אני קושית יפה/I’m a Cute Black Girl Pg 15

As a child, I would often sit on the lounge floor and look up at the Box TV while it played one of my sisters Bat Mitzvahs. I wasn’t at my oldest sister’s Bat Mitzvah…I mean I was just stating to form in my biological mothers womb…I was at my other sisters Bat Mitzvah…I was 5 (I think). All I remember from that night was hearing balloons; which were in pink and white and spelled her name, popping all night long.

My mother had me dressed up in a with all around it, a and these …looking back now, it seems I matched the color scheme in the hall. Everything was Pink and White.

When I think back to watching those videos on the VCR, I remember wishing that I too would have my day when I could stand up in front of my family and friends and I could recite a scripture or lesson I learned while learning how to be a Jewish Lady. In Orthodox Judaism a female cannot read from the Torah or stand on the Bima…so girls would light the Shabbat Candles in Shul and will be declared mature enough to sit in on Shul Service in the actual Shul and they would no longer be restricted to just the Children Services.

Last night, the Rabbi spoke to us about the Jewish Life Cycle. He spent some time talking about the Brit Milah and how Progressive Judaism treats that momentous time….for a moment I looked at the men in my class and felt sorry for them, knowing that in just a few months they would have to have their circumcision before they would be able to graduate and be declared Jewish… . 

The Rabbi then went on to talk about Bat and Bar Mitzvahs…and of course let’s not forget that we now live in a world were gender is such a touchy subject so in Progressive Judaism they call this Mitzvah, a Beit Mitzvah; neither for a boy or girl this is just a day where a young child stands up and becomes ready to declare themselves ready to follow in the steps of the Jewish Commandments and become an adult.

Recently in Judaism a 2nd Beit Mitzvah is now being celebrated. This is when an adult reaches the age of 83.

 13 is the year when you are declared an adult in Judaism and it is traditionally the age at which you would have had your 1st Beit Mitzvah.  We add the additional 70 years, because in Psalms; Kind David mentions how the full lifespan of a person was 70 years. At 71 a person starts their lives over again. Hence 70 + 13 = 83.

Well I don’t intend on waiting another 47 years until I can have my Bat Mitzvah…so who knows maybe I can have mine once I have become Jewish. Just something small with family…and just like my sisters did, I will wear a white dress and because I am following Progressive Judaism I may get to read from the Torah and get to carry it too. But looking back on last weekend, when last years JBC group performed Shabbat as they graduated; they got to read from the Torah and light the Shabbat Candles, it was like it was their Beit Mizvahs…so maybe I can look at my graduation next year as my Bat Mitzvah.

I learnt about a Custom that I knew nothing about before…   Redemption of the 1st born son, after they have reached 30 days of age. What would we need to redeem them from? There are a few reasons….

• Jewish 1st Born Sons were the sanctified Priestly Class, and so they were sworn into Hashem’s Services.
• Jewish 1st Born Sons were spared from the Plague that struck the 1st Born in Egypt

So they would be redeemed from following an already decided path, and once their parents paid 5 Shekels/Silver Coins, they would be able to decide their own futures.

Now I am the youngest in my family and was always surrounded by girls, so I never knew about this Ritual, but when the time comes and I get blessed with a son I will look further into this.

Another Jewish Ceremony I missed out on when I got married…was the night I would be cleansed for my husband. I never got to have my  .

We ended the night after talking about Beit Mitzvahs, but I look forward to learning more about the Jewish Life Cycle.