Earlier this year, the first of my first class of fourth grade students began having their Bar and Bat Mitzvahs. There’s a post sitting in the spike file of my thoughts from the first Bar Mitzvah, because I couldn’t get it to work. In the meantime, next Saturday two of the last three (they’re twins) are having their Bar and Bat Mitzvah (they’re boy-girl twins). I’ve been helping them a bit with some of the Shabbat service prayers, mostly because they felt unsure and partly because they needed to attend more Shabbat services. But they’re kids, and kids absorb knowledge like a sponge absorbs water. I have no doubt they’ll do extremely well next Shabbat.
The last Bat Mitzvah will be sometime this spring, and then all of my first class—whom my ex-student M. calls my “lab rats”—will have achieved this milestone. They will have led the congregation in prayer, which is actually something that I have never done. I’m doing that in November of 2007. I’ve let a few people know to save the date, like Judith Weiss, and I also know that she can chant Torah, so I asked if she’d be interested in doing one of my Torah portions. I don’t think I”m up to doing seven. She said yes so quickly, I began to wonder who else I could get to help me. So at the latest Bat Mitzvah (last week, in fact), I asked M. if he’d be interested in learning one of my portions. I told him I wouldn’t be at all offended if he refused. He said yes. Then the kids started volunteering. A. asked if he could do a portion. A new boy, S., said he’d be interested. Another one just volunteered today, asking if any portions were left.
I cannot think of a better way to celebrate my adult Bat Mitzvah than to have my former students taking part in it, but I didn’t expect this degree of participation. If this keeps up, I’m going to have to rescind Judith’s invitation and give her portion to another student. Somehow, I don’t think she’ll mind.
Four years ago, when I said yes to the question, “Do you think you could teach Daled class in our religious school?”, I had no idea that I would fall in love with teaching as much as I have. And when my students do something like this, four years after graduating from my class, it makes me love teaching even more.
Like I told my A. last week: That first class taught me how to teach. Every class teaches me something new and different. But one thing they all have in common: They make me love teaching, and children, all over again.
They can be so funny, too. Last Tuesday, I was explaining the difference between patrilineal and matrilineal, trying to explain the laws about passing your Judaism on to your children. The students found much of it profoundly unfair, and at the end of the discussion, younger A. said, “Boys. Can’t live with ’em, can’t live without ’em.”
She’s not quite nine yet.
I didn’t laugh then, but boy, did I laugh when I relayed that anecdote to a friend.
Kids are great. Teaching is a blast, most of the time. I’m so glad I was dragged into this.
Out of curiosity – have you looked into teaching in the Richmond public school system?
Good luck with your Bat Mitzvah. I know that you will work hard at it and appreciate its spiritual significance.
chsw
Yes, I considered it. I decided against it for numerous reasons, economic and otherwise.
I also discovered that I really like teaching little Jews to become big Jews. It makes me feel like I have a larger purpose in life.
Odds are very high I’ll never have children of my own. This is how I get to pass on my love of Judaism to the next generation.
Have you thought about writing a book for kids about Judaism (and maybe a teachers’ guide to go with it?) One reason my (Christian) confirmation at age 13 meant so much to me was the first-rate book that the pastor used alongside the church’s official catechism. It is a gift to be able to communicate one’s love for one’s faith to the next generation without talking down to the kids, and the writer of that book certainly had the gift. I have a friend who teaches sociology of religion at the local state university and also helps kids prepare for their Bar or Bas Mitzvah at his (Conservative) synagogue. I’m sure he and his wife (who teaches Hebrew) would be delighted to have a book they or other teachers could use as a guide in “teaching little Jews to become big Jews.” It might be part of your purpose in life to pass on your faith through encouraging other teachers. I’m not likely to have children of my own either, but I’ve found that writing (and editing) can be a form of teaching as well as fulfilling in its own way.
Your students sound like a great bunch of kids!
Mazal Tov on seeing them reach “adulthood”. The only mistake that I see is that a set of boy-girl twins do not reach bar/bat mitzvah simultaneously. They reach that stage a year apart. Girls are more mature than boys.
We could probably get into a patrilineal/matrilineal argument, but that would not accomplish anythig.
Speaking of Richmond I notice that at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in Manhattan (where I take my Krav Maga classes) there was an ad posted on the bulletin board from the Richmond police department seeking applications.
All your former students volunteering to read aliyot is wonderful – and it gets me off the hook as well, because I’d make the trip to read an aliyah for you. I may do it anyway, just to hear you daven.
First weekend in November, 2007. Save the date. Chayyei Sarah.
Sabba Hillel, we knew this, but the family wanted the twins to have their Bar and Bat Mitzvah together. There are actually a lot of brother-sister b’nai mitzvot around here. Richmond is full of transplants, and it’s expensive to fly the family in every couple of years.
Joel, they’re always looking for new cops here. It’s a tough city, and burnout level is high. We’re among the top cities in homicide and other violent crime, unfortunately.
Meryl
Haiving spent only a small time in Richmond (actually touring the Civil War sites outside of Richmond) I did not realize that crime was so high in the former capital of the Confederacy. Too bad.
I’d make the trip, too.