE

Transcription

1 NORTH SHORE TEMPLE EMANUEL B NEI MITZVAH BROCHURE KOL BO We ll be ing reminders throughout the year which refer to pages in this brochure, so please keep this in a safe place, and inform us if your address or other contact details change during the year. CONTACT NORTH SHORE TEMPLE EMANUEL 28 Chatswood Avenue Chatswood NSW Rabbi Nicole Roberts - nicole@nste.org.au Tony Abo - tonyabo@nste.org.au Pauline Lazarus - pauline@nste.org.au Phone:

2 WELCOME MESSAGE FROM THE RABBI During rabbinical school, I was charged with teaching a small group of Jewish teenagers about God. This was no easy feat, as the group mostly age was going through a particularly atheistic phase of life. So rather than ask them about their belief or faith, I asked them about holiness. I told them about the book, Putting God on the Guest List, and the author s suggestion that bar/bat mitzvah was the most spiritual experience in a child s life. Was there anything holy about your Bar/ Bat Mitzvah experience? I asked them. Most shifted uneasily in their seats. Several said they were too nervous on the day to feel anything remotely spiritual. But then, to my surprise and delight, one brave soul started telling a story. What s not in the Ko Bo? The following items are found in the student s individualised Packet Pal (Bar/Bat Mitzvah study binder provided at intake meeting), rather than in the Kol Bo: - Practice booklet containing your specific Torah reading and commentaries - Breakdown of that Torah reading into seven (7) aliyot and Maftir portions - Haftarah reading - Study aids for Hebrew and trope learning On the night before my Bar Mitzvah, he recounted, we found out my Grandpa was too sick to fly in. So my parents had me call him and chant my Torah portion over the phone so he could hear me. The next thing I knew, Grandpa was crying. I d never heard a grown-up cry before. And I m pretty sure he d been holding on just for that day, because he died the next night In what had previously been an unruly classroom, suddenly you could have heard a pin drop. I guess you could call that holy, he concluded. This B nei Mitzvah brochure, the Kol Bo (meaning everything is in it ), contains almost everything you ll need for a smooth and rewarding Bar/Bat Mitzvah journey. But only you contain what will make for a meaningful journey: an openness to experiencing something sacred on the occasion and in the Jewish tradition you are embracing as you embark on the year ahead. Let s call it holy. Rabbi Nicole CONTENTS: Page 3 - Helpful Terms to Know Page 5 - Siddur Presentation Page 6 - Our B nei Mitzvah Covenant Page 9 - Youth2Israel Program - Progress Check Worksheet Page 10 - Putting the Mitzvah in Your Bar/Bat Mitzvah - Advice on how to prepare your d var torah Page 13 - Kiddush - CD of blessings chanted during the service Page 16 - Honours List Page 12 - Invitation Checklist Page 14 - Tree of Life Page 18 - Descriptions of Honours

