My bat mitzvah speech is one of the pieces of writing I am most proud of. Since last year, a lot of my realtives have asked for written copies of it, so I thought I'd share it with you guys.
THE SPEECH
I. Haftorah Portion Summary
II. What My Bat Mitzvah Means To Me
(I'm not including th "thank-yous" because most of you don't know the people who I am thanking, so I didn't think the general populous would be interested in reading it. Besides, it reveals too much personal information, like names, to put online.)
I. Haftorah Portion Summary
Our haftorah portion is from the book of Ezekiel, chapters 38 and 39, and is called Chol-ha-Mo'ed-Sukkot and is, in my opinion, very mysterious; yet interesting because of it's implications. The story of this portion, the war of Gog and Magog, is one of the most controversial, with many things that aren't clear. The story goes as follows.
A powerful enemy from the north, the mythic king Gog, comes to Israel to wage a horrid war. The very moment Gog and his army start on their mission, God is consumed with anger and he starts an immensely powerful earthquake in Israel; one that causes every man, animal, mountain, cliff and wall on this Earth to quake and tumble. Upon Gog and his men, God showers rain, hail, disease and death. In Magog, the mysterious and rather anonymous land of Gog's rulership, God creates a devastating fire. Through this chaos; Gog, his people, and the rest of the mortal world is forced to face the fact that there is a God, a god that will forever defend his people.
After the fighting, Gog is defeated and he and his people lie dead on Israel's soil. No longer do the Israelites use wood and trees for fire, but the weapons of their enemies. The burning lasts for 7 years. The burying, however, lasts for only 7 months. Selected people search the land for bodies and bury them in Traveler's Valley, east of the sea. They call this the Valley of Gog's Horde and name a nearby town Horde as a reminder of what took place. And through all this, Israel is cleansed from the war and chaos that has cursed it so long.
There are many interpretations of this portion. Some think that Gog was a masked representation of the king of Babylon, Israel's captors at the time of this prophesy. Since it would have been dangerous to use the king's real name, some think this was the way in which Ezekiel voiced his opinion about the king and the current situation; with inoffensive names and places to cover up the real message. Still other Jewish sources say that Gog and Magog are the enemies against whom God will fight in the final battle to purify the human race. Medieval Christian scholars held the belief that Satan would team up with Gog and Magog to fight "God's people" and would be defeated by a fire from heaven. More recently, some Christians have branched off from the Medieval idea predicting world-wide destruction unless more people turn to God.
My interpretation of this portion is different. I think that this portion is not just about a war, but about the price one will pay to survive; the price one will pay for his people. But more than that, I think that this portion conveys the feeling that unites us all; the hope that no matter what powerful enemies or forces we face, we will persevere and survive. And the belief in God makes that feeling stronger; making us know, or at least hope, that no matter what, God will protect us against evil; and that someday, we can cleanse our world from hate and evil; just as Israel cleans its soil from the bodies of a horrid war.
II. What My Bat Mitzvah Means To Me
A bat mitzvah is a very important event in the life of any Jewish girl and the same applies to me. This day means a lot to me; it symbolizes my becoming my own person; with my own talents, views and ideals; and my deep respect for the religion which has been taught me so well.
When you become a teenager, people try to influence you and change who you are. And that is the stage I'm at right now. I'm just beginning to understand who I am; what I like, who I like to be around and, most importantly, who I want to be.
I'm beginning to form my own ideals and aspirations. I dream of becoming a writer or singer some day; of writing a book or making an album; of having a family; of doing something great. I want all these things. And all those dreams rely on me. This bat mitzvah has made me realize what kind of responsibility, hope and drive it will take to succeed. I needed all these things to make this day great, and I will need all these things in the days to come. All these thoughts are stirring around in my head right now, but even more is happening in the real world; the world beyond my imagination.
