WARNING: This is a high volume ping list
Posted on 06/17/2005 9:08:47 AM PDT by jb6
SAMARA, Russia – The Jewish Community of Samara has celebrated the coming of age for numerous Jewish children, each of whom are students at the city's Ohr Avner Chabad Day School. Masha Krayeva, Anya Chernyagina, Lana Vaksman and Yana Melikhova were very happy to welcome their friends, teachers, parents and the city's Chief Rabbi, Shlomo Deutch and his wife Dina, to their long-awaited Bat Mitzva.
These young Jewish ladies delivered the opening words at this festivity, each giving a brief speech about the duties that a Jewish girl must take on upon experiencing her Bat Mitzva. The schoolchildren easily found the words to express their feelings, as their family members and friends, some of them whom are younger and are also looking forward to eventually undergoing this important mitzvah, looked on as they experienced this significant life-changing event.
Rabbi and Mrs. Deutch who also serve as the Chabad Lubavitch emissaries to Samara congratulated the girls, presenting a gift of candle-holders to each of them, so that they may regularly observe the mitzvah of lighting Shabbat candles.
The festivities of this communal gathering continued with a traditional kosher feast, prepared by family members and community volunteers.
The Jewish community of Samara is a member of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia.
WARNING: This is a high volume ping list
I'm assuming, since this is Chabad, they didn't celebrate their bat mitzvah by making aliyah in shul.
Mazol Tov!
They celebrated their bat mitzvah by acknowledging their obligation to observe G-D's Commandments. No Hollywood, no Disney, no Britney theme parties. What a concept!
Please explain what you just said. I'm curious to learn.
Shul is a common Orthodox word for synagogue and an aliyah (literally "going up") is when a member of the congregation goes up to the bimah and reads a Torah portion.
Since Chabad was in charge of this event and Chabad is Orthodox, I'm assuming that the bat mitzvah did not entail the girls aping a boy's bar mtzvah, but was a different kind of ceremony.
Alouette pointed out that since Chabad was in charge the cheesy Reform phenomenon of themed bar mitzvah parties (like Star Wars, Britney Spears, etc.) would also be absent.
Looks like the girls came of age by describing their happiness to be living Jewishly in Russia - which given the history, is something to be pretty happy about.
Ahem, not all Reform shul's are created equally. Mine is quite traditional, services are in Hebrew, the kitchen is kosher, and every child is fluent in Hebrew by the time they hit the bimah. You heard correctly - fluent!
I have to say it's nice to sit with my husband and have my children treated as equals.
Thank you for this - I am printing and clipping for my daughter. I'm hopeful these are some of the families we wrote to in the 80's while religion in Russia was still suppressed. When I think of all the candle sticks and prayer books we smuggled in...we won!
I take it the Reformed are the Episcopalians of the Jewish world with their Clown services and other silly crap.
What is Madonna and Britney and the rest of those lefty idjits? I can't imagine them being Orthodox Jews.
“Bar mitzvah king: he runs a successful event-planning company, two swank party venues and a popular downtown bar. But in Forest Hill, North York and the rest of Jewish Toronto, Corey Mandell is better known as the DJ who makes a fortune driving 13-year-olds wild.” (Toronto Life Magazine, v.38(4) Ap’04 pg 81-86)
Hired by conservatives and orthodox alike. The only thing I can think of that might be close in the outside world would be a debutante ball.
Personally, I prefer a lovely oneg (meal after services) for the congregation, a donation to charity, and a nice catered dinner with close friends. A nifty party for the 13th year old set will be held QUITE separately.
It's hard to analogize precisely.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.