Shavuot Evening Service Confirmation

Shavuot Evening Service

ConfirmationThursday, May 28, 2020 5 Sivan 5780

Leo Baeck Temple1300 North Sepulveda Boulevard

Los Angeles, CA 90049310.476.2861 • www.leobaecktemple.org

Rabbi Kenneth Chasen Rabbi Lisa BerneyRabbi Benjamin Ross Cantor Linda KatesLloyd Segan, President Abigail Goldberg Spiegel,

Executive DirectorIris Weinmann, President-Elect

religious schoolsanford ragins

Confirmation/Shavuot 2020 Page 1

Confirmation 2020 Shavuot 5780

Katherine Ellen Babb

Portia Berman

Grant Bishop

Emile Bragard

Julia Cohen

McKenna Flekman

Molly Koretz

Joseph Kouame-Waldman

Rachel Levin

Lena Diana Levy

Isabel Shaine

Elia Smith

Thursday, May 28, 20205 Sivan 5780

Leo Baeck TempleLos Angeles, CA

religious schoolsanford ragins


Words of Welcome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Iris Weinmann, President-Elect

Candle Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Michele Gitomer

Baruch ata Adonai, Eloheinu Melech Ha’olam,asher kidshanu b’mitzvotav, v’tzivanu l’hadlik ner shel Yom Tov.

Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of the Universe. You have sanctified us with Your mitzvot and commanded us to kindle the festival lights.

PROCESSIONAL OF CONFIRMANDS

The People and Places . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . McKenna Flekman


Community in Motion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Grant Bishop

SHEMA UVIRCHOTEHA שמע וברכותיהTHE SHEMA AND ITS BLESSINGS

Please rise

Barchu (N. Aronson) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Confirmation Class

BARCHU et Adonai Ham’vorach!

Praise God to whom all praise is due!

Baruch Adonai Ham’vorach l’olam va’ed.

Praised be God to whom all praise is due forever and ever.


Natural Holiness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Julia Cohen

CREATION מעריב ערביםHail the hand that scattered space with stars,wrapped whirling world in bright blue blanket, air,made worlds within worlds, elements in earth,souls within skins, every one a teeming universe,every tree a system of semantics, and pushed beyondprobability to place consciousness on this coolingcrust of burning rock.

Oh praise that hand, mind, heart, soul, power, orforce that so enclosed, separated, limited planets,trees, humans, yet breaks all bounds and borders to lavish on us light, love, life, this trembling glory.

BARUCH ata Adonai, hama’ariv aravim.

My Revealed Journey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Joseph Kouame-Waldman

REVELATION AND PRAISED BE THOU for the Torah.Like stars in the night,its teachings shine through dark and dangerous ages.In every generation,in the wilderness of careless living,our people searched for You,for meaning,and for the path of conscience.So much of what we are and should be lies in the Torah,curled up,gently, patiently waiting to be found by us.Let us embrace the Torah, as did our ancestors.May it be for us a beacon of righteousness and justice, of truth and compassion, bring-ing light to our world, to our families, and into the deepest recesses of our souls.

BARUCH ata Adonai, oheiv amo Yisraeil.

בָרוּךְ אַתָה יְיָ, אוֹהֵב עַמּוֹ יִשְרָאֵל.

בָרוּךְ אַתָה יְיָ, המעריב ערבים.


Many Souls, One Community. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Elia Smith

Shema (T. Pik) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Confirmation Class SHEMA YISRAEIL, Adonai Eloheinu, Adonai echad.

Hear O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is One.

Baruch sheim k’vod malchuto l’olam va’ed.

Praised be God’s name whose glory and majesty are forever and ever.

Please be seated.