3 HELPFUL TERMS TO KNOW Aleinu - A prayer recited at or near the end of every prayer service. Aliyah - Going up to the Bimah to recite the Torah blessings or read Torah. This is an honour that can be given to someone in your family. (See Honours List on page16) Amidah - Means standing. A prayer that is the centre of every Jewish religious service. Also known as the Shemoneh Esrei or the Tefilah. Bar Mitzvah / Bat Mitzvah - Son/daughter of the commandment. A child who has achieved the age of 13 and is consequently obligated to observe the commandments. Bimah The platform at the front of the sanctuary on which the ark of the Torah scrolls is located and from which Rabbis and speakers conduct the service. Bracha/Blessing - A prayer typically beginning with the phrase Barukh Atah... (Blessed art Thou...) Berakhot (pl.) are recited both as part of the synagogue service and on the occasion of performing a mitzvah (commandment). Chai (rhymes with eye) - A Hebrew word meaning life. According to the system of gematria, the letters of chai add up to 18. For this reason, 18 is a spiritual number in Judaism, and many Jews give gifts of money in multiples of 18 as a result. NSTE B nei Mitzvah students are expected to attend chai services in the year leading up to their Bar or Bat Mitzvah. Chumash The first five books of the Jewish Bible, also known as the Torah. D var Torah (Plural: Divrei Torah), also known as a Drasha, is a talk on topics relating to a section (parashah) of the Torah. Most Divrei Torah carry a life lesson, supported by passages from the Parashah or other Jewish texts. Gabbai The Gabbai stands on the bimah & assists the Rabbi in conducting the Torah reading and in calling the aliyot. G lilah Rolling of the scroll to close it, at the end of the Torah reading. This is an honour that can be given to someone in your family. Haftarah A passage from the words of the Prophets (Hebrew: nevi im) that is read after the weekly Torah reading in the service on Shabbat morning. Hakafah The Torah scroll s ceremonial procession around the synagogue. Hallel - Praise God. Psalms , in praise of God, recited on certain holidays and Rosh Chodesh (beginning of the new Hebrew month). Hamotzi - The recital of the Hebrew benediction over bread before meals. Kabbalat Shabbat - Composed of six psalms, representing the six weekdays, the poem Lecha Dodi and two concluding psalms, Kabbalat Shabbat precedes the Maariv service on Friday nights. Kaddish The Kaddish is an ancient praise of God s reign on earth, recited even in the most trying circumstances, e.g. the death of a family member. A special Kaddish (Yatom) is said on the week of the anniversary of a loved one s death (yahrzeit). Kiddush Sanctification of the day by reciting a blessing over wine or grape juice, and enjoying the company of others with refreshments after the service. Kippah (pl. kippot) - Also known as a yarmulke. A head covering worn by Jews as a mark of respect. All males are expected to wear one in the synagogue. It is optional for females. Maftir - The person who does the final Torah reading on Shabbat morning. 3

4 HELPFUL TERMS TO KNOW Mazel Tov - A phrase expressing congratulations. Nikkud - A system of dots and dashes used to indicate vowels and other pronunciation in Hebrew. Nissim B chol Yom - The series of short blessings for daily miracles near the beginning of the morning service. Parashah -The entire Torah (five books) is read over the course of a year. Each week, a portion is read, and this portion is called the weekly parashah. Sefer Torah - The Torah scroll. Shabbat (Shabbos in Yiddish) - Judaism s day of rest and the seventh day of the week. Shacharit - Morning prayer services. Shammash (pl. Shammashim) The shul service attendant. The shammash makes sure that participants in the service know what to do and when to do it, so that the service proceeds smoothly. Shehecheyanu ( Who has given us life ) - A common Jewish prayer for first times. Shema - The central affirmation of Judaism that God is One. It is found in the book of Deuteronomy. Shul A Jewish temple or synagogue. Siddur The Jewish prayer book. Ours is called Mishkan T filah. Tallit A Jewish prayer shawl, worn by those over the age of Bar or Bat Mitzvah during morning services and on Kol Nidre. Torah - In its narrowest sense, Torah is the first five books of the Bible: Genesis (Bereishit), Exodus (Shemot), Leviticus (Vayikra), Numbers (Bamidbar) and Deuteronomy (D varim), sometimes called the Pentateuch or the Five Books of Moses. In its broadest sense, the Torah is the entire body of Jewish teachings. Torah Service - The Torah and Haftarah readings are performed with great ceremony: the Torah is paraded around the room before it is brought to rest on the bimah (podium). It is considered an honour to have the opportunity to recite a blessing over the reading (this honour is called an aliyah). Triennial Cycle - While the entire Torah is meant to be read over the course of one year, a common and ancient practice is to spread the reading over the course of three years, reading part of each parasha each week. We follow this latter practice at NSTE. Trope - Cantillation. The distinctive melodies used for chanting readings from the Torah and Haftarah. Trope Trainer - A computer program that helps you learn to recite and/or chant your parashah. Union for Progressive Judaism (UPJ) - The roof body uniting the many Progressive Jewish congregations, schools, youth groups, and communal organisations across Australia, New Zealand and Asia. Wimpel - The band that binds the Torah scroll when it is closed and stored in the ark. Students may use the one they created in our Hebrew School if they have kept it through the years. Yad - Pointer used during the Torah reading so as to prevent us from touching the Torah parchment and sacred text with our hands. Yahrzeit (Yiddish) The anniversary of the death of a loved one. 4