In the real world, kids my age throw their future away on drugs or get into serious trouble; just to be cool. The only true way to prevent being a victim of this, in my mind, is having a true sense of self. A sense of self gives you enough confidence to say no; to go against the crowd and stick to your own drummer. I've been made fun of a lot in the past; just because I was different. With the coming of my bat mitzvah, I've been forced to think about these things and I've come to the conclusion that a sense of self is vital when making any important decision; but even more so now, because now is the time when I am deciding who I am and what I will become. This bat mitzvah of mine represents this process of figuring out who I am and what I want; and I will treasure that message forever.
My bat mitzvah symbolizes my Jewish heritage. I will be the first girl to celebrate a bat mitzvah on my father's side and the second generation to do so on my mother's. However, it isn't just significant because I am the first, but because it unites me with my fellow Jews all over the world; and with a heritage that has been around for over a thousand years.
It is on this day that I read to you the very same book that my ancestors read so long ago; a book my ancestors have looked to for hope in times of fear, for love in times of hatred, and a connection with God when they didn't believe. My people used this book to give them the courage to go on when the going was tough. During the Holocaust, the Crusades, and so many other times in the history of mankind, my people have looked to this book for courage and inspiration. The Torah that I read to you is the pride and joy of my people; a testament of the values that unite us all; and, as I undergo this bat mitvah, it is the pride and joy of me as well. I am so lucky to experience this connection with my fellow Jews and with my moral self. I thank everyone for giving me this incredible opportunity.
Right now, many Jews are suffering just because of the fact that they are different. It gives me courage when I think of how my people have kept their religion even if it made them unpopular in the eyes of everyone else. But, at the same time, it makes me sad that people can't learn to accept one another. In Israel, martyrs kill and commit suicide just to make a point. Just recently, a Jewish boy was murdered while in a cave with his friends. I am particularily saddened at the unrest in Israel because many of my relatives live there today, and are in danger nearly every day of their lives. They live in fear of terrorists, suicide bombers, and the reality that peace has not yet come. It's a very depressing thing that people are so hateful that they are willing to die to hurt another person. Today I'm learning from the past, and from this ancient scroll, and vow to try as hard as I can to accept people for who they are and treat them as I would want to be treated. If only others would do the same, we'd have a much better world. However, as long as people don't, I will stand up for the people and causes I believe in while at the same time respecting that of others.
THE SPEECH
I. Haftorah Portion Summary
II. What My Bat Mitzvah Means To Me
(I'm not including th "thank-yous" because most of you don't know the people who I am thanking, so I didn't think the general populous would be interested in reading it. Besides, it reveals too much personal information, like names, to put online.)
I. Haftorah Portion Summary
Our haftorah portion is from the book of Ezekiel, chapters 38 and 39, and is called Chol-ha-Mo'ed-Sukkot and is, in my opinion, very mysterious; yet interesting because of it's implications. The story of this portion, the war of Gog and Magog, is one of the most controversial, with many things that aren't clear. The story goes as follows.
A powerful enemy from the north, the mythic king Gog, comes to Israel to wage a horrid war. The very moment Gog and his army start on their mission, God is consumed with anger and he starts an immensely powerful earthquake in Israel; one that causes every man, animal, mountain, cliff and wall on this Earth to quake and tumble. Upon Gog and his men, God showers rain, hail, disease and death. In Magog, the mysterious and rather anonymous land of Gog's rulership, God creates a devastating fire. Through this chaos; Gog, his people, and the rest of the mortal world is forced to face the fact that there is a God, a god that will forever defend his people.
After the fighting, Gog is defeated and he and his people lie dead on Israel's soil. No longer do the Israelites use wood and trees for fire, but the weapons of their enemies. The burning lasts for 7 years. The burying, however, lasts for only 7 months. Selected people search the land for bodies and bury them in Traveler's Valley, east of the sea. They call this the Valley of Gog's Horde and name a nearby town Horde as a reminder of what took place. And through all this, Israel is cleansed from the war and chaos that has cursed it so long.
There are many interpretations of this portion. Some think that Gog was a masked representation of the king of Babylon, Israel's captors at the time of this prophesy. Since it would have been dangerous to use the king's real name, some think this was the way in which Ezekiel voiced his opinion about the king and the current situation; with inoffensive names and places to cover up the real message. Still other Jewish sources say that Gog and Magog are the enemies against whom God will fight in the final battle to purify the human race. Medieval Christian scholars held the belief that Satan would team up with Gog and Magog to fight "God's people" and would be defeated by a fire from heaven. More recently, some Christians have branched off from the Medieval idea predicting world-wide destruction unless more people turn to God.
