On Wednesday evening, February 26, the RYNJ gym was transformed into a festive party space and the sixth grade RYNJ talmidot, their moms, teachers and administrators joined together in the Orah Visimchah Bat Mitzvah Banquet.
It was an evening of reflection, celebration and appreciation. The theme was Aishet Chayil, as it was a culmination of the students’ year long study of the women role models of Tanach and the lessons gleaned from these heroines through their midot and their actions. Each student also selected one role model in her family and wrote about her family member’s history and why she was so inspiring. The works were beautifully displayed in an impressive exhibit at the banquet.
After a delicious meal, the guests were privileged to hear speeches from Rabbi Price, RYNJ head of school, and Tzippy Staum, educational supervisor for Sinai at RYNJ, morah and 6G mom, who shared Torah insights and heartfelt messages to the bnot mitzvah.
Part of the Orah Visimchah curriculum is the study of the text of Aishet Chayil, within the context of the role models of Tanach. In their study groups, the girls learned each pasuk and highlighted the special qualities of the woman of valor that Shlomo Hamelech describes. They then identified which woman in Tanach displayed the qualities in each and every pasuk and discussed where they saw these traits come to life. And finally, all of the RYNJ talmidot selected the words that they thought best related to their primary role models, their mothers. They used those words to create an original floating art piece—a typography picture of a rose which the students presented to their surprised moms at the banquet.
And the hakarat hatov to the moms continued as the students entertained everyone with an original dance/stomp performed to the song “Hashir Shel Eema.” The evening concluded with the gift giving ceremony wherein each talmidah presented the bat mitzvah gift to a fellow student on behalf of all of their classmates.
Mazal tov to RYNJ sixth graders as they reach this great milestone in their lives. Be’ezrat Hashem, they will become the role models of tomorrow and inspire the bnot Torah of the next generation.
