A Note From The Bat Mitzvah Girl

Growing up in a small town in Maine, there weren't many opportunities to get involved with Judaism. Despite there being three churches within five minutes' walking distance of each other in the quiet town where I've lived my whole life, the closest synagogue is more than a few highway exits away. As you can imagine, there isn't much of a Jewish community established in a town where the graduating class averages around a hundred and the traffic lights start blinking at 9pm, so for me, going to SU and going on Birthright has been an amazing opportunity to learn about my religious and cultural background. Don't get me wrong- I've always considered myself Jewish culturally and religiously - but as far as the latter goes, the emphasis has always been on the "ish". I was worried going in to Birthright without a childhood filled with Hebrew lessons and Shabbat services that I'd have a hard time fitting in with a group who mostly all grew up knowing their alef bets and parshas, but I am happy to report I couldn't have been more wrong. No one has laughed at my clumsy Hebrew or inability to sing along at prayers, but instead have been eager to answer all my questions (who is this sabbath bride? What is a tabernacle?). No one has made me feel like I don't belong, or that I don't deserve to be here. Many have told me how excited they are to share their knowledge of Judaism with me and for me to experience the things that they have always taken for granted.

 When Brian told me about the opportunity to have a bat mitzvah, there was no question in my mind that I wanted to do it. I wasn't sure if this was going to be the bat mitzvah I'd dreamt of, but it could not have been more amazing. Stripped of the commercialized party aspect that often goes hand in hand with American bar mitzvahs, in a small room in a kibbutz surrounded by people I'd just met, all dressed in bathing suit cover ups and shorts, led by another student (thank you Rabbi Dave Kimmelburg) it could have not been more perfect. It was not a traditional bat mitzvah (from what I can tell- I've only ever been to two b'nei mitzvot), but it was so fitting for me. It was meaningful, intimate, casual, and everyone was so eager to make it special for me from participating in the service to lifting me for the hora, and I could not be more grateful.

One thing I was not sure of is whether or not being bat mitzvah'd made me any more Jewish than I already was, or if Jewishness was even a quantifiable trait. Being in the desert, seeing Masada, learning Hebrew phrases, discussing Judaism, and being called to the Torah have all strengthened my connection to my Judaic background, but I don't believe I'm any more or less Jewish than when this trip began. Taglit translates to discovery, and for me, that's exactly what these past five days have been about. This experience may have helped me discover more about Judaism, but it has also helped me to realize that there are so many ways to be Jewish and celebrate Jewishness, and that however it becomes meaningful to each and every individual is the right way for them. I have always been Jewish, but through Taglit, I have never felt more connected in more ways than I do now. So please, let me take the time to publicly thank Brian, Jillian, Yishay, and all of my fellow birth righters for giving me a bat mitzvah I will always treasure, and for teaching me a lesson that I will never forget. This experience has truly been what Taglit is about.  

With love from Israel,

-AbbyLeigh, The Bat Mitzvah Girl