Honoring Parents in My Own Path . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Katherine Ellen Babb V’AHAVTA ואהבת

V’AHAVTA eit Adonai Elohecha b’chol-l’vav’cha, uv’chol-nafsh’cha, uv’chol-m’odecha. V’hayu had’varim ha-eileh, asher anochi m’tsav’cha hayom, al- l’vavecha. V’shinantam l’vanecha, v’dibarta bam, b’shivt’cha b’veitecha, uv’lecht’cha vaderech, uv’shochb’cha uv’kumecha. Uk’shartam l’ot al-yadecha, v’hayu l’totafot bein einecha. Uch’tavtam al-m’zuzot beitecha, uvish’arecha. L’ma’an tizk’ru, va’asitem et- kol-mitsvotai, vih’yitem k’doshim l-Eilo-heichem. Ani Adonai Elo-heichem, asher hotseiti etchem meierets Mitzraim lihiyot lachem l-Eilohim, ani Adonai Elo-heichem


AND YOU SHALL LOVE Adonai your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might. And all these words which I command you on this day, shall be in your heart. And you shall teach them diligently unto your children, and you shall speak of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up. And you shall bind them for a sign upon your hand, and they shall be for frontlets between your eyes. And you shall write them on the door-posts of your house and upon your gates.

That you may remember and do all of My commandments and be holy unto your God. I am Adonai, your God, who brought you out of Egypt to be your God. I am Adonai, your God.

Look Past Your Nose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Isabel Shaine

MI CHAMOCHA (H. Tiferet-Siegel) מי כמכה MI-CHAMOCHA ba-eilim, Adonai? Mi kamocha ne’dar bakodesh, nora t’hilot, osei fele?

Malchut’cha ra-u vanecha, Bokei-a yam lif’nei Moshe; “Zeh Eili!” anu, v’amru:

Adonai yimloch l’olam vaed.

Vene-emar: Ki fada Adonai et Ya’akov, u-g’alo mi-yad chazak mimenu. Baruch ata Adonai, ga-al Yisraeil.

Who is like You, Eternal One, among the gods that are worshipped? Who is like You, majestic in holiness, awesome in splendor, doing wonders? In their escape from the sea, Your children saw Your sovereign might displayed. “This is my God!” they cried. The Eternal One will reign forever and ever. And it has been said: The Eternal One delivered Jacob, and redeemed us from the hand of one stronger than ourselves. We praise You, Eternal One, Redeemer of Israel.


T’FILAH תפלה

Smooth Sailing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rachel Levin

Adonai S’fatai (C. Taubman) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Confirmation Class

ADONAI, s’fatai tiftach, ufi yagid t’hila-techa.

Eternal God, open my lips, that my mouth may declare Your glory.

GOD OF ALL GENERATIONS אבות ואמהות

Blessed are You, Adonai our God, God of our fathers and mothers, God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob, God of Sarah, God of Rebecca, God of Rachel, and God of Leah, great, mighty and exalted. You bestow loving kindness on all Your children. You remember the devotion of our ancestors. In Your love, You bring redemption to their descendants, for the sake of Your name. You are our Ruler and Helper, our Savior and

Protector. Blessed are You, Adonai, Sarah’s Helper, Abraham’s Shield.


GEVUROT גבורות

We pray that the Power, whose gift is life, grant us love that will encompass us because we are human. Grant us healing, liberation, and the strength to stand upright.

May we create a life of purpose, so that our fleeting days and hours might be endowed with abiding meaning. Who is like You, Source of mercy?

With compassion You remember Your creatures unto life. Blessed are you, Adonai, who gives life to all.

THE HOLINESS OF GOD קדושת השםAta kadosh, v’shimcha kadosh, uk’doshim b’chol-yom y’hal’lucha, sela. Baruch ata Adonai, ha-Eil hakadosh.

YOU ARE HOLY, Your name is holy, and those who strive to be holydeclare Your glory day by day. We praise You, Eternal One, the holy God.

You may be seated.


Music as Meaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Emile Bragard

OD YAVO SHALOM ALEINU עוד יבואOd yavo shalom aleinu v’al kulam. Salaam, aleinu v’al kol haolam, Salaam, salaam.

Peace will surely come to us, to everyone. Salaam, for us and for the entire world.

Judaism is an Artwork. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lena Diana Levy

TORAH SERVICE

Please rise.

