Bar MitzvahBar Mitzvah ofof
Samuel Keoni Samuel Keoni SchwartzSchwartz
October 29, 2011October 29, 2011 1 Cheshvan 57721 Cheshvan 5772
Temple MenorahTemple Menorah
Redondo Beach, CaliforniaRedondo Beach, California
Welcome!
Dear Family and Friends
We are delighted that you are here to share this special day with us. Some of you have traveled a great distance to be here and we truly appreciate it. Today, Sam will be called to the torah as a Bar Mitzvah. Sam has been preparing for this day since he began religious school. Along with learning to read Hebrew he has studied the history and the culture of the Jewish people. The values, morals and traditions he now embraces, will stay with him and guide him as he approaches each step of his adult life.
We are extremely proud of Sam and all that he has accomplished throughout his life. As we celebrate this milestone we reflect on the past and wonder what the future will bring. In each moment we are grateful for the love and support of family, friends and community.
A special thanks to Rabbi Steven Silver, Cantor Jessica Hutchings, Rabbi Deborah Goldmann, Rick Muller and the entire staff at Temple Menorah. We are continuously grateful for your love and kindness.
For those of you who are not acquainted with Jewish customs, this booklet will help explain today's ceremony and hopefully provide a bit of history about Jewish tradition, it's lore and the written word.
Finally, since this is a religious ceremony there is no photography or applause during the worship. Instead of applause, the Jewish tradi‐tion calls for one to say "Yasher Koach" to acknowledge a job well done. Additionally, please silence your cell phone.
Shabbat Shalom,
Stephanie & Kenny
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Order of the Service
Bar Mitzvah ‐ Son of the Commandments
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A Bar Mitzvah is a coming of age ceremony when a Jewish Boy symbolically becomes and adult. Once a Jewish boy reaches the age of 13, he is expected to assume moral and ethical responsibilities as well as commitments to Torah and the community. As part of this, he shall fulfill Mitzvot ‐ good deeds or commandments. It also means that he can now wear a tallit (prayer shawl) and is eligible for an Aliyah ‐ reciting the prayer before and after the Torah reading ‐ and is responsible for teaching the Torah. The child is now at an age when personal responsibility dawns.
Today's ceremony represents Sam's transition from childhood to adulthood. During the service he will be called to the Torah to read in front of the congregation for the first time. The Torah will be passed from generation to generation as Sam steps forward to accept the responsibilities of Jewish adulthood. Sam's participation today also signifies his commitment to Judaism and to carrying on the traditions that date back thousands of years.
The celebration surrounding a Bar Mitzvah is an acknowledgement of Sam's hard work, commitment and time spent in preparation. We come together today to support Sam, to acknowledge his accomplishments and to honor his new role in the community.
The Shabbat Worship service has three major parts. It begins with the Shacharit, the morning service, which features psalms of praise. Next is the Torah service during which a section of the Torah is recited, followed by a reading from the Haftorah, a parallel chapter from the Prophets. The final part of the service is the Aleinu, a collection of prayers and hymns.
During this joyous time we lovingly remember among others Sam's Grandpa John Strejan, after whom he is named (Keoni). Sam had a wonderful relation with his Grandpa and was given his gift of artistry.
Dedication
We would also like to acknowledge Sam’s Grandma Sally Schwartz who could not be here today and remember Sam’s Grandpa Aaron Schwartz, Great Uncle Julie Schwartz as well as his great Grandpar‐ents, Rose and Fred Schwartz and Sam and Yetta Berliner. We cherish their memory and are forever grateful.
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Shabbat Greetings and Torah
The Service
Throughout the service, you will hear prayers chanted. These ancient melodies transform words into prayers and connect us with our ancestors. These prayers have been sung for thousands of years in all four corners of the world.
The Hebrew language is read from right to left. A translation of each Hebrew prayer can be found following each passage in the Siddur. As the service progresses, Sam, the Rabbi or the Cantor will indicate where the prayers are transliterated (Hebrew with English phonics) and on what page they can be found. We invite you to participate in the service whether reading or singing to whatever degree you feel comfortable or by following along with the English translations.
When you entered Temple Menorah's Sanctuary, you were greeted with the words "Shabbat Shalom". This is Hebrew for welcoming the Sabbath and for wishing you Sabbath peace. Shabbat is a time of rest, spiritual rejuvenation and a time to distance yourself from the stresses of the week.
Torah refers not only to the parchment scrolls on which the five books of Moses (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteron‐omy) are handwritten in Hebrew, but also to the content of those books. A consecutive portion of the Torah is read each Sabbath morning as it has been for the past 3,000 years, Sam will read from the same Torah portion read on this day in synagogues around the world, Noah 2nd year triennial, Genesis 11 verses 29‐32.
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Traditions and Definitions
Aliyah literally means "going up". It is an honor that is bestowed on family and friends who chant the blessings before and after the Torah reading, thanking God for the Torah.
The Ark (Aron Ha Kodesh) was originally built by the Israelites to hold the stone tablets on which were inscribed the Ten Commandments given to Moses by God on Mt. Sinai. The Ark holds the holiest object of the synagogue the Torah Scrolls. The congregation rises each time the Ark is open out of respect for the work of God contained therein.
The Bimah is the pulpit. Sam will be called to the bimah to lead the congregation in prayer and participate in the Torah service.
The Cantor is the person who chants the service and leads the congre‐gation in prayer.
The Eternal Light (Ner Tamid), which hangs in the front of the Ark, symbolizes the perpetual fire that burned on the altar of the Temple in ancient times. It serves to remind us of the continuous presence of God and the permanence of the Torah.
