Congregation Dor Hadash at Rodef Shalom Congregation

Questions About the Ceremony

What should I wear?

• Dor Hadash members dress all kinds of ways for services, from jeans to suits. Wear what you are comfortable wearing to a house of worship, and you should be fine.

What should I do at the ceremony?

• When you come in, there will be a basket of kippot/yarmulkes/beanies/cute li'l hats. If you are a fella, put one on please! If you are a lady, put one on or don't, it's up to you. 

• People will be singing, chanting and reciting in Hebrew (and English - a lot of it is in English). There is a book with most of the prayers in it - including a bunch of transliterations. If you feel like giving it a shot, go ahead and sing along. Prayers are for everybody!

• At some point, someone will hand you some candy. You will shortly pelt Pearl with that candy, so loosen up your chucking arm and be prepared.

• If you want to Irish things up by singing "Torah-loo-ra-loo-ra," please definitely do that. But after the service, probably.

• You won't get wine and a little cracker during the service, but there will be bagels and stuff right after, which is definitely better from a satisfying amount of food point of view. Downside: the bagels aren't magic. They are just bagels.

What is going to happen at the ceremony?

• There will be many prayers, readings from the Torah, readings from other important texts, and some discussion of what it all means. Pearl will, as the Bat Mitzvah, do much of this. Other people will do other parts.

• Pearl will read a section from the Torah about Joseph, famous on Broadway for his technicolor dream coat, interpreting dreams and dealing with his family.

• Pearl will also read haftorah, which is a section from additional books that are not the Torah, but are also books about the history and legacy of the Jewish people. If you read this earlier, you will believe that the haftorah is about King Solomon. Turns out, nope, we got that wrong! In fact, because it will be Hanukkah, King Solomon will be displaced by a vision of a priest getting cool new threads from an angel. It isn't one of the megahits like tricking two ladies into telling the truth by lying with threats to cut a baby in half, but it is at least a solid B-Side.

• Some close friends and family will also participate by doing some additional readings and saying some prayers.

What exactly is a Bat Mitzvah?

• It is a coming of age ceremony that 13-year old Jewish girls celebrate (there is also a version for boys, the Bar Mitzvah, and sometimes the gender neutral B’ Mitzvah is used).

• Bat Mitzvah is not really a thing that one does, but is instead a thing one becomes. In that way, it is transformative of the girl who becomes a Bat Mitzvah and is thereafter an adult, at least liturgically.

• Becoming a Bat Mitzvah has parallels with all variety of other coming of age rituals: confirmation, quinceanera, debutante balls, cattle jumping, walkabout, rumspringa, what have you.

• A Bat Mitzvah is also a time when family and friends gather to celebrate the accomplishments of the Bat Mitzvah, the work she had done, and her future within the community of Judaism and other communities as well – her family, her city, her state, her nation, and her world.

What has Pearl done to prepare for her Bat Mitzvah?

• So many things! Pearl has had weekly sessions with Rabbi Amy Bardack to learn how to read the Torah and the haftorah, including through camp sessions, school breaks, and all that life threw at her.

• Pearl has learned to read Hebrew without vowels, because that is how it is written in the Torah.

• She has worked with a mentor to understand and interpret her Torah portion so she can deliver a d’var Torah, or explication of the meaning of the section she will read. In Christian terms, think of a sermon or homily.

• She has worked on a volunteer project to give back to the community that has supported her throughout this work and through her life so far.

What is different when one has become a Bat Mitzvah?

• After she becomes a Bat Mitzvah, Pearl can be a part of a minyan – a gathering of ten people who have become Bar or Bat Mitzvahs who can, as a result, become a collective megaphone to God. It is like Voltron, for prayer.

• She will be able to read the Torah during services – as you will see her do.

• She will take on the responsibility of being a part of the work, not just the heritage, of Judaism. For example, Pearl will now be a part of shaping, rather than simply learning, what it means to be Jewish. She will also have a responsibility to engage with the 613 mitzvot, or commands God has given, and to work to repair the world – called “tikkun olam.” Famously, no Jew is required to complete the work of repairing the world, but neither are they free to abandon it.

What is the Torah?

• As a physical item, the Torah is a scroll on which the most sacred text of Judaism is written. It is kept in an ark and brought out to read through the course of the Jewish year. The scroll is made of sheepskin and the text is written on it without vowels.

• The Torah is sometimes refered to as the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, with the rest filled out by the books of the haftorah. These are also called the Books of Moses, and include Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. It tells the earliest history of the Jewish people and lays out the mitzvot, or laws, that God set down for the Jews.

What is Reconstructionist Judaism?

• Judaism has a long history of questioning and debate, and Reconstructionist Judaism is a form of Judaism that welcomes and makes a practice of that questioning.

• Reconstructionist Judaism regards Judaism as an ever-evolving practice that pairs tradition with advancements in scientific and social thinking. It is consciously and radically egalitarian, progressive, social-justice forward , and dedicated to recognizing, respecting, and making a place for everyone within the world and the reconstructionist community.

What is Dor Hadash?

• Dor Hadash’s origins date to 1963, when it was founded as a prayer and discussion group. It is Pittsburgh’s only Reconstructionist congregation, and is housed within the facilities of Rodef Shalom, an important and storied congregation for Pittsburgh Jews in its own right.

• Dor Hadash has had many homes throughout its existence, including the Tree of Life Synagogue, where it was a target of the 10/27 shooting for its work to make a more just and loving world.

• Dor Hadash was lay-led until two years ago and community involvement remains of paramount importance in the life of the congregation.