5 SIDDUR PRESENTATION It is an NSTE tradition for parents to present their child with a Mishkan T filah (Siddur) as they begin their Bar or Bat Mitzvah studies. Each family is specially invited to a Shabbat service to present the siddur by reading a personalised bookplate dedication and joining in a special communal blessing. Please contact Pauline at pauline@nste.org.au to let us know what you would like your bookplate to say. An example is provided below. 5

6 OUR B NEI MITZVAH COVENANT The following list outlines NSTE s expectations during the year leading up to your Bar or Bat Mitzvah. They are intended to ensure the best experience for you and the congregation you ll be leading on the day: Weekly meetings with your tutor and studying in between. Quarterly progress checks with the Rabbi or designated substitute. Attendance in the Rabbi s weekly Year 7 class (out of town students must arrange to meet with the Rabbi regularly via Skype) Attendance at services (with a parent or guardian) on at least 18 ( chai ) Shabbat mornings throughout the year. The morning service begins at 10:00am. You do not need to arrive promptly each week or be dressed in your finest attire (sport clothes are fine!), but we need to see you there - especially for your classmates B nei Mitzvah. If you have no prior experience with our movement s youth group, Netzer, we strongly encourage attendance at one Netzer Camp (six days), whether summer or winter, in the lead up to your Bar or Bat Mitzvah. For full information please see the Netzer website: Mitzvah project please speak with the Rabbi. e-hatikvah feature - We love celebrating the B nei Mitzvah students in our community by featuring them in NSTE s weekly e-newsletter. Please send a 100 word bio and photo to pauline@nste.org.au by 10am Wednesday on the week leading up to your Bar or Bat Mitzvah. Attendance at the final meeting with the Rabbi and rehearsal. Please provide four (4) weeks notice if you need to reschedule. Your final meeting and rehearsal is currently scheduled for This will run from 4:30pm to 7:00pm (approx.) and includes 1/2 hour for photographs. See next page for important details. 6

7 Final Meeting, Rehearsal, and Photographs On the Wednesday* before your Bar/Bat Mitzvah, please reserve a 2.5 hour block of time, from 4:30pm - 7:00pm** for the following: 4:30pm-5:00pm - Opportunity to take photographs in the sanctuary. Remember that no photographs are permitted on Shabbat, so this is your opportunity! Dress as though the rehearsal is the real deal. You are welcome to bring in your own photographer, or we can recommend one. Please inform your photographer that once the rehearsal begins at 5:00pm, we do not stop for posed photographs. If s/he would like to set up equipment prior to 4:30pm, so as to make the best use of the half hour photo session, please contact Pauline in our office on :00pm-7:00pm** - Rehearsal in the sanctuary and meeting with Rabbi. We will aim to finish by 7:00pm. Although photos may continue to be taken during this time, we will not stop the rehearsal for posed shots after 5:00pm. * Please contact us at least four (4) weeks prior if the Wednesday before the Bar/Bar Mitzvah doesn t work for you. **Rehearsal times vary depending on the student and situation. We will do our best to stick to this timeframe. Remember to bring all your materials with you to the final meeting/rehearsal, including: Your Bar/Bat Mitzvah Packet of all study materials Your D var Torah, printed in 16 point font, double spaced Your Haftarah reading Your siddur (Mishkan T filah) Did you make a wimpel in Hebrew School, many years ago? If so, now is a good time to locate it, so that we can use it during your Bar or Bat Mitzvah to wrap the Torah scroll. If you happen to have one that you made, please bring it to your final rehearsal. 7

