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Prior to my family joining Beth Jacob during the 1989-1990 school year, my exposure to the Jewish community had been limited to our involvement with Shaare Shalom Congregation. By that time, I was in 2nd grade and had already learned many ritual aspects of Judaism: the general structure of Maariv and High Holiday services, keeping kosher (a personal struggle on Pesach with kitniyot), costumes on Purim, and decorating our congregational sukkah. However, I can say with confidence that my formal Jewish education did not begin until I entered Shabbat Enrichment classes at Beth Jacob.
Every Shabbat morning, once the Torah had been removed from the ark and paraded around the sanctuary, I would leave with the other children and head to class. Early on, my learning focused on the stories from Bereisheet and Sh’mot. As I got older, we shifted our focus to learning prayers from the various Shabbat services, until I ultimately “graduated” at my bar mitzvah. Throughout that time, our classes were led by congregation members, dedicating their time and energy to educate the next generation. Yes, we learned about the Jewish faith, but we were also taught critical thinking skills and encouraged to be respectable and steadfast members of the community. And, while I could have rested on my bar mitzvah laurels and relish my elevation into adult status, I was encouraged and motivated to give some of myself back to the younger generation.
From bar mitzvah to high school graduation, I spent Saturday mornings at Beth Jacob as a teaching assistant in the Shabbat Enrichment program. Many of my classmates followed suit. My focus was on helping 6th and 7th grade students prepare for their bar/bat mitzvah by reviewing specific prayers and teaching Torah and haftorah trope. And just as my Shabbat Enrichment teachers had encouraged me to become a TA, I was heartened to have many of my students do the same. But my new connection to the Jewish community wasn’t limited to Shabbat Enrichment alone: enter Kadima and USY.
The youth groups at Beth Jacob simultaneously solidified and expanded my connection with the congregation. Children were always invited to the bimah for Adon Olam. As a young adult, I too was encouraged to delay kiddush by a few minutes and, from the bimah, invite b’nai mitzvah into Kadima through my role as President. To keep things interesting, members of my cohort challenged me to incorporate specific buzz words, such as “beacon” and “zenith”, into my speeches. Rabbi Allen and other congregational leaders often pulled me aside afterward to both congratulate me on the presentations and to see if they could guess that week’s word.
After transitioning from Kadima to USY and becoming a board member, I continued to receive support from the community. The congregation advocated for our Social Action/Tikun Olam (SATO) programs and provided a platform for social events (Mystery Bus Ride!). And all throughout that period, I was regularly asked to lead services and read from the Torah on Shabbat.
From my initial introduction at the synagogue, through my adolescence, Beth Jacob consistently welcomed me and my peers into the community. It helped to foster my Jewish identity and served as a foundation for lifelong friendships. Now, on my visits to Beth Jacob, I see that the same culture and values that profoundly impacted my life and Jewishness have permeated into a new generation of youth.
Josh Rolnitzky
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