Weekly Summary Two

Monday, March 2, 2009
Today I mentored with Rabbi Adler from 4-4:15 pm. During this time, I observed a D’var Torah meeting with a Bat Mitzvah student. From 4:15 to 5pm, Arlene Defren helped me with my Torah portion. From 5-5:30 pm I thought of ideas for organization Rabbi Adler’s library and started categorizing.

During the fifteen minute meeting, Rabbi Adler went over a lot of information about writing a D’var Torah. The first step in writing a D’var Torah is to reread the English translation of the portion. Next you need to make notes of anything that sounds interesting or sticks out to you in the translation. These notes can be possible topics. The next step is to research what other people think about the topic you have chosen. After your research is finished, you need to determine how the topic relates to your life and come up with your own opinion about the topic. All these directions seemed very straight forward for me because I have written a D’var Torah before. As an observer, I realized phrasing is very important to helping a B’nai Mitzvah student understand how to write a D’var Torah. Sometimes students will be able to understand complex ideas and sometimes they will only understand ideas put simply. A challenge of the rabbi is to guide the student in picking a topic that will interests them and relate to their life along with teaching them something new. Another challenge a rabbi has is getting the student excited about writing a D’var Torah. After the meeting, I worked with Arlene Defren on chanting my Torah portion without vowels. During this time, I learned that they kamatz katan vowel with always be marked with either a separation between the two lines of the T or will have a longer stem.

Observing the D’var Torah meeting reminded me of discussions I had with my parents about choosing my D’var Torah topic for my Bat Mitzvah. My Bat Mitzvah Torah portion was V’aetchanan and the topic I chose was why Moses could not go into the Promised Land.

Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Today I had a Torah Study with Amy Gavel from 2-3:00-pm. After the study, I read more on the weekly Torah Portion from 3-4 pm. From 4-4:15 pm I worked with Arlene Defren on my Torah portion. Than from 6:15- 7:15 pm I observed Rabbi Spilker teaching the confirmation class.

During the Torah study I learned a lot about this week’s portion Tetsavveh. We began the Torah study by reciting the blessing for the study of Study. Amy said that there are two ways to study Torah; either line by line or learn the overall story of the portion. She believes the best way to study the Torah is line by line and that is exactly what we did. We studied the portion by examining different Torah commentaries and discussing our own interpretations. First, I learned that this weeks Torah portion, Tetsavveh, translate to command or instruct. The first line of the portion describes getting oil for the eternal light, nair tamid. Amy had me compare the translation of the first line in one Torah commentary to another. In one book I noticed that one commanded the children of Israel to get oil for the lamp and have it burn continuously while anther instructed the Israelites to get oil for the lamps and have it burn regularly. I believe the first one is a better translation of the Hebrew because it uses better words to convey a message. Next Amy and I talked about the different interpretation for the words nair tamid. Some commentators agree with literal translation eternal light while others believe it is a metaphor for other “eternal lights” in our life that could include the Torah, G-d, the Western Wall or Home. I believe it represents the Torah, “the eternal light of knowledge.”After the study, I read about the priest garments in the commentary and now understand what they look like and agreed with some of the commentators’ reasons for why they contain specific designs. When Arlene was listening to me chant my Torah portion, I learned like the troupe sign (בּ˛) mercha before a tever (בּ ˛.) sounds like a catone (בּ:). Lastly I observed Rabbi Spilker teaching the confirmation class. First he went over what the confirmants would need to know what their confirmation meetings next week. It bothered me how many of them did not know the five books of Torah in both Hebrew and English. Next he led a discussion about different beliefs in G-d through some questionnaires and comics. I learned that most people who do not believe in G-d because they have an image of an old man as G-d. Lastly from a student I learned that live is evil backwards.

I greatly enjoyed my first Torah study. I am looking forward to studying Torah with Amy next week.

Saturday March 7, 2009
Today I went to Rabbi Spilker’s weekly Torah Study, with my mom, from 9-10:00 am. Than I attended Shabbat Morning Services with my family from 10-12pm. At the luncheon, from 12-12:30 pm, I talked with some congregants and led some songs.

The Torah study with Rabbi Spilker was much more intense than it was with Amy. Right away I got a sense that the adults there attended regularly. This made me feel self conscious because I was the younger one and they all seemed so knowledgeable. As the study when on, I realized I did not need to be. No one was going to make fun of me for saying a wrong interpretation or asking a dumb question because there are no wrong interpretations or questions about the Torah. I liked how Rabbi Spilker led the discussion and had everyone go around and read a verse in the English and than discuss the section. It made it really easy for me to follow along. During the study session, I learned about the priestly garments Aaron and his sons must wear and the ceremony that anointed them as priests. The aspect of the ceremony that stuck out in my mind was putting ram’s blood Aaron’s right ear and his sons’ right ear along with their right thumbs and on their big right toes. So naturally I asked Rabbi Spilker why they did this. The Torah always tells us how to do things but never why. Rabbi Spilker did not have a specific answer and but some of the adults in the group came up with some interpretations. One woman stated this ceremony represented how we hear actions through our ears and complete those actions through our hands and feet. Another person noticed that the blood was on the right side of the body and formed a straight line. During the service, I learned that this Shabbat was called Shabbat Zachor because we were remembering that Amalek hurt the Jewish people. I enjoyed this service more than I have the past few services I attended because I chanted Torah and was able to focus on the prayer more in a smaller group. Toward the end of the luncheon, we sang songs for Shabbat. I took the opportunity to lead a few songs. This was the first time I had led anyone in a song and I was nervous at first but than it became natural. During the luncheon, I learned about the conflict surrounding a tolerance museum being built over a hundred year old Muslim cemetery in Jerusalem.

My view of the Torah study changed from just really religious people debating over what a passage in the Torah mean to anyway giving an interpretation of what a passage in the Torah means.

Sunday March 8, 2009
Today I mentored at my synagogue from 9:30- 1:30 pm. From 9:30- 11 pm I assisted my mom in teaching her class. From 11-12 pm, I listened to a Purim and Israel trip presentation. From 12-1:30pm I volunteered at my synagogue’s Purim Carnival.

In my mom’s first grade class, I gained new insight on how to teach first graders. I am not used to interacting with first graders because I usually work with older elementary school students. With first graders I had to be more patience and understanding. As I was telling the story of Purim, I had to speak loudly, in terms they would understand and keep their attention. From the presentation I learned about Rabbi Spilker’s experiences in Israel. I was surprised to hear how children of Ashalon are not afraid of all the rockets that hit their town daily. As a volunteer at the Purim carnival, I again gained insight on how to work with little children. While I was working at the kid’s carnival, I found myself encouraging the kids to play the games and congratulating them if they won. I also had to give them multiple turns. When I helped older kids play the games, I did not have to encourage, congratulate them or give them multiple turns. When I was interacting with different children, I had to act differently according to their age.

I enjoyed telling the Purim story to the first graders because it was a way for me to connect to them.

My overall goal for next week is to finish my informational interview.

Monday, March 9, 2009 Synagogue 3:45- 8pm
Wednesday, March 11, 2009 Synagogue 2-7-m
Friday, March 13, 2009 Service 7:30-9pm
Sunday, March 15, 2009 Religious School 9:30-12:30pm