8 OUR B NEI MITZVAH COVENANT Post B nei Mitzvah involvement Zeh LaZeh - In a new and poignant ritual, each Bar or Bat Mitzvah student now returns to the bimah a week later to congratulate the next person and pass along a special scroll containing a photo and bio of each student in the cohort. We call this ritual Zeh LaZeh, meaning one to the next - a variant of the talmudic dictum, kol yisrael arevim zeh bazeh ( all Israel is responsible for one another ). Please plan for this occasion by marking your diaries for the Saturday morning following your Bar or Bat Mitzvah celebration, and writing a brief message of congratulations (On paper please, as phones and tablets aren t permitted on Shabbat!) Teen Torah Tag Team - Once your Bar or Bat Mitzvah celebration is behind you, you are warmly invited (and strongly encouraged!) to join our Teen Torah Tag Team, who read Torah as a group on special Shabbat mornings with friends and other teens. Please watch your post and for our invitation to these opportunities, which are always followed by an ice cream and chocolate kiddush! This is a great chance to keep up with your NSTE friends and continue to use all the skills you learned to lead the community. We ll make sure that a short Torah reading is sent to you well in advance of the service, and that you are provided with a recording or assistance to help you prepare. Our Year 7 students typically take part in one of two teen-led High Holy Day activities, so please mark your diaries and plan to attend if at all possible. Time will be set aside during the Year 7 class sessions to prepare for these engagements. - If your Bar or Bat Mitzvah falls prior to Rosh Hashanah of the Year 7 class year, you will participate in the Yom Kippur Afternoon Teen-led Service with older teens in Years 8, 9, and 10 in the main sanctuary. - If your Bar or Bat Mitzvah falls after Rosh Hashanah of the Year 7 class year, you will participate in the Rosh Hashanah Shofar Service at the end of the Rosh Hashanah morning service in the main sanctuary. Attention Parents! After lighting the Shabbat candles on Friday nights, tradition holds that parents say blessings over their children. So on the eve of your child s Bar or Bat Mitzvah, just after the lighting of the Shabbat candles in shul (Friday night), we invite your family forward to bestow a special blessing before the congregation. It can be found on page 121 of your child s siddur in Hebrew, transliteration, and English. If you would like some assistance in learning it, the Rabbi will be happy to assist. We typically have you recite just the middle paragraph of this page, starting with Yevarechecha and ending with shalom. This is a really warm opportunity to offer the comfort of blessing to your child on the eve of the big day (siblings join in too), and to share the joy of the occasion with those who attend shul on Friday nights. 8

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10 PUTTING THE MITZVAH IN YOUR BAR/BAT MITZVAH! Jews for Social Action, North Shore Temple Emanuel JSA is pleased to give you a Kiva gift card, so you can pass the gift on to help someone improve their life. Kiva puts people like us in touch with others in poorer countries so we can lend them small amounts of money to help them improve their lives and the lives of their families. Kiva is an American not-for-profit organisation (charity). Below are the steps to follow to use your gift card, and also how to set up a lending team. You might like to add funds to your Kiva account so you can make more loans. Register with Kiva 1. Go to and click on Sign in in the top right hand corner. 2. Enter your details, choose whether you want other Kiva users to be able to see your name, and click Sign in. Choose your loan 1. Click on Lend at the top bar. 2. If you like, use the fields on the left to select types of loan, like from a particular country or for a type of business. 3. Have a look through the loans. For more information, click on a loan and read the profile. You can check their Risk Rating (out of 5 stars). The more stars, the better chance your loan will be paid back. 3-4 stars is fairly safe. 4. Once you ve chosen a loan, click on Lend $ Click on Basket at the top right. 6. Where it says Have a Kiva Card?, enter the gift code from your gift card in the field, click Continue, then Complete your order. 7. Share your loan on Facebook so your friends find out about Kiva! 10

