These students are in 10th grade. As I'm in my 6th year at the synagogue, I've known these kids for some time now. I was at each of their Bar or Bat Mitzvah services. They are so amazingly grown up.
I haven't heard all the speeches. But the ones that I did hear brought tears to my eyes. It's one thing to have the kids show up each week. Their attendance, in 10th grade, is amazing to me. But to hear their words, words that they composed at home and will read in public, with all their family listening, in front of their friends....wow.
As a parent, I have a long way to go until my children are confirmed. I look at these wonderful young people and hope that I can raise my own children up in the way I want them to go. Each and every day, I hope and pray that they love Jewish life, that they find home and comfort in the community of Israel.
I wonder what their Confirmation speeches will sound like...
7 comments:
Oh, man. Even though I'm a rabbi, I'm always wondering if I'm doing all I can to raise kids who will have a strong enough Jewish identities to write tear-inducing Confirmation speeches (or go through confirmation at all, halevai.)
A big yasher koach and mazal tov in advance to your confirmation students. Such a milestone!
I agree with Ashi and Rami's Ima. I especially worry that they might come to resent the fact that I was always "there" for all the other kids in the shul and not always "there" for them.
And I love the new look. I haven't accessed your blog from a computer in a while and it doesn't look as lovely on my BB
i think we need to start a support group for rabbi-mamas who blog!:-) i am with you, rivster, that problem of "who comes first" in our lives and work...and when they intersect...oy vey.
Yeah, it took me a looong time to find your blog, Phyllis. So glad I did - because it helped me find Rivster's a few days ago.
On some level, knowing that other ladies are doing it is support group enough. On most levels, it's not. :)
I'm sorry-- I'm orthodox-- what is confirmation?
The hardest thing is that, as you know Phyl, my dad is a rabbi and he seemed to have no problem in this area. Of course, he's the dad...
And I'm so glad to have found you too, A and R's Ima :)
We should meetup (or tweetup) at the CCAR. It's in SFO this year (yay for the Left Coast). Did you know that Peter Sagel from "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me" is gonna be at the CCAR???
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