S’u Sh’arim (arr. by W. Sharlin) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cantor and Congregation

S’U SH’ARIM rasheichem, u-s’u pitchei olam, v’yavo Melech Hakavod. Mi hu zeh Melech Hakavod? Adonai tz’va-ot hu Melech Hakavod. Selah.

Lift up your heads, O gates! Lift yourselves up, O ancient doors!Let the Glorious Ruler enter. Who is the Glorious One?

Adonai of Hosts – This is the Glorious Ruler!


Shema (S. Sulzer) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Congregation

SHEMA YISRAEIL, Adonai Eloheinu, Adonai echad.

Hear O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is One.

Echad Eloheinu, Gadol Adoneinu, Kadosh Sh’mo.

Our God is One; great and holy is the Eternal One.

Beyond Ourselves (Don’t You Dare Covet). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Molly Koretz

BEFORE THE READING

Reader:

BAR’CHU et Adonai ham’vorach!

Congregation:

Baruch Adonai ham’vorach l’olam va’ed!

Reader:

Baruch Adonai ham’vorach l’olam va’ed! Baruch ata Adonai, Elo-heinu melech ha’olam, asher bachar banu mikol ha’amim, venatan lanu et Torah-to. Baruch ata Adonai, Notein Ha-Torah.

Praise the One to whom praise is due! Praised be the One to whom praise is due, now and for ever! Praised be our Eternal God, Ruler of the universe, who has chosen us

from all peoples by giving us the Torah. We praise You, Eternal One, Giver of the Torah.


AFTER THE READING

Reader:

BARUCH ata Adonai, Elo-heinu melech ha’olam, asher natan lanu torat emet, v’chayei olam nata b’tocheinu. Baruch ata Adonai, Notein Ha-Torah.

Praised be our Eternal God, Sovereign of the universe, who has given us a Torah of truth, implanting within us eternal life.

We praise You, Eternal One, Giver of the Torah.

THE TORAH IS RETURNED

Please rise.


Eitz chayim hi lamachazikim bah, v’tomecheha me-ushar.D’racheha darchei no’am, v’chol n’tivoteha shalom. Hashiveinu Adonai, Eilecha v’nashuva, chadeish yameinu k’kedem.

It is a tree of life for those who hold fast to it, and all its supporters are happy. Its ways are ways of pleasantness and all its paths are peace.

Return us to You, Eternal One, and we will return; renew our days as of old.

Connecting Through Israel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Portia Berman We commit ourselves to our spiritual growth – our name Israel means one who struggles with God. We dedicate ourselves to a life-long search to understand our relationship with God and the world around us.

We commit ourselves to Torah – to continue learning from it, to follow its ethical and moral teachings and to pass it on to the next generation.

We commit ourselves to Israel – we affirm our connection not only to the land of Israel but also to the people Israel, to all Jews throughout the world.

SHEMA YISRAEIL, Adonai Eloheinu, Adonai echad.

Hear O Israel: Adonai our God, Adonai is One.


Charge to Confirmands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Rabbi Kenneth Chasen

Blessing of the Confirmands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rabbi Kenneth Chasen

Presentation of Certificates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Iris Weinmann, President-ElectRabbi Benjamin Ross

Shehecheyanu (T. Pik) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Confirmation Class and Congregation

Baruch Ata, Adonai Eloheinu, ‘Melech Ha’olam, Shehecheyanu v’kiy’manu V’higiyanu laz’man ha-zeh. Amein.

Blessed are You Adonai, our God, Ruler of the Universe, for giving us life,

for sustaining us, and for bringing us to this season.


