23 May 2012 at 2:29pm

Friday, May 25th 7:30 p.m. Confirmation Shabbat

Saturday, May 26th 7:00 p.m. Shavuot Celebration

Monday, May 28th 10:00 - 11:00 a.m. Yizkor Remembrance

On Pesach, we are given the gift of freedom. On Shavuot, we celebrate our collective receiving of Torah, the completion of physical liberation through spiritual enlightenment which comes with the acceptance of Torah as the guiding light of our lives. In the process, we become Klal Yisrael, the Community of Israel. It is one thing to escape from oppression (Pesach). It is an entirely other issue to be ready to absorb wisdom (Shavuot).

In a similar way, it is one thing to reach the milestone of age 13 and to celebrate Bar/Bat Mitzvah, demonstrating success in Hebrew School, Torah chanting, writing a sermon and creating a mitzvah project. It is another issue entirely to be 16 or 17 years of age, well into High School, contemplating college, and ready to confirm one's adult Jewish identity. Both milestones are powerful, but they are very different in nature.

In the Talmud, the only ritual accompanying a boy turning 13 was for his father to thank G-d for ending his responsibility for his son's observance of the commandments (or lack thereof).

Early Reform Jews in the 19th century, not as connected to ritual at that time and also recognizing the limits of a thirteen year old mind to absorb the depth of Jewish knowledge, promoted instead an additional ceremony called Confirmation which focused on deeper understanding of the principles of the Jewish faith. The ceremony found a home in the holiday of Shavuot which celebrates the giving of the Torah. Shavuot worked well for Confirmation due both to its timing at the end of the secular school year and its thematic connection with the Torah, the story of the Jewish people and is relationship with G-d.

To distinguish Confirmation from Bar/Bat Mitzvah, its supporters emphasized its focus on insights, rather than ritual, its coeducational scope and specified its occurrence with those in 10th grade of their secular education.

This year we celebrate the commitments of two outstanding 10th Grade students, Bradley Singer and Justin Stein. Throughout the year they met weekly with us discussing matters of Jewish identity, anti-Semitism, Jewish History and the many ways Judaism informs their lives. They have crafted a service reflecting their relationship with Congregation Beth Shalom and their loyalty to Judaism's ideals.

Confirmation Shabbat is this Friday, May 25th 7:30 p.m. Please make every effort to attend and celebrate Shabbat and the honest reflections of these fine young men.

Saturday, May 26th beginning at 7:00 p.m. we enter Shavuot. We have been pining away for this holiday since the second day of Pesach, through the 49 days of counting the omer. Each Shabbat you hear us count the Omer and give a spiritual teaching about the week's theme and the particular day's theme. Finally Shavuot, the 50th day since the 2nd night of Pesach arrives!

This annual celebration is based on a longing to experience the gift of Jewish learning. With participation from your Rabbis as well as members of CBS, we will embark on a quest for G-d. The book, Finding God, by Sonsino and Syme, is this year's primary text. Through it we will learn how G-d is understood through the ages from Bible, Rabbinic, and Mystical, Rationale, Humanistic and many views in between. To be Jewish is to be curious. Let's learn together, sing, pray and eat dairy, a symbol of purity.

To conclude Shavuot, we observe Yizkor Monday, May 28th 10:00 - 11:00 a.m. A memorial service, called Yizkor(meaning "remember"), is recited four times during the year. This is based on the Jewish belief in the eternity of the soul. Although a soul can no longer do good deeds after death, it can gain merit through the charity and good deeds of the living. Yizkor is said by every person who has lost a parent or other loved one.