Mazel Tov to our recent B'nai Mitzvah students & families!
11/15/2023 12:51:03 PM
We're so proud of our young people and seeing them called up to the Torah as the next generation of Jewish leaders is a simcha (joy) for all of us to be part of - let's celebrate these wonderful milestones! Make sure to say "Mazel Tov" if you see them and their families around the Shir Hadash campus!
ABOUT KILEY: Oct 14
Kiley Horwitz is a high-energy 8th grader who loves to laugh a lot and cares deeply about others. She especially likes how her Torah portion, B'reishit, is the creation moment, which is particularly special to be at the start of the new Torah cycle.
Kiley plays soccer, runs in track, and she dreams of being a lawyer and also studying marine biology. Kiley's interest in being a lawyer stems from seeing her mom (who is also a lawyer) and feeling inspired to follow in her mother's footsteps. Kiley's favorite thing about Shir Hadash is her friends here, some of whom she's known since preschool!
ABOUT SARAH: Nov 11
As an 8th grader, Sarah Kumayama is a thoughtful person - she appreciates her Torah portion Chayei Sarah because she sees how it brings together brothers to mourn, and Sarah feels that families coming together in times of sadness to comfort each other is important.
Sarah has 5 years of experience playing the violin and one of her favorite subjects in school is Orchestra. In her spare time Sarah enjoys Badminton as well as Japanese calligraphy, and she volunteers her time to teach Japanese online. Sarah's favorite thing about Shir Hadash is the community - family, friends, and music all together. Another important community in Sarah's life is a Japanese School that she attends on Saturdays where she especially appreciates the opportunity to connect with other Japanese youth in the local community.
ABOUT TEVEL: Nov 18
Tevel is a thoughtful and caring 7th grader. Their Torah portion is Tol'dot, which they find interesting because it highlights the story of a mother treating her children differently and in an unfair manner, which Tevel sees many lessons to learn from this portion about fairness and treating siblings equally.
Tevel loves high-energy sports, especially Water Polo, which they have played for three years. They hope to be a child therapist someday, and they care about helping others, especially helping children with mental health. New in Tevel's life is the trombone! They began playing trombone three months ago and are part of the band at their school. In their spare time, Tevel enjoys playing with their two cats Abby and M, and dog Luke. Tevel appreciates Shir Hadash for being like a big family where everyone knows everyone.