FESTIVAL KIDDUSH קדיש

Baruch ata Adonai, Eloheinu Melech Ha’olam, borei p’ri hagafen. Baruch ata Adonai, Eloheinu Melech Ha’olam, asher bachar banu mikol am, v’rom’manu mikol lashon, v’kid-shanu b’mitsvotav. Vatiten lanu Adonai Eloheinu b’ahavah, mo’adim l’simcha, chagim uzmanim l’sason, et yom chag hashavu-ot hazeh, z’man matan tora-teinu, mikra kodesh, zeicher litsiat ,Mitsrayim. Ki vanu vacharta v’otanu kidashta mikol-ha’amim, umo’adei kodsh’cha b’simchah uv’sason hinchal-tanu. Baruch ata Adonai, m’kadeish Yisraeil v’haz’manim.

Blessed is Adonai our God, Sovereign of the universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine. Blessed is Adonai our God, Sovereign of the universe, who has chosen and

exalted us above all nations, and has sanctified us with Mitzvot. You, Adonai our God, have graciously given us holidays for gladness and festive seasons for joy:

this Festival of Shavuot, our season of the Giving of the Torah, a holy gathering in remembrance of the Exodus from Egypt.

O God, You have chosen us and set us apart from all the peoples, and in love and favor have given us festivals for gladness and joy.

Blessed is Adonai, who makes holy Israel and the festivals.


ALEINU עלינוALEINU l’shabei-ach la-adon hakol, lateit g’dulah l’yotzeir b’reisheet, shelo asanu k’goyei ha-aratsot, v’lo samanu k’mishp’chot,ha-adama, shelo sam chelkeinu kahem, v’gora-leinu k’chol hamonam. Va-anachnu kor’im umishta-chavim umodim, lifnei Melech, Malchei Ham’lachim, ha-Kadosh Baruch Hu.

It is our destined calling to praise the God of all existence, to render honor unto the Sovereign of all eternity who has called us to an appointed purpose among all the families of the earth.We therefore bow in awe and thanksgiving before the One who is Sovereign over all, the Holy One. V’ne-emar: v’haya Adonai l’Melech al kol ha-aretz; Bayom hahu yih’yeh Adonai echad, ush’mo echad.

It has been said: The Lord shall reign over all the earth. On that day the Lord shall be One, and God’s name shall be One.


MOURNER’S KADDISH קדיש יתוםYITGADAL v’yitkadash sh’mei raba b’alma di-v’ra chirutei, v’yamlich mal’chutei b’chayeichon uv’yomeichon uv’chayei d’chol beit Yisraeil, ba’agala uvizman kariv, v’imru: Amein.

Y’hei sh’mei raba m’varach l’alam ul’almei almaya.

Yitbarach v’yishtabach, v’yitpa’ar v’yitromam v’yitnasei, v’yit-hadar v’yit-aleh v’yit-halal sh’mei d’kudsha, brich hu, l’eila min kol birchata v’shirata, tushb’chata v’neche-mata da’amiran b’alma, v’imru: Amein.

Y’hei sh’lama raba min sh’maya v’chayim aleinu v’al kol Yisraeil, v’imru: Amein.

Oseh shalom bimromav, hu ya’aseh shalom aleinu v’al kol Yisraeil, v’imru: Amein.

Exalted and hallowed be Your greatness in this world of Your creation. May Your will be fulfilled and Your sovereignty revealed in the days of our lifetime and the life of the

whole house of Israel speedily and soon, and say, Amen.

May You be blessed forever, even to all eternity.

May You, most Holy One, be blessed, praised and honored, extolled and glorified, adored and exalted above all else. Blessed are You, beyond all blessings and hymns,

praises and consolations that may be uttered in this world, and say, Amen.

May peace abundant descend from heaven with life for us and for all Israel, and say, Amen.

May God, who makes peace on high, bring peace to us and to all Israel, and say, Amen.


