Today, I received two very sad calls from Bat Mitzvah families who had to postpone their daughters’ Bat Mitzvah services due to Hurricane Ike. You thought Hurricanes only forced people out of town and uprooted trees. It also dashed some hopes that this weekend would be the highlight of two young girls’ 13th year. Fortunately, they are re-scheduled to make their Bat Mitzvah debut on November 21st and 22nd. And, if you’re wondering, they will read the same Torah portion and give the same speeches they had prepared for this weekend. It’s all Torah.
For our children, we salvage from life’s hard knocks some of life’s opportunities. When we present them as “teachable moments” we can also see them as blessings. No one wanted to disrupt what should have been a pleasant weekend. But, life changes fast. How we adjust to the change is a measure of whether or not we will fare well. Finding another weekend for the girls’ Bat Mitzvah and permitting them to do the same Torah portion taught them that crises can be reduced to manageable tasks. And, manageable tasks are the way adults navigate life. They’ll understand when the winds die down and the power goes back on; they wouldn’t have wanted their special day to be drenched or ruined. In November, I trust that their Bat Mitzvah will be even more memorable and certainly more pleasant.
It’s your job and mine to give our children everything they need to live and grow. On a positive note, I want to share with you what we’re doing at Beth Israel for all our youth. It’s new and exciting!
· Beth Israel hired a full-time Youth Director, Michelle Renfrow. Please come and meet her!
· A 9th grade retreat to Kemah for over 20 kids kick-started their year of religious school.
· Teen Service on Rosh Hashanah Day
· BIFTY Lounge renewed with Wii, television, games and activities
· New youth programs and activities open to all Beth Israel youth at Shlenker, Emery-Weiner, and Religious School
· Weekly drop-in homework help, games (after homework) and food
· Lots of plans are on the way!
We say our youth are our future. Today, they’re our responsibility. A full-time Youth Director with energy and creativity (and she’s Cool) will drive our goal to provide programs for all our youth from K-12. Our kids may live in more than 25 different zip-codes and attend more than 17 different schools; but, if they’re Beth Israel kids then they’re going to have a great time with each other and build bonds for life. Hurricane Ike will come and go, quickly we pray. Friends at Beth Israel will come and stay for years to come.
Due to Hurricane warnings, we are canceling worship services on Friday night and Saturday morning, and Religious School will be closed on Sunday (that’s not part of the positive innovations for our youth). Pray at home or wherever you might be on Shabbat. Please be safe this weekend. My prayers are with you and your families. Many of the senior staff and I will be on call if you need anything at all.
From my desk to yours, Shabbat Shalom.
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