The Haftorah are readings from the great Hebrew prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Amos and Hosea, the spokesmen of God, who reminded the people that God cares more about ethical behavior than about ritual accuracy. That God chose the Jewish people not for privilege, but for duty and that we have a religious obligation to build a society that will guarantee justice and peace.
Havdalah is the service that concludes the Sabbath.
The Kiddush is held after the service for the entire congregation to thank God for our blessings, the sweetness of the Sabbath and for bringing us together on this happy occasion.
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Traditions and Definitions
Kippah (Yarmulke) is the headcovering worn during the service. It is worn while praying, reminding us that G_d is always present.
Mazel Tov is a Hebrew expression meaning "congratulations".
Mitzvot are good deeds or commandments.
The Maftir is the last passage of the weekly Torah reading. It is a significant honor to be given this aliyah. It is customary for the Bar Mitzvah to be called to the Torah to chant this portion.
The Rabbi is a scholar, a community teacher and a leader. The rabbi leads religious services, conducts educational programs and officiates various religious rites.
Shabbat (Sabbath) is the last day of the week. It is a time of study and reflection. Shabbat begins on Friday at sunset and ends on Saturday at sunset.
Shalom is the Hebrew word for "peace", "hello" and "goodbye".
Siddur is a prayer book. The Siddur is at least 1000 years old in its present form and is read from right to left.
Tallit is the prayer shawl worn by Jews who have reached thirteen years of age. The Tzitzit (fringes) are knotted so that the number of fringes and knots adds up to 613, which is the exact number of Mitzvot detailed in the Torah.
Torah refers to the five books of Moses or "The Old Testament". The word Torah also means "to teach".
Yasher Koach is a way of saying "bravo". It literally means "May your strength continue".
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Friday Night Honors
Greeters: Carol and Bill Gevov (Friends)
Blessing of the Shabbat Stephanie Schwartz (Mother) Candles: Sabrina Sciacca (Aunt)
Opening the Ark Doors: Alex Krouse and David Zaro (Friends)
Opening the Ark Curtain: Isaac Gevov (Friend)
Closing the Ark Doors: Stephanie and Ken Schwartz (Mother and Father)
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Was that Today?
Saturday Morning Honors
Greeters: Lisa and Aaron Krouse (Friends)
Opening the Ark Doors: Sabrina Sciacca (Aunt) Shannon Prachyl (Aunt)
Opening the Ark Curtain: Stephanie Schwartz (Mother)
First Aliyah: Irene and Eytan Ribner (Friends)
Second Aliyah: Miriam and Howard Schwartz (Aunt and Uncle)
Third Aliyah: Judy and Fred Schwartz (Aunt and Uncle)
Fourth Aliyah: Elissa and Jerome Schwartz (Cousins)
Fifth Aliyah: Temple Menorah Community
Sixth Aliyah: Stefanie and Brad Mendelsohn (Cousins)
Seventh Aliyah: Stephanie and Ken Schwartz (Parents)
Maftir: Sam Schwartz
Torah Readers: Ken Schwartz, Rob Schwartz, Rick Muller
Hagbah (Torah Lifter): Howard Schwartz (Uncle)
G'Lilah (Torah Dresser): Evelyn Bernstein (Great Aunt)
Sitting with Torah: Gary Prochazka (Uncle)
Opening the Ark curtain: Marlene & Summer Mendelsohn (Friends)
Closing the Ark doors: Joseph Schwartz (Brother) Joey Mendelsohn (Friend)
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The Closing Prayers
The Torah Service
The Torah service is the key to Judaism and it is during this part of the service that Sam will become a Bar Mitzvah. The service begins with the ceremony for removing the Torah from the Ark. It is as if it is being removed from the Ark in the ancient Temple in Jerusalem. As has been a tradition through the ages the Torah scroll will be passed from generation to generation. Then accompanied by joyous song, the Torah is taken in procession around the sanctuary. Congregants may touch the Torah with their hands, their prayer books or their Tallit as a sign of love and respect to God's greatest gift to our people.
The Shabbat Torah reading is divided up into seven portions and various family members and friends have the honor of reciting a blessing over a portion of the reading. This honor is referred to as an aliyah, which means "going up." The eighth aliyah or Maftir is reserved for Sam. It is a great honor to be invited to participate in any role in the Shabbat service as every time the Torah is taken out to be read, we are reenacting the moment when God gave the Torah to Moses and when the Rabbi hands the scrolls to Sam, he is actually recreating the giving of the Torah to Moses by God to be read to the Jewish people.
The service concludes with the Aleinu, a prayer of adoration for God and the chanting of the Mourners Kaddish, a memorial prayer for the departed.
We invite you to join us for a Kiddush luncheon after the service to thank God for our blessings, the sweetness of the Sabbath and for bringing us together on this happy occasion.
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Mitzvah Project
For my mitzvah project, I have chosen to raise money and awareness for the SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) in Hawthorne CA. This organization provides food, shelter and care for abandoned or abused dogs and cats. They actively look to find good homes for these pets. It is a great organization because you get to see your money being put to good use immediately. Please help by donating. Your donations will save lives. You can contact them directly at (310) 644‐7739 or you can go there today and adopt a pet.
Thank you, Sam Schwartz
SPCA Rescue Dogs Hope and Faith Bruhns
(Friends)
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SPCA Hawthorne 12910 Yukon Ave.
Hawthorne, CA 90250
Shabbat ShalomShabbat Shalom
May peace, love and good health beMay peace, love and good health be with you and your family today andwith you and your family today and
always.always.
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