Presentation by Confirmands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Katherine Babb & McKenna Flekman

Acceptance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Iris Weinmann, President-Elect

Oseh Shalom (E. Jagoda) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . Rabbi Kenneth Chasen

Benediction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rabbi Benjamin Ross


PERSONAL STATEMENTS:

Katherine Ellen BabbI have practically grown up at Leo Baeck Temple. My personal Leo Baeck journey started as a 2 year old at the Early Childhood Center with Simona. Upon graduation I joined the Sunday morning class and met the Jewish friends who will be with me for the rest of my life. I will always remember the 3rd-7th grade retreat with our prank wars and late night ice cream dance parties fondly. I also loved being a Madricha. I relearned what it meant to be a kind and inclusive person from the K-1 class, and my time as their Madricha was both inspiring and fulfilling. Next in my journey came the 8th Grade Israel Trip. It was incredible seeing Judaism in a different perspective and being able to connect with teens on the other side of the world. I will remember our drum circle and sing along bus rides forever. In 9th grade, I began to take Torah Study more seriously. I loved looking at the Song of Songs and reading all the poetry written thousands of years ago. I also started participating in a Jewish teen group, NFTY and joined our teen youth group board. At NFTY, I connected with Jewish teens all across Southern California, people who I still talk to daily. Once every couple months, all of us come together for a Kallah: a weekend of praying, dancing, and connecting as Jewish teens. But my favorite class by far was 10th grade. The year encompassed text debates, discovering our personal beliefs, and becoming closer as a class. The Washington D.C. trip solidified our friendships and allowed us to make a difference in our political system. Now that I am 16 and being confirmed, I am so proud of how far that I have come and would not have done this journey any differently.

Portia BermanI have been a student at Leo Baeck Temple since 3rd grade. This temple has taught me so much about Judaism. I learned about what being a Jew means to me, and what it means to the world. I learned lessons from the Torah and applied them to today. I loved learning about friendship and stories from the Torah and applying them to my life. A Jewish identity is different for everyone, and Leo Baeck Temple helped me find mine. I like seeing what being Jewish means to my classmates, and I am so grateful for all the Sundays of Jewish discovery. Finally, I am grateful for my classmates, who journeyed with me.



Grant BishopThe community is what really connects me to Judaism. I feel as though with every new Jewish person I meet, there is a connection between us. It is the feeling of shared experiences: Shabbat dinners, the High Holy Days, and Bar Mitzvahs (and the parties) that guide this connection. Also, I have grown very close to this confirmation class over the past two years. It really started for me with the Arizona trip. It was such a deeply emotional experience that after it, I felt very bonded to my fellow classmates. Then, this year, the Washington D.C. trip further bonded our group and now I feel like I can have a personal conversation with everyone in this class. I think that’s what makes the community really special.

Emile BragardMy Jewish life has been all over the place, because of how much we moved around. I can’t remember before Australia, and I doubt I had much of a Jewish life since I was so young. In Australia, Judaism is quite the minority religion, unlike LA, so my Jewish life usually was made up of Shabbat Friday night, Hanukkah, Passover, and the High Holy Days. Whenever we would go to visit our Jewish family in the U.S., we would have Passover plays, probably the most memorable part of my Jewish life growing up. When we moved to Paris, I started taking Skype Hebrew classes with Avram. We went over Hebrew and looked at these scenarios called You Be The Judge, where I learned how differently the Torah can be interpreted. I also ended up joining Jewish cub scouts, which was very different, especially because I was by far the least traditional. I ended up going to a two and a half week camp with the Jewish cub scouts, which included an hour of prayer every morning, and about two hours of Shabbat services every Friday evening, Saturday morning, and Saturday night. I was relieved when we came to the U.S. and joined Leo Baeck Temple, because it was definitely a lot more fun and less traditional. I became a Bar Mitzvah and have stayed in Sunday School classes since. The Arizona and Washington D.C. trips have, for me, shown how much we can really do as a community, having religion only being a part of it.



