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For the past year, the Green & Sea Point Hebrew Congregation’s Bat Mitzvah Club has shown its girls why a Bat Mitvah is so much more than a party.
It has taught them what it really means to be a Bat Mitzvah in the modern world. The irls have got to know their Jewish identities through art, creative writing and community outreach. They have discussed important topics and shared their interests, goals, dreams and hopes. The programme culminated in the Marais Road hul’s Bat Mitzvah Club graduation ceremony. On Sunday 20 October, 28 young Jewish girls marked the start of their adult Jewish life with knowledge and pride. Up until their 12th birthdays, it has all been a practice run! In a brilliant usical and verse presentation, the graduates, together with Cantor Ivor Joffe, David Gordon and the Marais Road Shul choir, presented this year’s theme of ‘Ani Maamin — I believe.’
Rabbonim of the participating shuls presented their congregants with graduate certificates in addition to certificates from Yad Vashem, where the girls twinned with a victim of the Holocaust who never had a Bat Mitzvah. Warm thanks ere offered by Shul President Selwyn Greenhill, and indeed a huge ‘shkayach’ to Rebbetzin Sara Wineberg for creating and growing the Bat Mitzvah Club and to Rebbetzin Chani Hecht for amazing support and preparing our members for their Dvar Torahs in shul.
And finally, a big mazel tov to all 28 graduates of 2013: Michaela Codron, Erin Deats, Jemma Diamond, Michaela Diamond, Erin Duveen, Gia Fanaroff, Batya Hepple, Leah Hepple, Tannah Israel, Isabella Jackson, Lara Kassel, Carla Kassel, Giorga Katz, Sarah Katz, Chiara Levin, Rebecca Nathan, Eve Pywell, Rachel Rawraway, Ariella Resnick, Lexi Sank, Lara Seeff, Yetta Shell, Rozanne Sherman, Cayla Shmaryahu, Saskia Todes, Hannah Wells, Ruby Wilder and alia Woolfson.