11 When your loan is repaid Over 98% of Kiva loans are paid back, usually over about a year. As your loan is repaid you ll get an from Kiva. Once you have $25, you can re-loan. Just go back to the Kiva website, log in, and do it all again! Want to start your own Lending Team? You can set up a Kiva Lending Team with your B nei Mitzvah class or school friends. That way you can see how many loans your team has made. Here s how to do it: 1. Click on My Teams at the top right corner. 2. Click on Explore All Teams, then select Start a team. 3. Pick a Team Name, fill out the other fields, and decide whether you want an open team (anyone on Kiva can join) or a closed team (the captain approves people to join). 4. Click on Create. 5. Now you can start inviting friends to join your team. They will need to register first with Kiva. Then they go to the Teams page and search for the name of your team, and click on Join now. Done! If you need help or have any questions, please contact Anne from JSA: agholder@bigpond.com MAZON AUSTRALIA Mazon Australia, established at the North Shore Temple Emanuel in 1989 and continues to address hunger in cities around the country, invites your family to share your simcha with those less fortunate. Simply set aside 3% of the cost of the food at your party and Mazon Australia will do the rest, allocating funds to those in greatest needs. Mazon funds on-the-ground hunger relief agencies near to home, like OZ Harvest, Jewish House, Matthew Talbot, and the Foodbank. This year, make your families celebration something more than a party. Make it a mitzvah and a source of pride! Find out more on the website

12 INVITATION CHECKLIST Please ensure that the following items are accurately reflected in your invitations to friends and family. 1. The service begins at 10:00am and is followed by Kiddush in the Valerie Jaye Function Centre next to the Sanctuary. 2. The Temple address is: 28 Chatswood Avenue, Chatswood, NSW The proper Hebrew spelling of Bar Mitzvah or Bat Mitzvah is: (a) Bar Mitzvah: (b) Bat Mitzvah: 4. The date of the Bar/Bat Mitzvah (To find out the Hebrew date, please contact Pauline in the office). 5. For the correct spelling of your child s Hebrew name, please contact Pauline in the office. 6. Location of party/reception, if applicable. 7. Dress/attire. 8. RSVP to by 9. Suggested wording: Join us as our son/daughter becomes Bar/Bat Mitzvah or Join us in celebration as our son/daughter is called to the Torah as a Bar/Bat Mitzvah. 10. Information about Kiva, Mazon, or other tzedakah (See pages 10 and 11 for more information) 12

13 KIDDUSH Immediately following the Shabbat morning service, the congregation gathers for kiddush (refreshments and mingling) in the Valerie Jaye Hall (VJs) next to the sanctuary. It is customary for the Bar/Bat Mitzvah family to provide this kiddush for the congregation. There are three options: 1. Have the kiddush catered by a caterer. Our preferred caterers are: Cook Sisters (Minette Lee-Warden) Chosen Fare (Ruth Osen) Jodi s Kosher Kitchen (Jodi Shearman) Engage another kosher catering company (must be approved by an NSTE Rabbi) 3. Cater a kosher kiddush yourself (this option is only available if done in close consultation with Pauline Lazarus in the NSTE office). The number of people to be included in the catering calculations are 50 of our congregation PLUS the number of guests you are inviting to the service. NSTE will provide challah, sacramental wine and grape juice for both Friday night and Saturday morning. 13

14 TREE OF LIFE Installed in the synagogue foyer is a magnificent Tree of Life; a copper mural provided through the generosity of Hans and Ursula Jensen. Every individual leaf commemorates an important simcha in the life of our synagogue family: birth, Bar or Bat Mitzvah, wedding, anniversary, etc. A group of leaves has been set aside for those families celebrating a Bar or Bat Mitzvah at NSTE. We invite you to inscribe a leaf to honour and commemorate this occasion. To do so, please complete the form over the page or telephone the office for further details. Perpetuate your family s memories on the Synagogue s Tree of Life. 14

15 TREE OF LIFE - ORDER FORM I wish to have (number) leaf/leaves dedicated on the Tree of Life. Cost: $550 per leaf (inclusive of GST) payable to NSTE. Please contact the Temple office to finalise arrangements. I enclose my cheque for $550 per leaf, including engraving, etc. Please send me an invoice at $550 per leaf, including engraving, etc. (tick whichever is applicable) Name(s) to appear on leaf Date of event Please indicate appropriate wording (e.g. Bar/Bat Mitzvah of our son/daughter/grandson/ granddaughter) Your name Address Phone Please return to: North Shore Temple Emanuel 28 Chatswood Avenue Chatswood NSW 2067 Phone