Julia CohenWhen I first started here at Leo Baeck Temple I was very young and nervous to start at a new temple but instantly I felt a great connection with the staff and kids in my class. While I disliked coming to Sunday school mornings because I found it boring starting in middle school I found preparation for my Bat Mitzvah exciting, but still somewhat not interesting. But then, in 8th grade, when we went on the Israel trip I had a life-changing experience, from getting closer with my classmates to meeting amazing teen Israelis just like me. It was amazing learning how different life is in Israel vs America. Then in 10th grade, I started confirmation after hearing how amazing the confirmation year was my sister and another student in the grade above me. This got me excited to start coming. By the end of the first confirmation class I realized it was the first time I actually enjoyed coming to Hebrew school. Recently our confirmation class went to Washington D.C. to lobby and talk about issues important to us. Even though during that trip I had a really bad cold it was such an amazing experience. I saw hundreds of teens from synagogues from across America coming together and all talking about things that we wanted to see change and meeting new people. I am so glad I had the opportunity to do this.

McKenna FlekmanWhen I think about being Jewish, I think about the people I’ve met and the experiences I’ve had. My best friends are the friends I met by going to Sunday school every week since pre-school, and getting the opportunities to bond with them and others through different programs and trips have really changed my life. The 8th grade trip to Israel was the trip that really did it for me. I became extremely close to everyone from Leo Baeck Temple as well as other temples in our community and the Israelis that we lived with there. That trip will forever be one of the best experiences of my life and after that, I knew I wanted to continue coming to temple even after my Bat Mitzvah. The next year I got to go to Arizona on a service learning trip about Immigration with Tzedek America. I was already very passionate about social justice but this gave me an opportunity to connect it with my Judaism. Then, this year we went to Washington D.C. with the L’Taken program. I got to speak to a representative of Karen Bass about criminal justice reform. In addition to these trips I participate in NFTY SoCal events throughout the year. Within NFTY we also focus on social justice while getting to bond with Jewish teens all throughout our region. Through NFTY and these other trips I have met my favorite people who are like my family. I have learned about myself and what I am passionate about. Being Jewish has given me the chance to have these incredible experiences with wonderful people and I’m so thankful for that.



Molly KoretzUntil recently, I never took an interest in my Jewish identity. I went to a conservative temple for most of my early Jewish education, and I did not like it. I came to Leo Baeck Temple in fourth grade and was immediately welcomed. Sunday school allowed me to find out that being Jewish was something I enjoyed, whether it was the annual retreats or creative writing with Mark. I became proud to be Jewish and would express that pride in passionate arguments with my friends at school about which was better, Hanukkah or Christmas. In high school, I was no longer surrounded by my many Jewish friends that had gone to elementary and middle school with me. I realized how unique my Judaism made me, and it made me excited to continue my Jewish education past my Bat Mitzvah. There are many things that Leo Baeck Temple has provided me with, but the most important is confidence. While in Washington D.C., we were asked what made us confident. I immediately assumed that my dance shows had given me confidence, but I was wrong. My Judaism is what makes me confident, and Leo Baeck Temple allowed me to find that confidence.

Joseph Kouame-WaldmanTaking pride in my Jewish identity hasn’t always been easy. Because I’m Black, and I come from an interfaith family, at an early age, I always thought of myself as an outsider in the Jewish community. My mom started bringing me to Leo Baeck Temple when I was four years old. I remember being in a monthly class with my fellow confirmation classmate McKenna. However, as the years progressed, I found myself dreading having to go to temple classes every Sunday. In fact, during second grade, I skipped an entire year of Sunday School. This all changed though when I came back for my third grade year. I figured out what I was missing as I started opening up and bonding with a lot of the boys in my class. My temple friendships only strengthened the older we got. As the Bar Mitzvah year approached, all the preparation felt like necessary requirements just in order to graduate. To me, my Bar Mitzvah was just a way of completing my Jewish education and moving on in life. On the bima, with all eyes on me on my big day, I realized that Judaism was more than going to Temple on Sundays—it was a part of me. That summer, I went to Jewish sleepaway camp for the first time and had the experience of a lifetime. It’s the feeling of bonding that led me to participate in Confirmation, returning to Jewish summer camp, and playing in the Maccabi games. Because of the Leo Baeck Temple community, I was able to make lifelong friendships, travel across the country meeting fellow Jews, and truly embrace my Jewish identity. I know now that I’m proud to be a Jew.



