At various times this year, you may have walked into Library Minyan and noticed that young people were chanting from the Torah. These kids were likely from Torah Club. Begun in the fall of 2012 with just 18 members, Torah Club has quickly grown to count over fifty 6^th – 11^th graders (and one 5^th grader) among its members. During our eight-month season, Torah Club members read Torah and haftarah, and led davening dozens of times across all three of the temple’s minyanim.

 

Now with over 50 members, Torah Club not only reinforces the Torah-reading skills learned in school and during bar and bat mitzvah training, but also provides the kids with a sense of responsibility and pride as they serve their community. Torah Club keeps the kids engaged by making Torah reading an activity they share with their peers. It also creates a supportive environment through its mentors, who provide one-on-one support every time a member is assigned an aliyah to chant.

 

Open to all kids in 6^th grade and up who have already received some training in trope, Torah Club is one way for young people to continue on the path of Jewish learning and hone their leyning skills. The Torah Club season recently culminated on May 23, when Torah Club members led virtually every aspect of the service in Library Minyan, in addition to doing the Torah and haftarah reading. 

 

At the end of each season, each member receives a gift, depending on the number of years spent in Torah Club. This year, In recognition of 14 of the founding members who have participated since Torah Club began, a beautiful print of a yad on a Torah scroll taken by temple member and professional photographer Shlomit Levy Bard now hangs outside the chapel. Next to it is a plaque with the 3^rd year members’ names, with room for more names to follow. Made possible by the generosity of Jill and Matthew Lefferman, this print serves as a reminder to everyone who walks through the hallway how much the temple values the Torah-reading skills of its young people.

 

Naomi Akram, Jonathan Artal, Shayna Becker, Jamie Berman, Avi Bernat-Kunin, Mira Berenbaum, Judah Braman, Yaacov Broidy, Josh Cohn, Daphna Eisen, Aaron Feldman, Jordan Feldman, Lucy Fried, Hannah Friedman, Sophia Goldberg, Ayelet Goldman, Sammy Goldman, Jeremy Greenstein, Rivka Grob, Avram Hacker, Nina Havivi, Talya Havivi, Danit Hetsroni, Sam Hirschhorn, Zack Hirschhorn, Leor Kaminski, Noa Kligfeld, Hannah Lande, Noah Lee, Toby Lee, Maia Lefferman, Jake Maman, Rachel Metzger, Aviva Miller, Moriah Pretsky, Sarah Pretsky, Liv Reinis, Josh Richland, Joseph Rosenbaum, Natan Rosenbaum, David Schimmel, Daniel Schrager, Adinah Singer-Frankes, Sara Stolzenberg-Myers, Adam Taryle, Maddy Tessel, Adam Tizabi, Jonah Tochner, Maya Tochner, Sam Vogel, Mikayla Weissberg, and Adam Weissman.

 

For further information about membership in or support of Torah Club, please write to: ninagg@sbcglobal.net.

 

 

Anyone who is interested in participating or who has particular thoughts on the Yamim Noraim should contact a member of the committee or Bob Braun, Ritual Committee Chair.

 

The Minyan relies on the participation of the community in all its services. This is particularly so for the High Holidays — where there are many opportunities to contribute, ranging from leading services to coordinating ark openings, readings, divrei Torah and other components — and we hope to hear from you.

 

As a reminder, no individual has a hazakah on any part of High Holiday services, and we look forward to new faces (and voices!) this year.

 

— Bob Braun