My interpretation of this portion is different. I think that this portion is not just about a war, but about the price one will pay to survive; the price one will pay for his people. But more than that, I think that this portion conveys the feeling that unites us all; the hope that no matter what powerful enemies or forces we face, we will persevere and survive. And the belief in God makes that feeling stronger; making us know, or at least hope, that no matter what, God will protect us against evil; and that someday, we can cleanse our world from hate and evil; just as Israel cleans its soil from the bodies of a horrid war.
II. What My Bat Mitzvah Means To Me
A bat mitzvah is a very important event in the life of any Jewish girl and the same applies to me. This day means a lot to me; it symbolizes my becoming my own person; with my own talents, views and ideals; and my deep respect for the religion which has been taught me so well.
When you become a teenager, people try to influence you and change who you are. And that is the stage I'm at right now. I'm just beginning to understand who I am; what I like, who I like to be around and, most importantly, who I want to be.
I'm beginning to form my own ideals and aspirations. I dream of becoming a writer or singer some day; of writing a book or making an album; of having a family; of doing something great. I want all these things. And all those dreams rely on me. This bat mitzvah has made me realize what kind of responsibility, hope and drive it will take to succeed. I needed all these things to make this day great, and I will need all these things in the days to come. All these thoughts are stirring around in my head right now, but even more is happening in the real world; the world beyond my imagination.
In the real world, kids my age throw their future away on drugs or get into serious trouble; just to be cool. The only true way to prevent being a victim of this, in my mind, is having a true sense of self. A sense of self gives you enough confidence to say no; to go against the crowd and stick to your own drummer. I've been made fun of a lot in the past; just because I was different. With the coming of my bat mitzvah, I've been forced to think about these things and I've come to the conclusion that a sense of self is vital when making any important decision; but even more so now, because now is the time when I am deciding who I am and what I will become. This bat mitzvah of mine represents this process of figuring out who I am and what I want; and I will treasure that message forever.
My bat mitzvah symbolizes my Jewish heritage. I will be the first girl to celebrate a bat mitzvah on my father's side and the second generation to do so on my mother's. However, it isn't just significant because I am the first, but because it unites me with my fellow Jews all over the world; and with a heritage that has been around for over a thousand years.
It is on this day that I read to you the very same book that my ancestors read so long ago; a book my ancestors have looked to for hope in times of fear, for love in times of hatred, and a connection with God when they didn't believe. My people used this book to give them the courage to go on when the going was tough. During the Holocaust, the Crusades, and so many other times in the history of mankind, my people have looked to this book for courage and inspiration. The Torah that I read to you is the pride and joy of my people; a testament of the values that unite us all; and, as I undergo this bat mitvah, it is the pride and joy of me as well. I am so lucky to experience this connection with my fellow Jews and with my moral self. I thank everyone for giving me this incredible opportunity.
Right now, many Jews are suffering just because of the fact that they are different. It gives me courage when I think of how my people have kept their religion even if it made them unpopular in the eyes of everyone else. But, at the same time, it makes me sad that people can't learn to accept one another. In Israel, martyrs kill and commit suicide just to make a point. Just recently, a Jewish boy was murdered while in a cave with his friends. I am particularily saddened at the unrest in Israel because many of my relatives live there today, and are in danger nearly every day of their lives. They live in fear of terrorists, suicide bombers, and the reality that peace has not yet come. It's a very depressing thing that people are so hateful that they are willing to die to hurt another person. Today I'm learning from the past, and from this ancient scroll, and vow to try as hard as I can to accept people for who they are and treat them as I would want to be treated. If only others would do the same, we'd have a much better world. However, as long as people don't, I will stand up for the people and causes I believe in while at the same time respecting that of others.
This picture is copyright KD Rankins
http://kdrankins.tripod.com
http://kdrankins.tripod.com
