This past summer, several retired Jewish women who live at Riderwood were able to celebrate a rite of passage that wasn’t available to them as young girls. With the guidance of a rabbi, six female residents studied for and celebrated their Bat Mitzvahs.
Today, it is common for young Jewish teenagers—both boys and girls—to have Bar and Bat Mitzvahs. But that was not always the case. This opportunity was a special one for the Riderwood women because Bat Mitzvahs for women weren’t common when they were young.
A second chance
“This was the chance for us to come back and do this,” says resident Roz Fleisher, who helped to get the program started and also completed her own Bat Mitzvah. “We were just absolutely thrilled, and we became a tight-knit group together.”
Rabbi Stan Levin, who is a familiar face at Riderwood, guided the ladies in their studies before their Bat Mitzvahs. Levin has helped to prepare many young people for Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, but teaching older women was a new challenge—and one that Roz says Levin was happy to accept.
Preparation for one’s Bat Mitzvah entails in-depth study of the Torah and an exploration of important Jewish holidays like Yom Kippur and services such as Mourner’s Kaddish, which is held in memory of deceased persons. Roz says Levin adapted teachings into a two-month program that was appropriate for older adults.
“It would have been nice if we had been younger and done a more extensive course, but our life experience kind of made up for it,” Roz says. “Several times, we thought, ‘We know this, or when we’ve gone to services this is done all the time.’ So, that was really gratifying.”
The Riderwood women had their Bat Mitzvah ceremony on June 14. After the service, in which they each read from the Torah and spoke about their spiritual journeys, they convened for a special celebration with friends and family.
“We always have refreshments after services, but this was a really joyous one,” Roz says. “And some of the grandchildren of residents came as well.”
Reconnecting with religion
Audrey Beck also celebrated her Bat Mitzvah in June. She says living at Riderwood has helped her reconnect with Judaism. She says she hadn’t been a member of a synagogue for many years but started attending services when she moved to Riderwood. When the opportunity to achieve Bat Mitzvah status presented itself, Audrey says she decided to take advantage of it, and she’s glad she did.
“The Bat Mitzvah experience has been a joyous one for me,” Audrey says. “It has brought me back to my Jewish roots.”
While preparing for her Bat Mitzvah, Audrey says she began to realize that her talent for music is a gift she can share with other people. She has played piano since she was a child and is now seizing more opportunities to play for people and connect with them through music.
“I want my grandchildren to know that Judaism brings a passion for justice, compassion, and love of learning, and this is why it’s so important to me. To me, Judaism represents helping other people, which I am doing through my music,” Audrey says. “[My Bat Mitzvah] was really a milestone in my journey, and it was so much richer for me spiritually than it might have been for me earlier in my life.”