Rachel LevinWhen I was young, just a child, I dreaded Sunday school. My Jewish identity consisted of suffering through the Shabbat prayers every Friday so I could gobble up some challah and rush back to my room and watch TV. Now, at the ripe old age of fifteen, though I’ll admit I still enjoy a good Friday night challah, my Jewish identity has expanded beyond my dining room table. This is largely thanks to Sunday nights from 5:10 - 6:30pm, and the people that fill that time. Since I joined Leo Baeck Temple in seventh grade, Judaism has taken on a new meaning in my mind. Judaism is a way of learning, a way to express my opinions, and a way to look at the world through a new lens. First on our trip to Israel, then to Arizona, and most recently to Washington D.C., I have grown close to a group of people and a set of values that have shaped my mind and my identity in a way that I never thought before would become so intrinsic to the way I interact with the world around me. My Jewish identity goes beyond the words I recite or the way I understand God, though that is woven in too; my Jewish identity is people. The people in Youth Group who allow me to be myself and still have intellectual opinions, and the people who have known me from my most insecure to my most confident. The true core of Judaism for me has been revealed over time, as I have grown up in the last four years. I have begun to understand, as I am still learning, through my friends and family here at Leo Baeck Temple, the way Judaism has helped me grow and mature into who I am now. I am eccentric and a little bit insane, and my Jewish identity is just the same, because I’ve finally found a place where those two things are not mutually exclusive. Sometimes maturity is a bit immature, and identity is a little bit unidentifiable, but I know for sure that my Leo Baeck Temple community is a vital part of my Jewish identity.

Lena Diana LevyI would accredit the majority of the positive growth I have experienced in life to the Jewish community, both at Leo Baeck Temple and Camp Alonim. Due to the encouragement and opportunities I have been given by the Jewish community, I had the great honor to travel to Israel, and that trip has forever changed the significance of Judaism in my life. Since then, I have admired the tangible and intangible aspects of Judaism. Meaning, I adore books written by Jewish authors, traditional Jewish articles of clothing, Jewish home decorations, and traditional Jewish food recipes. But, in addition, I now find comfort in the values, teachings, and practices of reform Judaism. I love that my Jewish communities offer me not only an unlimited amount of shelter and guidance to the person I aspire to be in my future, but also offers me objects I can use to express the importance and significance of Judaism in my life. I feel that I would not be as strong of a person today without the affection from each person (even strangers) at Leo Baeck Temple.



Isabel ShaineIn 2006, a loud, chubby and wide-eyed two-year-old waddled into the Leo Baeck Temple Early Childhood Center and I found my home. This is where I have made truly deep connections that will last a lifetime, discovered how god and spirituality fits into my life, and especially found my strengths and how I can utilize them to better the world. Everywhere I go I feel a slight but persistent pressure to assimilate by compressing my opinions, ethics, and most often volume. Not only is this pressure lifted in my Jewish community, these traits are seen as assets and are even encouraged. Along with my identity, Judaism has given me sanctuary in a world rife with chaos. There’s one special moment in particular during havdalah when everyone’s quiet and the room feels full, almost magical. Throughout every loss and change Leo Baeck has been a constant and I know I can always go back to that feeling of truly belonging.

Elia SmithLeo Baeck has helped me view “Jewishness” not just as belief or heritage, but as an application of those values into living the best, most positively impactful, life possible. On the 9th grade Arizona trip, we visited the U.S.- Mexico border and learned about all sides of the immigration issue by speaking to DACA recipients, an immigration lawyer, and an ICE agent. This trip opened my eyes to the pressing reality of an issue that I previously thought I understood well enough. This year, our class went to Washington D.C. to lobby on Capitol Hill with the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism. It reminded me that despite the rather bleak state of politics today, there are good people in the world trying to do the right thing, and that my voice and my peers’ voices are a good deal more powerful than we realize. Jewish tradition isn’t removed from the issues in today’s world. It’s a way to understand them.

Shavuot Evening Service Confirmation

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Transcript of Shavuot Evening Service Confirmation