"A 'Regular' Tuesday Morning" by Cantor Yonah Kliger

It was a regular Tuesday morning. As they have been doing for nearly two years, the group first gathered together in library for class.  This disparate group made up of a mix of working professionals, retirees, stay at home parents and grandparents.  Until two years ago, many couldn’t distinguish an Aleph from a Tav.  Some knew each other, most were strangers.  But now with a common bond, a shared journey, they make their way one step closer to reaching their “Mt. Sinai,” their promised land.

They were five of the members of our Adult B’nai Mitzvah class.  And this would turn out to be anything but just a regular Tuesday morning.  Leaving the friendly confines of the library where they had spent their time learning not only to read Hebrew, but to understand aspects of our liturgy, Torah and it’s commentaries, they filed into Maltz Center.  Some tentatively ascended the bimah…reality slowly sinking in.  This is where it would happen.  Huddled in a small circle on the bimah,  they stood in front of the open Ark.

Each took a turn holding the Torah scroll.  The very same scroll in fact, that hundreds and hundreds of previous Temple Emanuel B’nai Mitzvah (13 year olds, and adults alike) have held and chanted from—linking some of them to their children and grandchildren who’ve held the very same scroll—and linking all of them to the generations of B’nai Mitzvah who’ve come before them and who will follow them.

“I feel a huge sense of Awe.” said one, as the Torah was passed to the next classmate.
“I feel the weight of our tradition.”  And, onto the next classmate.
“ I just feel so proud.”

Learning a new language at any age is no easy feat.  Those of us who’ve attempted to learn any new language, especially as an adult, know that the older we get, the harder it gets.  And Hebrew is a one  challenging language.

Over the past two years both Rabbi Zimmerman and I, who’ve been teaching and guiding the process, were no strangers to hearing the phrases, “I can’t” or “I’m not getting up there and singing.” And, “This is impossible, there’s no way!”

Well, on this “regular” Tuesday morning the “I can’ts, and “I won’ts” and “no ways” slowly began to disappear….

We uncovered the Torah, and unrolled the scroll.  The students now realizing now just how real this was about to become….no vowels, no punctuation, no chapter headings, all handwritten----and no fear.

One by one, each student took the yad (pointer) and placed it down on the starting word.  Never was there a more beautiful sound of not just silver gliding upon parchment, but of voices loud and strong, clear and radiant---full of pride, and excitement.  Chanting the words and melodies that have been a part of us for thousands of years—ringing out for the ages.

These students left that morning knowing that their hard work had paid off, giddily anticipating their B’nai Mitzvah services in four to six weeks.  They can and WILL do it, and hopefully,  you might join them at the New Emanuel Minyan Service on Saturdays June 4, 11 and 18.

Cantor Yonah Kliger