16 HONOURS LIST It is our tradition to offer the B nei Mitzvah families the privilege of involving their relatives and friends in the Shabbat morning service. Over the next page is a list of roles, known as honours, which you may assign to them. (Those which you leave blank we will simply allocate to other congregants.) Please indicate on this Honours List the names and addresses of the people you would like to be invited to participate, and their relationship to you, so that we may send them detailed information. If assigning an Aliyah ( call up to the Torah, requiring the reading of Hebrew blessings), please include those participants Hebrew names (e.g. Dinah bat Ya akov v Leah). Please note that the Honours List is divided into those honours available only to Jewish participants and those available to non-jewish participants. We have also noted which are only available to those over age 13. For a complete description of what each type of honour entails, please refer to pages 18 and

17 See pages 3 and 4 for any terms on this list you do not understand, or give Pauline a call on See over page for a complete list of what each honour entails. 17

18 DESCRIPTIONS OF HONOURS Torah service: ark opener/closer Ascend the Bimah when the Torah service is announced and stand next to the Ark on the left hand side as you come up. Open the Ark by pulling the cord when the Rabbi indicates. Close the Ark by pulling the cord when the Rabbi indicates. Join the Torah procession when it leaves the Bimah then return to your seat. Undressing the Torah Join the Torah procession (after the Scroll has been removed from the Ark) and follow it up to the Bimah. Remove the bells, breast-plate, mantle, pointer, etc, and place them on a bimah chair or table. Give the Yad (pointer) to the Rabbi or Gabbai. When this has been completed, return to your seat in the congregation. Aliyah Call up to the Torah The text for the blessings before and after the reading of the Torah is on page 368 in both Hebrew and transliteration. A copy of this page will be sent to you and we recommend practising the Hebrew before arrival. Additionally, a plaque on the Torah reading table will also be available for your convenience. Wearing a tallit (prayer shawl, available in our foyer), when you are called, ascend the Bimah to the left by the shortest possible route, and be prepared to provide the Rabbi or Gabbai your Hebrew name. It is customary to acknowledge the holiness of the Torah by extending the fringes of your Tallit to the spot of the reading both before and after the Torah is read, prior to reciting the blessings. After reciting the blessings, pass behind the Torah reader and remain standing at the reader s table. Once the next aliyah has completed the recitation of the concluding blessing, please greet those on the Bimah and return to your seat, descending from the Bimah at the opposite side from which you ascended. 18

19 Hagbah Elevating the Torah After the final section of Torah is read (the Maftir), ascend the stairs in response to the invitation ya amod/ta amod. When the Rabbi or Gabbai indicates, lift the Scroll, displaying about three columns of text to the congregation. Take the Torah and sit on the chair by the banister. The Torah dresser will then replace the mantle, breast-plate, etc. Remain seated, holding the Scroll during the reading of the Haftarah. During the Prayers for Our People and Our Nation, bring the Scroll forward toward the Bimah. The Rabbi will indicate when it is time to return the Scroll to the Ark. G lilah Dressing the Torah Ascend the Bimah upon being called ya amod hagolel/ta amod hagolelet. When the Scroll has been elevated (hagbah) and the person holding it has sat down, dress the Scroll by replacing the breast-plate, mantle, etc. When this has been completed, return to your seat in the congregation. Prayer for Country During the Haftarah reading, ascend the stairs to the bimah. Bring your siddur with you, and open to page 376. When asked to do so, read the prayer, beginning with the words O Guardian of life and liberty.. Please speak loudly and clearly remain on the bimah until the Torah is returned to the Ark, then return to your seat in the congregation. Aleinu service: ark opener/closer Ascend the Bimah during the Haftarah and sit on the left hand side of the Ark. Open the Ark by pulling the cord when asked to do so by the Rabbi. Remain in place until the Rabbi signals you to close the curtain. Then return to your seat in the congregation. 19

20 On behalf of everyone at North Shore Temple Emanuel, Mazel Tov on your Bar/Bat Mitzvah! CONTACT NORTH SHORE TEMPLE EMANUEL 28 Chatswood Avenue Chatswood NSW 2067 Phone: Website: Like us on Facebook -